Potter ushered into car as Chelsea fans chase him down street after Fulham loss
Graham Potter's time at Chelsea has gone from bad to worse – but not all Blues fans have given up on their new manager.
Chelsea slipped to another defeat in Potter's already turbulent reign on Thursday, losing 2-1 to west London rivals Fulham after new signing Joao Felix had been sent off. Former Blues star Willian had opened the scoring against his old club before Kalidou Koulibaly equalised early in the second half.
But as Chelsea began to mount a comeback, a moment of madness from Felix saw him sent for an early bath for a wild lunge, before Carlos Vinicius's winner cranked up the pressure on Potter. Leaving Craven Cottage surrounded by security after the game, Potter was ushered into a waiting car to be whisked home as Chelsea fans chased him down the street.
READ MORE: Three things struggling Graham Potter got wrong as Chelsea suffer defeat to Fulham
Yet rather than calling for Potter's head, the waiting fans showed their support for their boss, shouting "we still believe". One fan shouted: "Don't give up, Potter," while another yelled "We've got you Gaffer, we trust you."
One supporter shouted that Chelsea will win the Champions League this season, while another insisted Potter was "the best manager in the world," as a fellow fan said "Super Graham Potter".
Despite the question marks over the suitability of Potter for the role, some Chelsea fans feel the issue lays with the players. "Go on Potter, we still believe Bruv, keep the faith," one shouted. "Change the squad, they're the problem."
After an impressive start, Potter has now overseen just one win in Chelsea's last nine matches in all competitions. Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup led to a chorus of boos from the Chelsea fans, just days after they'd lost to the same opponents in the Premier League.
Defeat to Fulham was a bitter blow to Potter's hopes of a swift revival, particularly after Felix's impressive first half display was ruined by his red card for a challenge on Kenny Tete. Felix will now be suspended for Chelsea's next three games, including a trip to Liverpool.
It is the latest blow for Potter, who is juggling an injury crisis at Stamford Bridge which is not helping his cause. N'Golo Kante, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic, Edouard Mendy and Denis Zakaria are all currently sidelined, depleting Potter's options.
Is Potter the right man for the Chelsea job? Have your say in the comments below.
Speaking of Chelsea's fans after the game, Potter admitted: "I understand their frustration and that's normal."
Discussing Felix's red card, he added: "Sometimes these things happen and you have to suffer… and, believe me, we are suffering at the moment.
“It's really frustrating, incredibly challenging and you could see Joao was having a fantastic impact on the game, so to lose his quality for three matches now is very frustrating.
“IIt was a forward's tackle – there was no malice in it but I understand why it was a red. It is another blow and the hits keep coming at the moment.”
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