Graham Potter has acknowledged that Chelsea need to get out of their frustrating form quickly, saying “long term doesn’t exist in this job”.
Potter is under pressure amid a rough patch for the money-spending Blues, who posted three successive Premier League draws for the first time since 2012 following Saturday’s 1-1 stalemate with West Ham.
Chelsea have won just one of their eight games in all competitions since the turn of the year (D4 L3), and the Champions League is now their only chance to avoid a trophies-less season.
With a trip to Borussia Dortmund for the first leg of a tantalizing last 16 fixture on the horizon, Potter is aware of the need to change things at Stamford Bridge.
“You can’t talk about the long term because there’s no such thing in this job,” he told reporters.
“You have to recognize that there is a long term, but there is a short and medium term that are challenging for us in terms of results.
“The experienced players know what we’ve been through. You’re talking about some top professionals who understand football.
“While people from the outside may have opinions on things, these guys have been there and we know the challenges we’ve faced.
“They know the situation the club is in and what has happened. So then it’s about helping them through it, the inevitable frustration because they want to win. We all do that and so do the supporters. That’s where it’s a challenge used to be.”
Chelsea’s two previous Champions League titles came during campaigns in which they struggled in the Premier League, and while Potter is excited about the start of the knockout stages, he’s taking things game by game.
“Anything can happen in a knockout match, that’s the point,” he said. “It’s two games. I don’t think it’s valuable for us to look past Dortmund.
“We have the ability to beat Dortmund, but they are also a strong team with the ability to get a result as well. We have to understand that, go to Dortmund with humility, with respect, and try to get the result.”
“[This squad] has won the Champions League. They’ve been through it. They will want to fight for the game, that’s for sure, and that’s exciting for us.”
Despite Chelsea’s domestic troubles, Potter is unbeaten in his five Champions League appearances at the helm, winning the last four.
Victory in Dortmund on Wednesday would therefore make Potter the first England coach to win five consecutive games in the league.