Potter: 'If I was afraid of being fired, I would not have come to Chelsea'

After replacing Thomas Tuchel in early September, Potter got off to an impressive start with a nine-match unbeaten streak. However, two defeats in the last three matches in the Premier League, losing 1-4 at the old club Brighton and Arsenal 0-1 right at Stamford Bridge, made the English coach start to feel suffocated.

Potter admits the honeymoon period is over and compares his current situation with Chelsea's to entering the next phase of a relationship, where learning about each other - both good and bad - really started.

"Football is emotion," Potter said on November 8 at a press conference before the match against Man City in the third round of the League Cup. "The most important thing is the results, but the training is what gets better over time, because you go through ups and downs. Then you get to know each other better, who can and doesn't go with you. on their next journey, how you can help them, and vice versa."

The 47-year-old coach emphasized not to be discouraged even when under greater pressure in the near future. "If I wanted a good, easy life, I could stay in Brighton, sign a new contract and be completely fine," Potter said. "Then I won't have too many questions about myself, pressure, layoffs or anything like that."

Like many other top European clubs, Chelsea is going through an exhausting schedule when the tournaments pile up, competing with a high density before the 2022 World Cup. Just three days after receiving Arsenal in the English Premier League, "The Blues" " had to march to Man City's Etihad Stadium in the League Cup. In the last 13 matches, they have to be guests eight times.

This dense schedule has injured many Chelsea pillars, including Wesley Fofana, Reece James (knee injury), Ben Chilwell, N'Golo Kante (hamstring injury) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (foot injury). All are on long-term breaks and will definitely miss the 2022 World Cup - the tournament that opens in Qatar on November 20. To this, Potter said: "Things can get messy."

According to the England coach, it is difficult to give timelines for the rebuilding process of Chelsea because of many factors, two of which are the level of success of each transfer window and the response of the players. Potter explained: "You have to go through the process of convincing the players, working and developing them, changing the players. Over time, the team improves and functions well. Then everything is temporary. is fine".

According to Potter, despite great potential, Chelsea still needs a long time to return to the position of the top club in the world and compete for every title. "You have to go through a long process, with discomfort and suffering along the way," he insisted. "If you want to do something new, in my opinion, you must fail. I would be wrong to say anything else. In my experience, there is no shortcut to the process."

After the match against Man City in the League Cup today, Chelsea continued to be a guest of Newcastle - the club currently ranked third in the Premier League - on November 12, before the season was paused to make room for the 2022 World Cup.

"Chelsea can improve a lot. That's the challenge and what we're looking to do," Potter said. "That's why we're looking forward to the games against Man City and Newcastle, because that's where we learn a lot."