Potter struggling for positives amid slump
GRAHAM POTTER admits it is hard to find a glimmer of light amid the gloom of Chelsea’s midwinter slump.
Potter’s Blues crashed to their seventh defeat in 10 games at Fulham on Thursday, a result that leaves hopes of a top-four finish fading fast.
Injuries are piling up and expensive new loan signing Joao Felix will be banned for three games after a red card on debut. Pressure is building on the manager just four months after he arrived from Brighton and Potter said: ‘I can’t sit here and say things are improving when the results are like they are. ‘We know a lot more about the club, a lot more about the players, a lot more about what we need to do to get the club back to where we think it can be and should be. At the moment, it isn’t there. ‘Lots of things have happened over a period of time and manifested into the situation we’re in now. We have to make sure we act well going forward. But at the moment it’s tough. It’s tough to see any light or green shoots because we’re still hurting from defeat.’
Denis Zakaria is the latest injury problem, forced off with a thigh problem during the 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage, joining Reece James, Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic and Wesley Fofana, among others, on the casualty list.
Sterling is expected to be out for another fortnight with the hamstring injury suffered against Manchester City last week. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s fractured finger is expected to keep him out for up to six weeks, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek is closing in on a return after suffering a calf injury in Chelsea’s pre-World Cup loss at Newcastle. ‘It’s almost like back to the drawing board,’ said Potter. ‘It feels like you’ve taken one step and then suddenly something happens. Like you’re making progress watching Joao Felix and then all of a sudden, boof, he’s not here for three matches. ‘That’s where we’ve been at the moment. I’m sure our supporters don’t want to hear that. They want to see better results and better performances but it’s the position we’re in. Everybody at the club is suffering.’ Chelsea are back at Stamford Bridge against Crystal Palace tomorrow and Potter insists there is nothing wrong with the attitude of his players.
‘The players are supportive,’ he said. ‘They want to do better. They want to get better results. We know the challenges we have. We don’t want to use them as an excuse but they are what they are. I don’t see any problem with the mentality. I just think we have to improve.’