As Chelsea’s dismal run continues in their London derby loss to Tottenham Hotspur, one question was on everyone’s mind: how long will Graham Potter be given to turn the tide?
The Blues coach, who described the price than the criticism placed on his family and his sanity last week, has very little credit in the bank in terms of results.
Chelsea have won just twice in their last 15 games in all competitions and have scored the fewest goals among Premier League sides since November.
With the Blues now 10th, 14 points from a top four spot, Potter – who only took over in September – looks in an increasingly precarious position.
“If the results aren’t good enough, which they aren’t right now, you can’t rely on support forever, that’s for sure,” Potter said.
“I take full responsibility for these results and it’s not good enough for Chelsea. We want to improve it, absolutely. My job is to keep going, to keep working with the team to try and change the moment. Players suffer. It’s a difficult time for us. »
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Blues players behind embattled boss
Chelsea are closer to the bottom three than Champions League places, with Potter so far unable to find a successful formula of his bloated and expensively assembled team.
This is especially true in attack, where Potter has a wealth of talent to choose from, but his side have a miserable goalscoring record.
In his defence, the 47-year-old could point to having limited opportunities to work with his best XI due to a long list of injuries in a season interrupted by the World Cup.
He also hasn’t had a summer transfer window to shape his squad or a pre-season with his players, and while Potter is realistic about the results-oriented company he works at, he’s also established comparisons with his situation to that encountered by other top flight managers.
“We were talking before the game about watching ‘All or Nothing’ and Arsenal two years after Mikel started [Arteta] reign, he’s about to be fired, people want him out and it’s a disaster,” Potter added.
“Obviously things have changed a bit now, but that’s the way it is. You look at Jurgen [Klopp] situation. He doesn’t have the results and all of a sudden people want him out. It’s just the nature of football. »
Speaking after Sunday’s loss to Spurs, Chelsea defender Reece James said the players were still fully supportive of their manager.
“We are still all together,” James told Sky Sports. “Nobody went their own way. The manager, the owners, the players and all that.
“The manager is doing his job and we are the ones on the pitch, so we have to take responsibility. We talk in groups and as a team to try to understand what is happening.
“It’s not easy but we are working to get out of the hole in which we find ourselves. Talent is one thing. Running it and winning matches is a whole different story. »
“We are in a results-oriented company” – the opinion of the experts
Chelsea host struggling Leeds United in their next Premier League game before trying to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge.
speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Former Tottenham and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson suggested that these luminaries could determine Potter’s fate.
“The abuse Potter has suffered is unacceptable, but we’re in a results business and they haven’t been good enough, nor the performances,” Robinson said.
“They are missing a number nine. You can see progress but they’re not good enough in the final third. Out of the FA Cup, out of the League Cup, 10th in the league, if they come out of Europe, you really question his future and you don’t want to. »
Former Crystal Palace and Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison added: “I wanted Graham Potter to get a big job. I thought the job he was doing at Brighton was excellent and I thought he was ready to take the next step.
“I thought he would be a success at Chelsea. It did not work. I’m not writing him off completely because I still think he’ll change things over time, but you don’t have time in the Premier League.
“Potter lost Chelsea fans before he set foot in the club. Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League in his first season in charge. Even though the team was on a bad streak, the fans didn’t want Tuchel to leave.
“If the fans don’t want you at their club – it doesn’t matter if the hierarchy say they believe in you – in the end, the fans will win. »
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