Chelsea FC: Fans demand the return of Tuchel, Potter is criticized

6 losses from 10 games

In the curve of the Blues fans, they were already singing the name of the German ex-coach: The fans of Chelsea FC, who were stumbling athletically, demanded that Thomas Tuchel go back to Stamford Bridge. In the 0: 4 swatter away against champions Manchester City in the cup just a few days after the defeat in the championship, even City’s star coach Pep Guardiola had to stand up for the Chelsea coach Graham Potter – who in turn emphasized again that he was sure of the trust of his players and “support in the dressing room”.

For Potter and his team it was the sixth loss in the past 10 games. Overall, the 47-year-old has an average points balance of 1.56 points from 18 games – not enough for the claims of the two-time Champions League winner, who has meanwhile slipped to 10th place in the Premier League. “I know that results count in big clubs, but I would say: give him time,” appealed Guardiola, who had not missed the mood in the ranks of Chelsea fans, in the direction of London.

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“We have great Thomas Tuchel,” chanted supporters during the frustration game in Manchester, in which Guardiola had done without striker Erling Haaland. After 38 minutes, the Blues around German national player Kai Havertz were already 0:3 behind, and Potter also had to endure boos from the ranks. Likewise, the name of the Russian ex-owner Roman Abramovich, who had to sell the club to an American consortium as a result of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “The fans’ frustration is understandable,” Potter said. “It’s obvious we’re not in a good spot.”

The tabloid “The Sun” was already happily quoting fans from social networks who took a sharp stance on the new owner Todd Boehly, who ended Tuchel’s tenure on September 7 last year, despite the 2021 Champions League triumph. A day later Potter took over and after three league wins the crisis phase began.

Against Manchester, the guests didn’t even have a shot on goal in the first half, “painful,” commented the coach. “That was perhaps the low point of his previous tenure,” said the “Mirror”. Whether Potter, previously a coach at Brighton, will still be in office in the duels in the round of 16 of the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund from mid-February is currently very questionable, at least from the fans’ point of view.

Potter himself is still sure of the support of his players: “We have to keep improving and stick together because we suffer as a football club, and that’s not nice,” he said, summing up the bitter bankruptcy. You can apologize and look for reasons or say it’s not good enough. Both answers are correct.” When asked about the fans’ chants, Potter said, “There’s always dissent and negativity and criticism because the results haven’t been positive. It’s part of the job, part of the challenge. There is nothing we can do except do our job better and work harder. (…) I don’t have the feeling that the players bring a bad attitude. Everyone wants to try to do better. I think there is support in the dressing room.”

Potter had already made it clear at Christmas that, despite the “results crisis”, he is still building on existing trust at management level. He is not worried about his reputation with the club bosses, but rather talks with co-owner Behdad Eghbali during the World Cup break made him “even more confident”.

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