Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has warned under-fire Chelsea boss Graham Potter that owner support only counts for so much and winning is key to avoiding the sack.
The Blues’ owners are under growing fan pressure to sack Potter, who has won just nine out of the 26 games he has managed since being hired in September last year. Potter has maintained the backing of the Chelsea board, even comparing his early struggles to that of Arteta at Arsenal.
There were calls for the Spaniard to be sacked at the start of last season after the Gunners lost their opening three Premier League games.
Arteta has revealed he sought the support of the club’s owners back then, but he knew that only results would be able to turn the tide.
“With me [the board] were really supportive, but at the end you have to win football matches because you know that if the run continues that it is unsustainable,” he said.
“I knew I had to win against Norwich and win against Burnley, and then everything helps and the environment starts to get better, everybody is more confident and you can keep going. We depend on results, unfortunately.
“I always just focused on how to turn things around, how to make the team play better, to be more efficient, get players back because we had 11 players out of the squad in that period so we needed players back as quick as possible as well.
“When you have a close relationship with managers which I had - in Spain, some in Italy, some here – of course you get in touch, sometimes they give you support like we all do when someone is going through a difficult [period]. Maybe not on the phone, but just at least a nice text of support.”
