Chelsea manager Graham Potter will get more time to turn the club’s fortunes around despite his team’s wretched run.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea’s new owners want to give the Potter project years, not months. They see him as a long-term coach with a long-term project in mind.
They are desperate for results but won’t pull the trigger anytime soon. The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss is safe for now.
Following their 1-1 draw against West Ham United two days ago, Chelsea have won only two of their last 13 Premier League games. They are ninth in the league, ten points off the top four.
A Champions League spot for next season is arguably out of reach for the Blues despite spending over £500 million across the last two transfer windows.
Chelsea played well for 20 minutes on Saturday before collapsing into their now-common tepid football. They lacked incision, and their London rivals dealt with them comfortably.
Potter caused some ire among Chelsea fans with his subs. Mykhailo Mudryk had a quiet first half and struggled to get into the game.
It didn’t help that left-back Marc Cucurella was not making good off the ball runs beyond him to open space. The Spaniard was also unadventurous with his passing.
Fans waited for Ben Chilwell to replace Cucurella but took off Mudryk, who had been slowly forcing himself into the game.
He brought on the much-maligned Mason Mount for Mudryk. Despite Mount’s sharpness, fans wanted to see the Chilwell-Mudryk combination down the left.
Potter also brought on out-of-form Hakim Ziyech, who tried overly ambitious passes and failed to beat markers with his dribbles.
The substitutions gave the game away, leading to doubts about Potter’s ability. But the club owners are behind him.
They believe they have one of the best managers in the world and understand that he needs time.
His team has battled injury issues and radical changes from top to bottom. They need time to gel into a cohesive force.
Potter arrived mid-season into a club undergoing a seismic overhaul. The owners will not judge him on whether or not he qualifies for the Champions League and are ready to play the long game.
