Graham Potter admits Chelsea players came to him upon his appointment to raise concerns over their preparations for the season last summer.
Potter arrived at Stamford Bridge as Thomas Tuchel's replacement last September. The Blues have struggled for results in recent months, with fans recently chanting Tuchel's name during their four-goal FA Cup defeat at Manchester City.
The Blues are without a win in five games and have just two victories from their last 15 matches in all competitions – a run which has yielded a miserly six goals. Chelsea are now a whopping 11 points off the top four – the same distance in points they are above the Premier League relegation zone.
This form marks a drastic fall from grace compared to last season, when Tuchel guided the Blues to the finals of the FA Cup and EFL Cup, only for the team to be defeated by Liverpool in penalty shootouts in both showpieces. He secured successive top-four finishes during his Stamford Bridge tenure.
The German’s crowning moment in the Stamford Bridge dugout was winning the club's second Champions League final in 2021, just months after replacing Frank Lampard in the role.
He had previously guided Paris Saint-Germain to their only-ever final of Europe’s premier club competition a season prior to winning the trophy with the Blues.
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Despite Tuchel's impressive CV and Chelsea's form last season, players felt their pre-season preparations for this campaign were sub-par. Potter opened up on the chats he had with senior stars during his press conference on Friday.
"Speaking to a few of the experienced guys, they said it was the worst pre-season they've had," Potter said. "I don't want to speak about [why]. The [US] tour just didn't work as well as they'd have liked."
Potter also rejected any suggestions that there was a breakdown in trust between him and the club’s board. "I've spoken to them. It’s the same as always," he added.
"There’s always been support. I've been under pressure for four months. [Their support] continues. They've been great. They see where we're at but are frustrated because we have to do better."
Potter admitted that fan criticism was understandable and the only answer was to start winning more matches: "When you lose to the bottom side and you are Chelsea it's completely OK [to be criticised].
"Results haven't been good enough. [The fans] are entitled to be angry."
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