Jamie Carragher admits he ‘fears’ for Brighton boss Graham Potter if he joins ‘ruthless’ Chelsea

Jamie Carragher fears that Graham Potter would not be given the time he needs to succeed if he was appointed as Chelsea’s new manager. 

The Brighton boss is the Blues’ No 1 target to replace Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked this morning after last night’s 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. 

The Seagulls have granted Chelsea permission to speak to Potter and if talks go according to plan, the expectancy is that he will be offered the position and could be in place by the weekend when the west London side take on Fulham.

However, Carragher says that the 47-year-old should be ‘wary’ of any promises that Chelsea make and believes that he will be expected to get results straight away.

‘It is a very ruthless club, Chelsea,’ Carragher told Sky Sports. ‘I’m not exactly sure he is the exact fit. Maybe Chelsea are saying they want to do things differently in the future in terms of having a coach in charge [rather] than a manager. 

‘But if I was Graham Potter I’d find that very hard to believe in the talks I’d be having with the new ownership at Chelsea that they’re going to do things differently and that he’s going to be there for two or three years, because they’ve just got rid of a manager within six games. 

‘Of course it’s a step up and at some stage in his managerial career he’ll want to manage at the top and Chelsea are one of the top clubs. They are still world champions right now. But you fear for Graham Potter that he’ll be in the same boat as every other Chelsea manager for the last 10 years. 

But Jamie Carragher fears that Potter would not be given the time to succeed by the Blues

Thomas Tuchel was sacked this morning after last night’s 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb

‘Unless he gets results instantly, they’ll be getting a new manager themselves in 12 months.’

Todd Boehly has only been Chelsea owner for 100 days but already he has shown a merciless streak, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Roman Abramovich. 

The Russian earned a reputation for having little patience with managers and changed bosses 15 times during his 19-year reign at Stamford Bridge. 

When asked if the Blues could turn to a more long-term approach under Boehly, Carragher was doubtful that they would move away from a strategy that has served them well. 

Todd Boehly has only owned Chelsea for 100 days but already he has shown a ruthless streak

‘We’ve heard that so often over the years with Chelsea that they’re going to do things differently. To be fair to the club, I’ve always said that when they change managers they always seem to get success. So it was always difficult to criticise in the Abramovich era. 

‘They were very ruthless with managers, maybe that will change with Potter I don’t know. But if I was Graham Potter on the back of what they’ve done with Thomas Tuchel, I’d be very wary of that getting promised in the talks that he has with the club. 

‘Sooner or later Graham Potter will move on from Brighton because he’s done a brilliant job there. Everyone loves his team, the football that they play. I’d be interested [to see] if he can get those ideas across to a Chelsea team if he does take the job.’

Potter, 47, is the Blues’ No 1 target after his excellent start to the season on the south coast

Potter is settled at Brighton, who have started the season excellently and sit fourth in the table – three points ahead of Chelsea in sixth. 

However, sources have indicated to Sportsmail that he would give serious consideration to leaving the Seagulls for a club competing in the Champions League.

If Chelsea’s move for Potter fails to materialise then Mauricio Pochettino is also viewed as a strong candidate. 

While Potter is understood to have a release clause of at least £12million in his Brighton contract, the Argentine is available for nothing after leaving Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer.