Graham Potter has continued his call for patience from Chelsea fans, citing the early stages of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal after their last managerial appointments. The Blues boss has come in for wide ranging criticism from fans that have seen their side slide down the table.
Less than halfway through January Chelsea are out of both domestic cups and sit 10th in the league. They are just as close to the relegation zone as they are the top four after 17 games and are behind both west London rivals Fulham and Brentford.
It is a major drop off from Thomas Tuchel's achievements last season that saw the Blues top the table in December before a second half of the campaign capitulation. The general decline since 2022 has continued and worsened more than most were expecting though.
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Whereas Tuchel was able to transform an underperforming side into Champions League winners, Potter has struggled to find any spark with his patchwork squad so far. It isn't the first time that a Chelsea manager has had early pressure; Frank Lampard was treated similarly at times during his stint as boss.
Potter has looked elsewhere to support himself, though, turning to the teams at the top of the league for comparison. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's fixture against Fulham, Potter explained where the criticism comes from: "You have to understand that it’s part of the job. I think you only have to look at some of my colleagues in a similar position, Pep [Guardiola] for example in his first season was criticised quite heavily.
"Mikel [Arteta] has had to endure a period of criticism. Jurgen Klopp would’ve got some criticism as well and these guys are fantastic. So you understand. Football is emotional and when you lose, you don’t think about it, you feel it. You feel the pain, the suffering, the discomfort.
"Sometimes it is hard to understand the why and it’s easier to just blame somebody. I’m not sitting here saying I’ve been absolutely perfect, so they’re not completely wrong. But it’s always very complex. You just try to put it into perspective and remember you’re capable and how you got here.
"Two months ago, I was considered to be a top coach and if you consider the people I’ve played against and with, they’d say the same. But at the same time I acknowledge the results haven’t been good enough and then you have to accept and deal with that as best you can, put it in perspective, and try to move forward."
Potter's confidence in himself has come through in recent weeks with a similar argument raised by the man in charge. It isn't enough for the fans that are seeking tangible improvement, though. Whereas Guardiola's first season came off the back of Manchester City under Manuel Pellegrini, who won the league in 2014, his side were proven winners.
Potter's side are far from that and have little to support their credentials alongside the likes of City and Liverpool. Klopp, who came in midway through the 2015/16 season, had a long adjustment period and took his time to work through the squad that finished second in 2014 to eventually push up the league in 2018.
Arteta also took his time and was close to being sacked at the start of the 2021/22 season before the fruits of Arsenal's planning began to pay off. Potter's overall point is a fair one, but not one often used by managers themselves.
His role seems safe enough for now, with Todd Boehly continuing to support Potter despite the external pressure, though the expectation will have been for better results up to this point. When asked about the views of the new owners, Potter said: "I've been in regular dialogue with the owners and they’ve been really supportive, fantastic. We speak on a regular basis, two or three times a week, and they’ve been really supportive."
With a squad bundled together over managers across 10 years and an injury crisis that would cripple any top team it isn't without evidence that Potter has made these comparisons either. It is still the performances and results on the pitch that will do the talking when it comes down to it though.
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