Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are expected to stand by manager Graham Potter despite his poor start, reports the Telegraph.
Potter was brought to Stamford Bridge in September, following an impressive three-year stint at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Englishman took over from previous boss Thomas Tuchel, who had guided the Blues to their second Champions League title in 2021.
The 47-year-old initially made a strong start to life in London, avoiding defeat in each of his first nine games in all competitions.
However, Chelsea have since suffered a major downturn in fortunes, picking up just two wins from their last 14 outings.
During this run of form, they have exited both domestic cups, lost their Champions League round of 16 first leg, and dropped to tenth in the Premier League table.
This has ramped up the pressure on Potter, with many betting companies pricing him as the favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave. After Chelsea’s recent home defeat to Southampton, the manager was the subject of boos and calls to leave.
Despite this, the Telegraph reports that the board at Stamford Bridge remain behind Potter.
The source claims that the board are appreciative of the risk that he took when accepting the job in south west London. He had a stable job and a high reputation at Brighton, which he put on the line when leaving.
Additionally, they believe the former Swansea City boss has been dealt a difficult hand. Last summer’s spending was geared towards the needs of Tuchel, which do not necessarily align with the needs of Potter.
Boehly and Eghbali are looking for a rebuild with Potter at the helm. And while they may have to go through a pain barrier, they are confident their patience will be rewarded.
Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta had similar struggles during their early days at Liverpool and Arsenal respectively, but eventually delivered the results expected of them. Even Pep Guardiola went without silverware in his first year at Manchester City.
Because of this, the board at Chelsea are looking to adopt a long-term model – contrasting the methods used by previous owner Roman Abramovich. Boehly and Eghbali feel that stability is more likely to bring them sustainable success.
