Graham Potter practically laughed off suggestions of pressure at Chelsea after the Blues lost to Brighton 4-1 on Saturday. It was the first loss for Potter as the manager at Stamford Bridge but also came after disappointing back-to-back draws against Manchester United and Brentford in the league.
After 10 games, Potter has six wins, five clean sheets and has moved the squad from a position of Champions League insecurity to group winners with a game to spare, but the form of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and extra European challengers has seen increased scrutiny on league form.
Potter is preparing his team to face Dinamo Zagreb in the final Champions League group stage game but also has one eye on the visit of league leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
READ MORE : Graham Potter handed double Chelsea injury blow ahead of Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal
Chelsea have fallen 10 points behind their London rivals after just 12 games and currently sit sixth in the league, with Newcastle and Manchester United currently above them. The remaining two league games before the winter World Cup break - Arsenal and Newcastle - now take on a different look for Potter due to increasing expectations.
Having lost to Southampton and Leeds before Potter was appointed, Chelsea have already lost three and drawn three with six victories. They have also only scored 17 goals, the second least in the top half.
When asked if the damaging defeat to his former club had created pressure already, Potter responded with disbelief, saying, "Pressure? From one game, you mean? In my job, or where I'm sat, you've got to be careful what you listen to. People can talk and say whatever. It's just part of life. You understand at a club like this that you're only 90 minutes away from a crisis, and you have to put things into perspective."
In reality, Potter is under very little immediate pressure. He was handed a five-year contract, nearly three times longer than Thomas Tuchel's initial deal in 2021, and has been tasked with rebuilding the squad under the umbrella of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's ownership. One defeat doesn't change the scope of the challenge at hand, and Potter isn't getting too bogged down by the impatient attitude from fans, adding, "You have to understand where you've been and what has happened and look at it as intelligently as you can.
"Whatever people say from the outside - there's always opinions, there's always people that don't like you, there's always people that will have a different view of how the situation is. You can't control that. All I can do is focus on how I think, what I think and how I act and let the noise carry on."
Potter continues to speak calmly despite turbulent times at the club in unprecedented circumstances, with more of a shake-up on and off the pitch to follow. He had a similar rebuff with Brighton's own fans last season after being booed off the pitch following a draw to Leeds.
His reaction in those circumstances was, "The fans are entitled to their opinions, but I disagree with them. You have to understand the game, who we played and what we did. We are sitting eighth in the Premier League, but maybe I need a history lesson on this club." It's too soon for boo's from Chelsea fans, but some have already started to question his management after poor performances and scraped results against Aston Villa, Brentford and Manchester United.
The manager's failure to use his expertise on the Seagulls, having only just left the club. The continuation of playing attackers out of position has caused general unrest after the match, but that's unlikely to put Potter off. When he joined the club, he said, "Risks, well, if you walk across the road outside the stadium, there is a risk. That is what life is; nobody knows what is going to happen in the future.
"I left England when I was 30 years old, and I went to a club that had sacked the manager every year for the previous five years. It was the fourth tier of Swedish football, and I left a secure job, my wife's business, for an opportunity.
"I've taken careful steps with my career – I haven't just jumped at the first opportunity. I've always tried to understand what was involved and whether it was the right time for me to take the next challenge, but I think that is what life is.
"It's about going outside of your comfort zone, taking responsibility, believing there is more to us that sits here now. I don't see it as a risk in a negative way, but everything is a bit unknown, and that is the beauty of life."
Potter's unwavering calmness isn't a new feature of his, and it's unlikely to go away even if Chelsea fans do show their anger.
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