BREAKING: Tension As #Chelsea Held Crisis Meeting With Graham #Potter—Former European Champions, Chelsea reportedly held a crisis meeting to address their turbulent season this week – with technical director Christopher Vivell leading the talks with under-fire Graham Potter and his staff.
Potter has found himself under huge scrutiny at Stamford Bridge after their 1-0 home loss to Southampton – with fans growing restless and some calling for the former Brighton boss to be sacked after five months in the job.
He has guided the team to just one win all calendar year and the Blues are struggling in mid-table despite a £600million outlay on player across both summer and winter transfer windows.
The report in the Evening Standard claims the summit at the club’s Cobham training complex was described as a ‘strategy meeting’, with directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart also involved.
Potter, Vivell, staff and other directors all put on a ‘united front’ as they sat down to discuss the issues facing the team, it goes on, with the meeting aimed at finding ways to lift the squad.
Owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali did not attend the meeting, it says.
Vivell was appointed by Chelsea in December following a stint at RB Leipzig and has been key to an overhaul of the club alongside Winstanley and Stewart.
Potter faced boos from the Chelsea fans after their dismal defeat by the Saints last week, with the basement boys pulling off a stunning win despite being managerless.
Sportsmail reported this week that the club’s owners are sticking by their coach despite calls for him to be axed, with Chelsea looking to Arsenal’s example of keeping faith with Mikel Arteta.
There is a sense that Potter should be allowed time to enforce his own principles on their expensively assembled squad, in the same way Arteta was backed, before he should be judged.
Chelsea’s American owners have invested significantly into Potter’s vision for the club, recruiting a number of administrative and recruitment staff from Brighton who are aligned with their current head coach’s way of thinking.
The prospect of dismissing Potter now would raise serious questions over those backroom appointments just months into their restructuring.
However, the club’s loyalty to Potter could come into question should the team’s run of poor results continue – and the coach has a huge upcoming game against Tottenham that could define his tenure.
Potter – who gave his side a scheduled two days off after the defeat by Southampton – now has four days to prepare for the pivotal game against their rivals, knowing victory could kick-start their season.
His side are 10th in the Premier League table after just two wins from 14 games.
CREDIT: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
