Chelsea players are still ‘enjoying working’ under manager Graham Potter despite the growing pressure on him, journalist Simon Phillips has informed GiveMeSport.
The Blues have been in poor form of late and there had been speculation that the disappointing results were having a negative impact on the dressing room atmosphere.
Chelsea news – Graham Potter
According to respected journalist Ben Jacobs (via CaughtOffside), Potter remains ‘like and respected’ by the vast majority of the first-team squad at this moment in time.
“Despite rumours suggesting some senior players are unhappy under Potter, my understanding remains he’s liked and respected at Cobham,” wrote Jacobs.
“He held a series of early one-on-ones to set the tone when he joined and has an open-door policy which is appreciated.
“One or two players are clearly frustrated, like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has missed out on the last three Premier League matchday squads and was excluded from Chelsea’s updated 25-man list for the Champions League.”
Jacobs states that Raheem Sterling was also a little uncomfortable when asked to play wing-back earlier in the campaign but that a mutiny is not currently on the cards.
What has Phillips said about Chelsea?
Phillips has backed up Jacobs’ claims by stating that his sources have also informed him that ‘there’ no unrest’ at Cobham.
In an interview with GMS, he said: “So, I'm told there's no unrest as such. In the sense that there's nothing untoward going on, the players predominantly are still backing Potter.
“And I do know that the sources of the ones that I've spoken to are enjoying working with him.”
What has gone wrong for Potter?
Potter’s tenure got off to a very promising start, going unbeaten in his opening nine games across all competitions, winning six of those encounters.
However, just three victories in Chelsea’s subsequent 16 fixtures have followed, piling the pressure on the former Brighton & Hove Albion chief’s shoulders.
The lack of a natural goalscorer has arguably been Chelsea’s main downfall under Potter, and the fact that the last time they scored over one goal in a single game was on December 27th highlights that point.
It seems as though Potter still has the support of the club’s owners and players for now, but the fans are beginning to turn on him, and there is only so long a manager can survive when the supporters lose faith.