Chelsea boss Graham Potter insists that he isn't the problem at Stamford Bridge - despite their 1-0 home loss to bottom-of-the-table Southampton leaving them 10 points adrift of the top four in the English Premier League.
Potter was brought in after former boss Thomas Tuchel was stunningly sacked in mid-September after a relatively mediocre - but by no means poor - start to the campaign. Potter's impressive job at Brighton and Hove Albion saw the Seagulls go from yearly relegation candidates to comfortable top-half material, alerting the club's money-laden owner Todd Boehly to make a move for his services.
But despite paying a record £22m release clause for the Solihull-born manager, Chelsea have won just five Premier League games under his guidance - and three of those came in Potter's first three games. With just two league wins from 14 matches since, a loss in the Champions League knockout stages and being dumped out of both cups in the first round possible to put the icing on the cake, the future is looking bleak for Potter.
But despite their poor form and their hopes of securing Champions League football fading by the day, Potter believes that he isn't the problem - and according to reports, owner Boehly agrees with the Englishman's thoughts.
Potter said on Saturday evening after Southampton's win: "After a 1-0 defeat at home, any criticism you get is understandable. I think we have had a tough period and I think we have had lots of challenges in terms of integrating younger players into the Premier League.
"That's how it is and I am sure there will be people out there who think that I'm the problem. I don't think that they are right but I am not arrogant enough to say that their opinion isn't worth articulating.
"The truth is we took a step back in terms of our performance in the first half. The response in the second half was good but obviously it wasn't good enough."
And, according to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea are still backing Potter. A tweet read: "Told [there is] no change in Chelsea board’s position on Graham Potter. They are still backing him.
"The bigger immediate challenge for Potter is to stop the fans turning on him and that requires a big and quick upturn in results and performances."
If Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League, it would mark the occasion occurring for just the third time in 11 seasons.
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