Reports suggest that Chelsea are unlikely to resume training on Monday despite being given a day off on Sunday following their 1-0 loss to Southampton in the Premier League. The defeat came as a shock and is another setback for the struggling team this season.
Southampton, who are currently without a manager, managed to secure all three points in the match played at Stamford Bridge.
In their match against Southampton, Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat with James Ward-Prowse scoring a trademark free-kick. The result is significant for Southampton, and Chelsea’s lackluster display has led to growing frustration among fans who are calling for a change in management.
As per Gianluca Di Marzio’s reporter Nathan Gissing, Chelsea are not expected to resume training on Monday at Cobham, which is somewhat unexpected. Instead, the team is expected to be given an additional day off to reflect on their performance before their upcoming match against Tottenham next weekend.
Despite growing concerns among fans over the future of Chelsea’s head coach Graham Potter, co-owner Todd Boehly is expected to continue supporting him for the time being. Boehly made the decision to replace fan-favorite Thomas Tuchel with Potter last September and is therefore eager for the latter to succeed.
However, the team’s recent poor form, with just two wins in their last 11 matches in all competitions, has left fans dissatisfied. Additionally, Chelsea has spent over £600 million on new players since Boehly took over the club from Roman Abramovich in May last year.
After Chelsea’s defeat to Southampton, head coach Graham Potter, who had previously expressed full confidence in his ability to turn things around, finally acknowledged that he was feeling the pressure. The recent poor run of results has raised concerns among supporters and is likely to increase the scrutiny on Potter’s position.
“I am not stupid or naive,” he said. “My job is to keep going and keep helping and supporting the team and take that criticism.”
“You can only be yourself and try your best while being yourself.
“I get it that when you are losing, there’s always something you should do or change. I have always been this way and it has gotten me to this point but, at the same time, I know people want something different.”
After their defeat to Southampton, Chelsea have slipped to 10th in the Premier League table, effectively ending their hopes of finishing in the top-four.
They are currently 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, though they have a game in hand. If they fail to win against Tottenham in their upcoming match, their faint hopes of qualifying for the Champions League will likely be extinguished.
In addition, the team also faces a tough challenge in their Champions League last 16 tie with Borussia Dortmund, having lost the first leg 1-0 in Germany on Wednesday.
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