Chelsea manager Graham Potter has taken all the blame for the side’s poor form this season after their latest defeat in the Premier League.
It has been problem after problem for the Englishman who took over from Thomas Tuchel in September. The former Brighton and Hove Albion manager came into the club with so much promise after putting up a show with the Seagulls in the Premier League. His first big job has turned out to be more than he expected, however, and the club’s fortunes have taken a nosedive in that time.
Chelsea are now winless in eleven games, including every single game they played in February. This is one of their longest dry spells in their modern history. They are also 10th on the table after 24 games played, with no hopes of making the top four or top six at the end of the season.
The club’s new ownership, however, have continued to stick with the 47-year-old but fans and other figures associated with the club have started to lose their patience.
The backlash from their most recent outing, a 2 – 0 loss to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the Premier League, have led to increased calls for his axing. The club remains silent, but Potter, feeling the pulse of the fans, gave a full appraisal of his performance as Chelsea manager in his post-match comments.
“I know the responsibility,” he said after the defeat. “It’s not good enough for this club and so I take full responsibility for those results. It isn’t good enough for Chelsea.”
The man has already been sent death threats by a rogue section of the club’s fans and the statistics behind his performances could even put his career at the club and his life in more jeopardy.
Defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the eighth straight time this season, meaning Chelsea have gone on their worst run of away day losses since March 2001.
The Blues have also scored only six goals in their last 12 Premier League games – the fewest of any team in the league since the start of November.
It remains to be seen what the club’s leadership will do about this, but there is a feeling that the coming weeks will be vital to Potter’s continuity at the club.
They host Leeds United on March 4 in the league before travelling to Leicester City the following matchday. After these two, they will then host Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League as they look to overturn the 1-0 deficit from the first leg of that tie to secure their place in Europe for one more month at least.
