Happy April, everybody. Spring is upon us, and we're all feeling good ... unless you happen to be Graham Potter or Brendan Rodgers. The Chelsea and Leicester City managers were handed their walking papers over the weekend. I'm Mike Goodman, this is the Golazo Starting XI, and I'm here to walk you through what comes next as the managerial carousel swings around.
So, let's get to it:
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📺 Soccer on Paramount+
All times U.S./Eastern.
Monday, April 3
🇮🇹 Serie A: Empoli vs. Lecce, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Sassuolo vs. Torino, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
Tuesday, April 4
🇮🇹 Coppa Italia semifinal: Juventus vs. Inter, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
📺 Elsewhere ...
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, April 3
🏴 EPL: Everton vs. Tottenham, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
Tuesday, April 4
🏴 EPL: Chelsea vs. Liverpool, 3 p.m. ➡️ Peacock
⚽ The Forward Line
Chelsea's post-Potter dilemma
Graham Potter was officially appointed Chelsea manager on Sept. 8, 2022. He didn't even make it seven months ... and that was with a World Cup break in the middle to boot. We were only six matches into the Premier League season at the time of his appointment, and Chelsea were sitting at a disappointing sixth, three points outside the top four, albeit with a concerning goal differential of -1. Things are a tad worse these days. They sit in 11th place, 12 points out of the top four, and any chance of salvaging something from this lost season runs through the Champions League quarterfinals with a date against Real Madrid next week. It's hard to argue that Potter deserved more time, but as James Benge writes, this is a major blow for Chelsea:
- Benge: "Less than seven months after the dawn of what was supposed to be a new era of 'collaboration, innovation, teamwork, player development, and a commitment to excellence on and off the pitch,' Chelsea have sacked head coach Graham Potter in a humiliating defeat for their ownership consortium. The words of Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano might be remembered as having always set Potter up for a fall. The manager who they and Todd Boehly were prepared to sack Thomas Tuchel for might have always been doomed by the reality that few coaches could live up to such lofty promises."
The decisions to hire and then fire Potter are, in a vacuum, both defensible. Potter was an exciting young manager, who at the time Chelsea hired him, had Brighton sitting three points above the London megaclub in the table (they're currently five points ahead with two games in hand). And while the man he replaced, Tuchel, had much more pedigree as a manager at the highest echelons of the game, he was a holdover from the Roman Abramovich era. It's not unusual, nor necessarily unwise, for new ownership to want their own man in charge. And, as it turns out, that man wasn't the right one for the job. You can't be Chelsea and sit 11th in the table. That's not how it works for a club with lofty ambitious such. So, fair enough, so far.
The problem is that ownership's approach has been predicated on long-term moves. The much ballyhooed winter transfer strategy involved buying lots of young players and signing them to long, relatively cheap contracts. It's a distinctly American approach. Potter seemed to be on board for that challenge, but it comes with a set of mismatched expectations. At Chelsea, the manager has to win now. But the business of the winter, from Enzo Perez to Mykhailo Mudryk to Noni Madueke to Benoît Badiashile and the rest, is designed to peak three to five years from now. So, the next manager will either accept that unique challenge, or Chelsea will need to -- for the third time in as many transfer windows -- change their approach. Either way, it's an extremely tall ask.
The lesson of the Graham Potter era isn't a new one, but it is one that clubs generally need stressed over and over again. Long-term plans are great. They're necessary. You can't win without them. But everybody has a long-term plan when they're winning, and the dilemma is what happens when you lose. Do you still stick to the plan? Chelsea are about to find out which path to take.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
Napoli suffer worst loss of season
Finally, something went wrong for Napoli this season as they cruise toward their first Scudetto since the Maradona era. After getting absolutely taken apart by AC Milan, 4-0 at home, for the first time there are questions about this phenomenal Napoli side. The loss wouldn't be so concerning if Serie A was all that was at stake. After all, they still have a 16-point lead after 28 matches. The problem is that Milan and Napoli will kick off a quarterfinal matchup in the Champions League next week and Luciano Spaletti must be at least a little concerned that Milan might have his team's number. Stefano Pioli switched his side back into a back four on defense and the move worked to perfection, especially in the way it freed up star winger Rafael Leao to go do his thing. Here's Francesco Porzio with more:
- Porzio: "AC Milan needed the best version of Rafael Leao to have this kind of performance against the best team in the Italian league. The Portuguese winger scored his second brace of the season and finally shined after struggling when Stefano Pioli decided to change the tactical system in January. Leao had issues adapting to the 3-4-2-1 and against Napoli showed all his potential and skills, precisely when Pioli decided to go back to the four-man defense."
And now let's get to some links:
🔗 Leo Messi is getting booed at PSG and it seems his time in France is winding down, writes Jonathan Johnson.
🔗 Both Arsenal and Manchester City kept rolling despite missing crucial stars, writes James Benge.
🔗 With Rodgers out at Leicester City, Benge looks at a wild relegation race in the Premier League.
🔗 In the NWSL, the Houston Dash shone in a win over the Chicago Red Stars, writes Sandra Herrera.
🔗 Thomas Tuchel debuted with Bayern Munich in a dominant win over Borussia Dortmund.
🔗 Manchester City's Julian Alvarez stepped up in a big way to make up for Erling Haaland's absence.
🔗 Our Serie A crew were joined by none other than Gianfranco Zola in Napoli, who reminisced about the legendary Maradona.
🔗 USWNT new World Cup kits dropped, and we've got a drip kit to look forward to!
🔗 House of Champions: Fabrizio Romano joins the show to talk about what's next for Chelsea.
🔗 Here We Go! Romano also has you covered on the latest news involving Messi's future.
🔗 Attacking Third: NWSL week two recap, as Sophia Smith becomes the youngest and fastest to 25 NWSL goals.
🔗 And remember, all of your soccer needs -- from NWSL to Champions League to Serie A and so much more -- are available on Paramount+. 📺 You can try one month free by using the code: NWSL2023.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and all times U.S./Eastern. SportsLine has you covered with this weekend's best bets.
- EPL: Everton vs. Tottenham, Monday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Tottenham (+118) -- For all the chaos surrounding Tottenham and manager Antonio Conte leaving the club, they're still in fifth place in the Premier League and Everton are still in 18th. It's hard to overlook getting a good price on Spurs, especially considering that Everton are in the midst of their own troubles as the Premier League investigates them for FFP violations. The Toffees have been much improved under Sean Dyche, but still expect a Spurs win here. - Coppa Italia: Juventus vs. Inter, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Juventus (+130) -- Juventus have been on absolute fire recently, winning their last five matches and eight of their last nine. That stretch includes a 1-0 win away from home against the very same Inter side they're hosting in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal. These may be the most important matches of Juventus' season when you consider that the other semifinal consists of Fiorentina and Cremonese. This is Juventus' best shot at a trophy. Inter, meanwhile, have a top-four race to worry about and are still alive in the Champions League.
