Chelsea manager Graham Potter has been warned by former player Gus Poyet that results must turn around to keep his job at Stamford Bridge, starting with a clash against Tottenham on Sunday. It comes as pressure continues to mount on the Blues' boss, who has struggled to find some form as of late.
The west London outfit currently sit 10th, though the overarching message from the club continues to be that of support for Potter. The former Brighton head coach revealed a discussion with the board over his position, with Todd Boehly continuing to back the manager.
"Yes, I've spoken to them [the board] and it's the same as it's always been," Potter said ahead of the clash with Tottenham. "There has always been support. I've been under pressure here for four months from you guys.
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"Have you spoken to the owners? Do you have their support? That continues and they've been great, brilliant. They also see where we're at but at the same time are frustrated because the results are what they are and we have to do better."
There are still some questions over Potter at this stage and he will be hopeful of turning things around in a tough London derby clash with Tottenham. For former Chelsea midfielder Poyet, wins have to start flowing for the manager to avoid being dismissed - starting against Spurs.
He told Bettingsites.co.uk: "Win, just win [to avoid the sack]. I always say that when you go to a place and want to impose your style and convince the players that is the best way, the only option you have is winning. Then the players convince themselves very quickly, because they are winning. The feeling is good, they look at the coaches and think everything is working, but when you’re not winning it is tough.
"It is different to Brighton for Graham. If you’re at the bottom and you can get a win every now and then, you can survive. Remember, the Premier League is 38 games. In the last 10 years, I am pretty sure with 38 points you will be safe. Meaning you can draw every game, or win one and lose one. But it is a big difference to Chelsea.
"At Chelsea, you have to win. On top of that, you have to win trophies! I know they changed the owner, but Jose Mourinho won two Premier League titles and they got rid when he stopped winning. Ancelotti and Conte were the same - as soon as you don’t win, you are out. That’s why, in my opinion, this game is much bigger for Chelsea than it is for Spurs."
There is, however, concern that pressure building on the manager could force the hand of the board to make a decision, with Poyet adding: "We don’t know [if the owners will act on pressure], because I don’t know the owner and how he is going to work. But, when everything surrounding the team; the press, the social media, is talking about the Graham Potter situation, it gets to a point where it is natural that the owners think it is better to change because it is a problem.
"That’s a thing where coaches are paying the price. We are not only depending on the way we work, and our relationships and results, but also maintaining the publicity around yourself and the team. And I think this game, after the defeat to Southampton, I think the pressure has increased dramatically.
"As a coach, I don’t like it. I would love Graham to stay and make Chelsea play similar, maybe even better, than he did at Brighton. But he knows, and we all know, that you have to win."
It remains to be seen if Potter can turn things around once and for all, with Chelsea hurtling towards a season being over in March, with months left to play. However, that can only be assessed one game at a time, with the Tottenham clash representing more than just a London rivalry this time.
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