Graham Potter has revealed both he and his family have received death threats from Chelsea supporters frustrated at the team’s disappointing form.
The Blues have won just two of their last 14 matches across all competitions and were booed off after last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat to manager-less Southampton, a result which prompted some fans to call for Potter to be sacked.
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Sources have told ESPN that the Chelsea hierarchy remain supportive of Potter, who was appointed in September, but are mindful of growing fan unrest with his team lying tenth in the Premier League.
Ahead of a tricky run of games beginning with Sunday’s trip to Tottenham, Potter opened up on the mental health challenges managers face amid wider societal problems in the United Kingdom including high energy prices and frequent workers’ strikes.
“I spoke with [West Ham boss] David Moyes about it,” said Potter. “There’s a point to it to be considered but I think you need to be very careful.
“The world is tough for everybody. We’re going through an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis. People are striking every other week.
“Things are difficult so nobody wants to hear about the poor old Premier league manager. Nevertheless if you ask me a question about ‘is it hard, is it tough, is it nice to hear,’ as much as I’ve had support, I’ve had some not particularly nice emails come through that want me to die and want my kids to die.
“So that’s obviously not pleasant to receive. But if you’ve asked about it for four months, if you’re under pressure, for four months ‘I’m under pressure, I’m under pressure’, I’m under pressure because you guys [the media] need to sell stuff, what do you expect in the end?
“And if we don’t get the results then obviously that’s what happens. That’s football. That’s how it is. And the challenge for me is ‘OK, how do I conduct myself’? That’s what I always turn round to. The higher you go, the more pressure you have on how you are as pre-season.”
Pushed on how he copes with the criticism, Potter said: “It’s a challenge and if you go to work and somebody is swearing abuse at you it’s not going to be pleasant. If you’re referred to as the worst person in the history of the club.
“You can answer the question two ways and say ‘oh I don’t care’ but you know I’m lying but everyone does care what people think because we are hard wired to be socially connected.
“Rightly so. So there is an element of that and I want to succeed here so it’s nonsense this notion that I don’t care so it’s ‘OK where does that come from?’ Where is your evidence on that?’
“Ask my family. Because people have a perception that you don’t care and my response is ‘what is that based on? How do you know?’
“And I would ask you to ask my family — not that I’ll let you do it — how life has been for me and for them. It has not been pleasant at all.
“I understand that supporters go home and they are really annoyed because their team is not winning. But I assure you my life for the past three or four months has been fairly average apart from the fact that I am really grateful for this experience. I can see it in a way that I see [the criticism] but also say what a great challenge this is.”
A club spokesman confirmed Chelsea will be following up with the relevant authorities on the abuse Potter has received.