Graham Potter is facing increasing scrutiny as his Chelsea side have failed to produce results and he continues to be questioned about his future ahead of the trip to Tottenham on Sunday.
Chelsea are looking for a response after their shock defeat at home to Southampton last time out.
The Premier League warriors secured a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge as Graham Potter’s troubles continued. The former Brighton boss has endured a continued period of poor results with the Blues on the verge of dropping their top four spot.
They face an important game against fellow Champions League hopefuls Tottenham in north London this weekend with Potter needing a result. He retains the backing of the club’s board, but the heavy financial investment has raised expectations in the capital.
This is the latest news line to come out of the club.
Potter laments pre-season
Potter has struggled for the results he wants since arriving from Brighton. He took over last September after Thomas Tuchel was appointed less than two years after his appointment.
It was a summer of transition with the club changing owners, while several first-team stars departed west London. Potter has commented on how their pre-season preparations have not been what the squad would have liked, which is the message being conveyed to him by the players within the squad.
He said: “It’s very tough. My quote a few weeks ago was that it’s the toughest job in football, and there’s a reason for that. Talking to some experienced people, they said it was the worst pre-season they’ve ever had.” Already. Organizationally the tour didn’t go as well as they would have liked. I wasn’t there so I can’t say.
“We thought we made progress, but the first half against Southampton was subpar. The sky could fall. These are some of the facts. Uncomfortable facts, but that’s the situation.”
No Pochettino contact
Mauricio Pochettino is considered one of the main contenders to replace Potter, should Chelsea opt for a change.
The Daily Telegraph understands, however, that there has been no contact with the Argentinian, who was sacked as PSG boss last summer. He is unattached but has proven his worth in the Premier League previously with Tottenham.
His stock in England remains high, but whether he will take charge of the Blues given his close proximity to Tottenham remains to be seen. The north Londoners could also be looking for a new manager in the summer with Antonio Conte’s future uncertain.
Injury update
Chelsea have a complete squad but Potter is still dealing without some seasoned stars. The Blues boss is without N’Golo Kante, Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta.
He said of a potential return: “We had a good week of training, everyone available apart from N’Golo and Christian Pulisic. They joined the warm-ups and will be more integrated next week.”
Potter then added on the Spaniard’s situation: “He’s fine when you have that concussion. He won’t be ready for the weekend because we have to go through protocol, but he’s fine.”