Chelsea manager Graham Potter was surrounded by fans following the Blues’ defeat to Fulham, with many expressing their feelings about the former Brighton schemer..
Potter is under intense scrutiny at Stamford Bridge after failing to inspire a turnaround since taking over as Thomas Tuchel’s successor. Chelsea’s defeat at Craven Cottage was their seventh in their last ten games across all competitions.
With 18 games played, the West Londoners are tenth in the Premier League standings, and they now appear unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season. While the Chelsea hierarchy has not publicly commented on Potter’s situation, there is no doubt that the club is under pressure..
During last week’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, supporters chanted Tuchel’s name, but they appear to have changed their tune now. Potter was mobbed by Blues fans in footage posted to Twitter following the defeat at Craven Cottage, with the vast majority of them sending him messages of support.
One fan called him the “best manager in the world,” adding, “We’ve got your back, Potter, we trust you.”
Meanwhile, another stated that they still believed in his abilities and that he was capable of leading Chelsea to their third Champions League title..
Messages of support continued to pour in for Potter, with one final fan blaming the Blues’ underperforming stars rather than the manager.
“Keep the faith,” they advised. Change the team, they’re the issue.” Potter then climbed into the backseat of a car and drove away from Craven Cottage..
Aside from the defeat, Chelsea’s evening quickly devolved into a nightmare when Denis Zakaria was forced to withdraw, and debutant Joao Felix was shown a red card on his debut for the club. The on-loan Atletico Madrid star was sent off for a high challenge on Kenny Tete.
“It’s really frustrating, incredibly challenging,” Potter said after the final whistle. I sympathize with the supporters..
We are disappointed with our loss tonight. In the first half, I thought it was a fairly even game, and we had a couple of chances. But I believe we can improve on the fundamentals in terms of defending and football actions.
We get back into the game, and the red card is where we are right now in terms of things that can [do] happen to us.”
Chelsea have another chance to get back on track this weekend when they host Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon before facing Liverpool in just over a week in what is already shaping up to be a crucial game in their hopes of playing in Europe next season..