Graham Potter ‘has two games to save Chelsea job’
According to reports, Graham Potter may be fired if Chelsea doesn’t win their next two games against Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund.
After leading Brighton & Hove Albion for over three years, the 47-year-old was appointed by Todd Boehly, an American co-owner, to manage Stamford Bridge after Thomas Tuchel was dismissed in September 2022.
Potter had a good beginning as Chelsea’s manager, with six wins and three draws in his first nine games in all competitions.
Despite a promising start, Graham Potter’s performance as Chelsea’s manager has deteriorated significantly. In fact, he has only won three of his last 17 games in charge since the end of October, with the team failing to win any of their last six games and scoring just one goal during that period.
In their last three games, Chelsea has suffered three consecutive defeats without scoring a single goal. They lost 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund and Southampton before being defeated 2-0 by Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. This was their ninth loss in the Premier League this season.
Chelsea has already been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, and they are in danger of not making it to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Moreover, they are currently struggling in the Premier League, sitting in 10th place and trailing fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by 14 points with a game in hand.
Despite recent reports suggesting that Chelsea’s management is willing to give Potter more time to improve the team’s performance and let the expensive signings settle into the first team, The Telegraph has reported that Potter’s future at the club is now dependent on the next two games against Leeds and Dortmund.
These matches are being viewed as crucial ‘make-or-break’ fixtures for the coach.
On Saturday, the Blues will play host to relegation-threatened Leeds, who made the perfect start under new boss Javi Gracia by beating Southampton 1-0 at Elland Road last weekend.
Chelsea are then scheduled to face Dortmund at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie three days later, with the Blues currently trailing by one goal and seeking to avoid their fifth last-16 elimination in the last seven years.
Speaking to Sky Sports about his future after the defeat at Spurs, Potter said: “If results aren’t good enough, which they aren’t at the moment, you can’t rely on support forever, that’s for sure.
“My job is to keep going, to keep working with the team and try and change that. The players are hurting. They are giving everything and want the results to get better, I can feel it in the dressing room.”
The Blues boss added: “Whenever you hear those results [stats], I hold the responsibility. They are not good enough for this club, not good enough for us. We are not happy with them.
“We have to understand the moment we are in. At the same time, I take full responsibility for those results. It isn’t good enough for Chelsea, that’s for sure. We want to try and improve it.
“I thought the players gave it everything, no complaints from how they were, it’s just that the goal changes the complexion of the game and that made it difficult for us.”
The person who used to manage Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino, is currently favored by bookmakers to become the next manager of Chelsea, but it is believed that he has rejected the opportunity to take on the role at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter ‘has two games to save Chelsea job’
