Graham Potter says his family life and mental health has suffered as a result (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has revealed he has received emails wishing death on him and his children.
Potter arrived at Stamford Bridge in September, replacing Thomas Tuchel, and has been under immense pressure following Chelsea’s poor run of results.
The Blues are currently 10th in the Premier League table and have picked up just one win in their last 10 games across all competitions.
But some have taken their criticism too far with Potter receiving sick messages, as he told reporters on Friday: ‘As much as I’ve had support, I’ve had some not particularly nice emails come through that want me to die and want my kids to die. So that’s obviously not pleasant to receive.’
Chelsea’s hierarchy have repeatedly backed Potter despite the club’s dip in fortunes and feel he is still the right man for the job despite calls to sack him.
‘Your family life suffers, your mental health suffers, your personality – it is hard,’ Potter added.
‘My message is that you have to take the situation for what it is, take the criticism, take the position we are in, which is that it should be better, but don’t get drawn into stuff that is incorrect.
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‘Try to have a perspective but at the same time acknowledge the criticism and bad feeling. That’s how it should be.
‘It’s a challenge and if you go to work and somebody is swearing abuse at you it’s not going to be pleasant.
‘If you’re referred to as the worst person in the history of the club you can say ‘oh I don’t care’, but you know I’m lying because everyone does care what people think because we are hardwired to be socially connected.
‘I want to succeed here so it’s nonsense this notion that I don’t care. Ask my family.
‘Because people have a perception that you don’t care and my response is what is that based on? How do you know?
‘And I would ask you to ask my family how life has been for me and for them. It has not been pleasant at all.
‘I understand that supporters go home and they are really annoyed because their team is not winning.
‘But I assure you my life for the past three or four months has been daily average apart from the fact that I am really grateful for this experience that I can get this but also say what a great challenge this is.
‘The world is tough for everybody. We’re going through an energy crisis, a cost-of-living crisis.
‘People are striking every other week. Things are difficult so nobody wants to hear about the poor old Premier League manager.
‘You asked me ‘is it hard?’ and I say ‘yes it is, you suffer’. You get upset when you are in private and you show real emotion with your family.
‘My job is to act how I think I should act in the best way for the team and the club and act with the integrity that is right for me.
‘I never want to be anybody else. I don’t want to be fake. I will be me and I will do my best and if my best isn’t good enough, OK I accept that.
‘You know there’s a problem when the email that has been sent is from potterb——@gmail.com.’
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‘Your family life suffers, your mental health suffers…’