Premier League bosses are like bundle specials. In fashionable soccer, couple of head coaches enter by the doorways of a new prime flight club on their very own, with out the assist of their trustworthy backroom team powering them.
When Chelsea operator Todd Boehly swooped in to entice Graham Potter away from Brighton with a lucrative 5-year deal, the pair would no question have reviewed which workers users the 47-calendar year-previous preferred to provide with him to Stamford Bridge.
On an specific basis, his Cinderella tale from the fourth tier of Swedish football to the dizzying heights of the Champions League warrants high praise — while Potter would be the 1st to confess that his backroom staff had a substantial portion to perform in his meteoric increase.
Chelsea’s appointment of Graham Potter has sparked a reshuffle in the Blues’ backroom workers
The new head mentor introduced his Chelsea career with a 1-1 attract towards Red Bull Salzburg
Chelsea declared the club’s new-glimpse backroom employees forward of their 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday, which involves 5 lieutenants from Potter’s team at the Amex.
Even with a range of considerable alterations next Thomas Tuchel’s departure, Chelsea have also retained a couple of essential figures in the dressing area in a bid to supply security during the changeover.
As Potter carries on to get to grips with lifestyle at Stamford Bridge, Sportsmail has outlined and examined the persons who make up his backroom personnel.
Billy Reid – Assistant Manager
Obtaining labored alongside Potter for nine years at Ostersunds, Swansea and Brighton, Billy Reid has taken the purpose of assistant supervisor at Stamford Bridge.
His only encounter at the helm arrived among 2004 and 2013, when Reid managed Scottish outfits Clyde and Hamilton Academical, but the Glaswegian has because racked up pretty much a 10 years of encounter as a deputy.
As Chelsea unveiled the new group on their club site, Potter insisted that Reid’s know-how and interpersonal abilities would benefit the Blues.
Billy Reid (still left) has labored next to Potter for 9 many years at Ostersunds, Swansea and Brighton
‘Billy delivers a good deal of encounter,’ he reported.
‘Really excellent with individuals, creating connections with people today in the club and another person who the gamers truly love functioning with.’
With the enable of Bjorn Hamberg, Reid took charge of Brighton towards Leicester in January soon after Potter examined positive for coronavirus, primary the Seagulls to a 1-1 attract thanks to a late equaliser from Danny Welbeck.
Potter insisted that his seasoned assistant excels at ‘building connections’ with the gamers
Away from the dugout, the Scot has reportedly supported Potter in a variety of peculiar lifestyle-creating exercises.
With the support of regional artist Karin Wahlen, Potter had his Ostersunds crew and backroom employees complete a ballet to the music of Swan Lake.
Wahlen instructed Sky Sports in 2020: ‘The gamers hated it at 1st. But we ended up getting a ton of enjoyment and daily life-time memories. And it gave them braveness, way too. It is really not often the a single who is the bravest on the pitch that is bravest on phase.’
Bjorn Hamberg – Assistant Mentor
Swedish to start with-crew mentor Hamberg has been by Potter’s aspect considering the fact that the 47-yr-old’s incredibly initial period at Ostersunds.
Aged just 26 in 2011, the younger coach joined right after growing his reputation as a participant-mentor with the staff he assisted set up known as BK Bjorner.
Assistant Bjorn Hamberg has labored with Potter because his first handful of days as Ostersunds boss
Talking of his extensive-serving colleague, Potter claimed: ‘I satisfied Bjorn quite substantially the initial working day I arrived in Sweden. We’ve clearly labored alongside one another since and bought to know every other incredibly very well.
‘He’s a mix of a superior individual and a incredibly able particular person, so a actually significant member of the squad.’
In advance of breaking into football beneath Potter, Hamberg was a supermarket supervisor.
Bruno Saltor Grau – Assistant Coach
Establishing himself as a legend at Brighton, Bruno joined the Seagulls from Valencia in 2012 and went on to make 225 appearances for the south-coastline club.
Considering the fact that his retirement in 2019, Bruno has been a vital member of the coaching staff at Brighton, wanting to consolidate the club’s standing as a Leading League outfit immediately after successful marketing from the Championship in 2017 less than Chris Hughton.
Bruno produced a heartfelt farewell to the Brighton fans following choosing to get up arms with Potter at Stamford Bridge.
Bruno Saltor Grau (left) waved an emotional farewell to Brighton next his shift to Chelsea
He posted on Instagram: ‘I do not know exactly where to begin, I will not know what to say. I’m heartbroken, most likely like some of you. I have the very same experience that when I left household at 14 to chase my aspiration. Absolutely sure about my determination but damaged inside.’
Bruno was the senior player enhancement coach at Brighton and will very likely acquire on very similar role at Chelsea, tasked with enhancing participant functionality and progress.
Potter mentioned in his job interview with Chelsea: ‘Bruno has experienced a great taking part in occupation and was a legend at Brighton. Captain, huge individuality, really extraordinary person.
‘He’s on the begin of his coaching journey but you can explain to that he has a great manner, an intelligence, a humility and respect for people and is a leading individual.’
The Spaniard made 225 appearances for the Seagulls subsequent his move from Valencia in 2012
Anthony Barry – Assistant Coach
A 1st-staff coach for each Chelsea and the Belgium nationwide football workforce, Anthony Barry has reclaimed his area in the Stamford Bridge dressing place, obtaining never previously labored with Potter.
The 36-12 months-previous survived in west London in spite of the departures of Arno Michels, Zsolt Small and Benjamin Weber alongside former manager Tuchel, obtaining joined the club at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
Barry was established to turn out to be Chelsea’s interim manager and just take charge of final week’s clash towards Fulham, but the Blues’ swift appointment of Potter — and the Leading League’s postponement of the weekend’s fixtures due to the demise of Queen Elizabeth II — denied him of the possibility.
Anthony Barry (still left) has remained at Stamford Bridge to assist Potter as an assistant coach
Through his playing days, the challenging-performing midfielder bounced all over the English Football League, that includes for the likes of Accrington Stanley, Yeovil City, Fleetwood City and Forest Eco-friendly Rovers, before ending his career at Wrexham.
Whilst at Fleetwood, Barry famously acquired back-to-back promotions together with Leicester star and Premier League winner Jamie Vardy in 2012.
Henrique Hilario – Goalkeeper Mentor
Acquiring been at Chelsea for in excess of a third of his daily life, Hilario remains one of the goalkeeper coaches at Stamford Bridge, inspite of Potter’s arrival.
The 46-12 months-outdated joined the Blues as a participant in 2006 and has due to the fact invested 16 many years at the west London club.
Even in the course of his taking part in days, Hilario was applied to having on an off-discipline part at the club, that includes just 39 situations for Chelsea in 8 campaigns at the club prior to his retirement in 2014.
Previous goalkeeper Henrique Hilario has been with Chelsea as a player and a coach considering the fact that 2006
In Portugal, he played 160 leading flight appearances around a nine-calendar year time period.
Potter will be Hilario’s seventh lasting supervisor because turning out to be a mentor at Stamford Bridge, following Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard and Tuchel.
Ben Roberts – Goalkeeper Coach
A further member of Potter’s coaching personnel producing the excursion from East Sussex to the funds, Ben Roberts will be part of Hilario as a goalkeeper mentor at Stamford Bridge.
The 47-calendar year-outdated held positions at Yeovil and Charlton before signing up for the Seagulls in 2015 and also retains a degree in sports activities science.
Because of to an personal injury to previous Blues stopper Mark Schwarzer, Roberts featured for Middlesbrough in their FA Cup ultimate defeat to Chelsea in 1997.
Ex-Seagulls coach Ben Roberts will be tasked with helping out-of-form keeper Edouard Mendy
Roberts’ key responsibility at the Amex was nurturing and increasing very first-choice goalkeepers Mathew Ryan and Robert Sanchez, who each individual produced significant improvements pursuing their respective arrivals at Brighton.
Roberts and Hilario will be tasked with sorting out Chelsea’s goalkeeper conundrum below Potter, with Edouard Mendy out of type and previous file signing Kepa Arrizabalaga out of self confidence.
‘I’m just really wanting ahead to doing the job with the goalkeepers listed here,’ Potter said. ‘Ben’s really enthusiastic about what he does, he is a wonderful person.’
Kyle Macaulay – Recruitment
Lastly, recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay has taken up arms with Potter as soon as all over again having been with him considering that his Ostersunds days.
The talent spotter unearthed and recruited a handful of concealed gems at Brighton, which includes Tottenham star Yves Bissouma and Manchester United summer season concentrate on Moises Caicedo.
During Macaulay’s time in Sweden with Potter, the Scot reportedly received concerned with the manager’s ‘culture academy’ venture. even though he was most remembered for his rapping instead than his ballet capabilities.
Expertise spotter Kyle Macaulay was instrumental in recruiting Brighton star Moises Caicedo
In accordance to Sky Sporting activities, the 36-yr-old shut out a rap general performance with the lyrics: ‘Scottish born in 1986, not from the streets but the Highland sticks, that is all I can say to the viewers, hey, above and out from Kyle Macaulay.’
Irrespective of whether it is really discovering Todd Boehly the next celebrity expertise, or animating the dressing room with an Eminem-encouraged rap, Macaulay will carry on supporting Potter as Chelsea’s new recruitment analyst.
