Roy Keane believes Chelsea have one of the top three managers in the Premier League, but that shouldn't make them complacent when heading into the away fixture against Brentford.
Graham Potter, who has been in charge for six weeks at Stamford Bridge, is unbeaten so far with five wins in a row and four clean sheets. His burst of form at the helm has settled down a disgruntled squad that looked on the edge of collapse during the final weeks of Thomas Tuchel's reign.
Through careful tactical tweaks and expert communication, Potter has guided the Blues through an early period and to relative safety so far, with Champions League and Premier League fortunes overturned, reports Football London.
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The job he has done on paper looks simple, though home and away trips to AC Milan do stand out, but earning victories over Crystal Palace, Wolves, and Aston Villa isn't the level of success they will have wanted heading into mid-October. Potter has done all he can so far though, and has taken on a giant challenge all guns blazing.
It was the calm approach off the field with brilliant results on it that attracted Todd Boehly and his co-owners to the 47-year-old, and that's what has gained the turnaround in form so far. Proof of the standing in which Potter is held within the footballing industry is shown by the FA's interest in him as a potential England manager of the future, as well as a belief that he was effectively the next cab off the rank for top Premier League jobs. Chelsea got in there first due to a set of unique circumstances, but it's not something they will regret, says Keane.
Speaking on Monday Night Football several weeks ago, Keane was asked for his top managers in the league, and Potter was picked alongside good company. "Managers I like, I've always had a lot of time for Pep [Guardiola] and what he does to his teams," the Sky pundit said. "I know people say he's always working with the best players at the biggest clubs with the biggest budgets blah blah blah, he still has to work with them, he still has to manage them and define a style of play, still has to go year in, year out."
With Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte in the league, they are the obvious other choices, but Keane went down a different route. "Brentford manager Thomas Frank. I like him. I like the way he comes across. When he was in the Championship a few years ago, I came across him. He's a really good guy.
"I like Graham Potter at Chelsea. I like the way his teams play. I like the way he comes across in the media, and I'm delighted that he's got a chance to do a big job at a club like Chelsea.
"There's all this talk, can he manage a big club and big egos and all this, give the man a chance. He's settled in really well. Every time he speaks in interviews, he comes across really well. They're the three for me."
Frank and Potter will meet for the third time as Premier League bosses tomorrow (October 19th), and Keane's praise creates an exciting backdrop for the two managers. Frank led Brentford to promotion and a top-flight season for the first time in its current format, whereas Potter took over from a stable Brighton side that wanted to push on and helped them to an impressive ninth-placed finish and an excellent start to the 2022/23 campaign as well.
Considering Manchester United face Tottenham at the same time as Chelsea's trip to Brentford, Keane may well have a big decision on his hands as to which game he decides to watch.
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