Rightly or wrongly, it's impossible to escape that Marc Cucurella has been the subject of criticism from a contingent of Chelsea supporters. The former Brighton defender has yet to find the form he showed with the Seagulls on the way to winning their Player of the Season award and as a result has become one of the figures singled out as part of Chelsea's poor form.
The Blues lie 10th in the Premier League table, a position that was somewhat unexpected when the Spaniard joined in a £62million deal over the summer. Chelsea have struggled since the team returned from the World Cup and have recorded just one win in 2023 so far, and while their defensive record has been solid, they have continued to struggle in front of goal.
Given their backgrounds, Potter and Cucurella are always going to be closely connected and that has not been an uncommon occurrence at Chelsea in recent seasons. Maurizio Sarri and Jorginho, and Frank Lampard and Mason Mount have had their relationships pointed to when the players have received criticism.
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"He doesn’t look like my son does he?!" joked the Chelsea boss to the gathered press.
The 24-year-old Cucurella struggled to connect with Mykhailo Mudryk in the west London side's last Premier League match against West Ham and was booed by his own supporters, while Potter has not been free from blame for Chelsea's recent form. The 47-year-old head coach believes supporters are free to their opinions but that his team are responsible for helping to release Cucurella from his current pressure.
He said: "I think with the results we are having and where we are in the table, unfortunately, you expect somebody to be getting the brunt of the criticism. I think that’s the pattern. Whether it is fair or not, that doesn’t matter.
"The supporters are entitled to their opinion and voice because without them there is no football club. I think as professionals we have to accept that. We have to work as hard as we can to change opinions. That is what it is and the challenge for us. I am not going to argue against it. I think Marc is a big boy, he is an adult who has got kids. He knows the situation. We have to help him to change perspectives on this.
"In an ideal world, you want everybody going in the same way, supporting everybody but that’s not the reality. That’s not where we are at. Again, that’s not a criticism and it is understandable because of the results and where we are at the minute with out team where we are in the table. There’s always frustration. We have to accept that. There’s frustration at me and there will be at the players. That’s part of what we accept in this position."
Potter believes the instability of Chelsea's season has not helped Cucurella settle but that he offers alternative qualities in build up play to Ben Chilwell and offers key characteristics in defensive transitions. The Blues couldn't help but note that Chelsea were not the only team interested in buying Cucurella in the summer too.
He said: "Well, the club invested a lot of money in him in the summer. I was at Brighton last year so I know his qualities. He was the final piece, I would say, in our puzzle. He helped the team to function really well. At Chelsea, with the amount of transition there is, is a really different situation. It won’t be the first time that in a first six months at a club that it doesn’t feel like it should. It can affect your performance.
"He brings different qualities in the build up, his reactions when the ball is lost are really good. In the summer, Chelsea weren’t the only team that wanted to buy him. The other team that wanted to buy him were quite good. So he is not a bad player. At the same time, I understand the frustration at the moment. He was the Player of the Year at Brighton and a very good Premier League team wanted to sign him. He is a good player as well at the same time, I understand things happen and the perspective can be different."
Potter's intention is to see Chelsea win matches going forward, with their first task against Southampton. He believes earning points will relieve the pressure on Cucurella as much as the team as a whole. However, Chelsea's head coach does not believe it will necessarily be easy for the left back.
He said: "There is no magic formula. It is not straightforward or easy. It would be wrong for me to say it is easy for him, it is not easy to play with that type of pressure or situation. All he can do is keep playing well in training, keep working hard and wait for the right opportunity.
"Our challenge is that the team has to win games and perform better and get some points because that takes the pressure off. In a situation where the results are going as you'd like them to go then it is understandable, you are looking for someone to be critical of, someone to blame. That is normal, it is human nature. As a team, we're not losing because of one individual. We're not in the situation because of one person. We're a team and a club and we need to stick together and move forward."
Potter was adamant that Cucurella has the determination to make it back to his best. There was no question in former Swansea and Ostersunds chief's mind that the defender has the personality to withstand his current situation.
He said: "Yeah he has. If you do any research about Marc in Spain the character was fantastic. The team that was interested in him I don't think they'd be interested if he didn't have the character he has. Again, in a footballer's career sometimes you have good moments and sometimes you don't have such good moments. You have to accept them when they're not and deal with them, deal with them like a grown person and try your best, which in fairness is what he is doing."
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