Graham Potter: “I’m not looking for sympathy”

The coach of Chelsea, Graham Potterwho has described managing the blue team as “probably the hardest job in football” but says he is not looking to garner sympathy as he tries to save his job amid an injury crisis and after a summer of big change across the board. soccer areas.

Potter said expectations remained high at Stamford Bridge despite the change of ownership in May, when a consortium led by Todd Boehly completed a £4.25bn (about 5bn euros) takeover and rebranded the club. Chelsea slipped to tenth place in the Premier League after winning just one of their last eight games and were knocked out of the FA Cup and League Cup.

“It’s challenging, it’s exciting and it’s incredibly difficult. I think it’s probably the hardest job in football because of that change in leadership and the expectations that have to be, quite rightly, on how people look at Chelsea,” said by Potter ahead of this Thursday’s trip to Fulham.

“The reality of where the club is in terms of establishing itself as a well-run football club that works well in a really competitive environment is maybe we’re not there yet. Obviously I didn’t think we’d lose 10 first- team players (through injury I also recognize that I am the coach and when we lose I am the one to blame”.

Chelsea supporters mentioned the names of former owner Roman Abramovich, who has seen unprecedented success in nearly two decades in charge, and Potter’s successor, Thomas Tuchel, in Sunday’s 4-0 defeat in Manchester City.

“I’m not looking for mercy, I’m really grateful and privileged to be here. This club has been run in a certain way for 20 years and it’s worked very well. I have a lot of respect for the previous ownership and what they have achieved.” “We have to build things again. This is a new era, a new chapter. We are going through a bad phase, a difficult phase. I understand the disappointment and I appreciate the support.”