Graham Potter has offered a vivid insight into his time as Chelsea’s head coach, revealing his family life and mental health have suffered since he took the job, and has made a shocking admission about receiving emails wishing him and his children dead.
The emotion was striking as Potter opened up on the challenges since he replaced Thomas Tuchel in September. The former Brighton manager faced a furious backlash from the crowd after last weekend’s home defeat by Southampton and his standing with supporters could deteriorate if Chelsea, who are 10th, lose at Tottenham on Sunday.
“I’ve sat here for four months answering questions about pressure,” Potter said. “When the results are like they are, you have to accept criticism. But that’s not to say it’s easy at all. Your family life suffers, your mental life suffers, your personality … it’s hard.”
Chelsea’s owners remain fully behind Potter, who has won two of his past 14 league games. But the 48-year-old has been bruised by the reaction to the result against Southampton, who are bottom, and is aggrieved at suggestions he is not passionate enough.
“If you go to work and somebody is swearing at you it’s not going to be pleasant,” he said. “If you’re referred to as the worst person in the history of the club. Everyone does care what people think. We’re hard-wired to be socially connected. I want to succeed here. There’s this nonsense I don’t care. My response would be ‘Where’s your evidence on that?’
“Not that I’d let you do it, but you can ask my family how my life has been for me and for them. It’s been not pleasant at all. I understand. Supporters go home and they’re really annoyed because the team aren’t winning but I assure you my life for the last three or four months has been fairly average, apart from the fact I’m really grateful for this experience.”
Potter delved into whether there needs to be more awareness about mental health in management. “I spoke with David Moyes about it,” he said. “There’s a point to it 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. Nobody wants to hear about the poor old Premier League manager.
“Nevertheless if you ask me: ‘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. That’s obviously not pleasant.
“But if you’ve asked about it for four months – for four months I’m under pressure, I’m under pressure, I’m under pressure, because you guys 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. You know there’s a problem when the email that has been sent is from Potterbastard@gmail.com.” Chelsea are aware of the emails and have offered Potter any support he needs.
Potter talked about coping with the abuse and conducting himself in the right way. “You suffer,” he said. “And you get upset. When you’re in private you show real emotion with your family. My job is to try and act how I think I should act the best way for the team and for Chelsea. And act with an integrity that is right for me. I never want to be anybody else. I don’t want to be fake. I’ll be me. I’ll do my best and if my best isn’t good enough, OK.”
Potter said that Chelsea’s unsatisfactory pre-season tour of the USA had contributed to their problems. The atmosphere under Potter’s predecessor, Thomas Tuchel, was not good during the trip.
“My quote a few weeks ago was that this is probably the toughest job in football, and there are a lot of factors for that,” Potter said. “There was a sub-optimal pre-season – and speaking to a few of the experienced guys, they thought it was the worst pre-season they’ve had for different reasons. That isn’t to blame anybody for the reasons. It’s just that it happened.”
