LIKE many individuals, I really feel sorry for Graham Potter.
The Chelsea boss is a really likeable man, the kind you’d love as a brother-in-law or nextdoor neighbour.
And a proficient coach who has proved himself an enlightened over-achiever at lesser golf equipment.
However when the supervisor of an elite soccer membership turns into a determine of widespread sympathy, it feels he isn’t minimize out to be an elite soccer supervisor.
It was fascinating that Potter selected to reveal final week that he had acquired demise threats from supporters.
Such therapy is vile and legal. It's a unhappy indictment on soccer’s rampant anger tradition and anybody with an oz. of humanity feels for Potter.
The Chelsea boss has a masters diploma in emotional intelligence. If he needs to make these demise threats public, he does so with a extra knowledgeable background than most of us.
Shining a light-weight on such despicable behaviour would possibly do soccer some form of service.
However brutal because it sounds, it didn’t assist with the picture drawback Potter has amongst Chelsea followers.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Potter has turn out to be the epitome of the previous adage ‘present me loser and I’ll present you a loser’.
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That quote from legendary Inexperienced Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi is harsh however enduring as a result of, in top-level sport, it's true.
The best managers hate shedding - see Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, who regardless of being clever and urbane, was the worst loser of the lot.
Did anybody ever really feel sorry for Ferguson, Mourinho or Wenger?
Potter takes each defeat on the chin - by no means offended; all the time stoical.
However his Chelsea staff is horrible. Really pitiful. They aren’t successful or scoring.
A house defeat by backside membership Southampton was adopted by a limp give up in a supposed grudge match towards Tottenham.
A membership which completed third final season, and have since spent £550million, have two wins from 15 video games and one purpose in six outings.
There may be each probability they are going to end within the backside half, because the third greatest staff in west London, beneath Fulham and Brentford.
Is there actually no restrict to how low Chelsea can go this season earlier than Potter is sacked?
The Blues have been in relegation type because the World Cup however are nonetheless ten factors and eight locations above the drop zone so there isn't a real hazard of the drop.
If Chelsea fail to overturn a 1-0 deficit and exit the Champions League to Borussia Dortmund subsequent week, maybe that would be the set off level.
It's a yr because the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequently a yr because the begin of the decline of Chelsea, the plaything of Putin crony Roman Abramovich for the earlier 19 years.
New proprietor Todd Boehly appears completely decided to stay with Potter and show he's nothing like hire-and-fire Abramovich.
And it’s unlikely that any of Boehly’s mates will launch a full-scale invasion of a sovereign nation anytime quickly.
Displaying persistence is usually a good factor. Mikel Arteta - whose Arsenal facet sank decrease than Potter’s Chelsea have but achieved - was backed and should now win the title.
However certainly for Potter to outlive, there have to be indicators that the supervisor has a plan, that the gamers imagine in him, that there's hope?
At Spurs on Sunday, there was none of that.
The Chelsea boss spun his Potter’s wheel once more, making six modifications. And it received even worse.
Hakim Ziyech, who would have joined Paris St Germain on January deadline day earlier than the deal fell by, began the sport, was fortunate to not obtain a crimson card and was typically stunning.
Mykhailo Mudryk, all £88.5m of him, was benched.
Benoit Badiashile, the one January signing who has settled in impressively, was dropped too.
Kai Havertz, who actually isn’t a centre-forward, was centre-forward once more.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang received a late run-out after a month within the wilderness throughout which he was axed from Chelsea’s Champions League squad.
Reece James and Ben Chilwell, who thrive as attacking wing-backs, have been neutered in a again 4.
Enzo Fernandez, the most costly participant in English soccer historical past, gave the ball away for Oliver Skipp’s opener.
For the second purpose, Raheem Sterling was marking Harry Kane at a nook. Sterling is somewhat winger, Kane is Tottenham’s most prolific goalscorer. Kane scored. Go determine.
So the place are the indicators right here? The place is the sample? The place are the hints that Potter would possibly flip this round?
No person takes any pleasure at pointing this out as a result of everybody recognises Potter’s inherent decency.
However elite soccer administration isn't any nation for good males.
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