Graham Potter and his team were booed heavily at full time after their last game at home, and in the press conference today the Chelsea coach was asked how he intended to turn things around in terms of his relationship with the fans.
He bristled slightly at the suggestion, stating “I’m not here to convince them.”
What he means is not that he doesn’t need to convince fans, but that he’s not here to convince them with his words, it can only be done with performances and with results on the pitch.
He’s quite right in that.
You can see the coach speaking in the clip embedded here:
Above all else, I’m convinced of one thing and it’s that Graham Potter (the human being) is a class act. At this point he’s not only had to put up with the constant media pressure, but now death threats (to himself and his family) from so-called supporters. The former is to be expected at a big club, but the latter is obviously beyond the pale. And yet he’s carried himself with a dignity that’s, unfortunately, far too uncommon in this day and age—so much so that media and supporters now seem to want to turn one of his most admirable qualities, his composure, into a negative story! Get a grip, folks. Get a grip.