“Of course you empathise”- Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Graham Potter’s Chelsea struggles

Mikel Arteta says he supports Graham Potter and feels Chelsea fans should keep faith in him

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has expressed sympathy for Graham Potter and shared his opinion on what the 47-year-old is experiencing at Chelsea right now.

Since the ownership demonstrated confidence in sticking with Arteta as the Gunners’ manager at the conclusion of the previous season, Arsenal have reaped rewards this season, as they are currently top of the Premier League.

Many wanted the Spanish manager fired when things weren’t going their team’s way, but the club’s board remained with him and supported the long-term strategy he was attempting to pursue.

Thomas Tuchel was fired by Todd Boehly and replaced with Potter six months ago, marking the shift in ownership of Chelsea during the past year.

The Blues are currently in 10th place and are experiencing one of the most difficult Premier League seasons in club history owing to their poor results and performances this season.

Boehly has given Potter the responsibility of carrying out his long-term plan, which has been hastened by spending £600 million on new acquisitions.

Potter highlighted Arteta and Jurgen Klopp as examples of his current predicament following the match against Tottenham Hotspur, and he advised the Chelsea supporters to be patient, just like the supporters of Liverpool and Arsenal were with their respective managers.

When questioned about it at a press conference (h/t Football.London), Arteta agreed with Potter’s assertion and responded as follows:

“Absolutely. We are colleagues, and we all know the pressure, the demands, and the uncertainty this industry has, as well as the fact that the ball has to go into that net, and there are sometimes many factors that prevent that, which you cannot control. So of course you empathise because you suffer, because you know how it is going through those moments.”

The Arsenal boss has already experienced embarrassing runs but he finally laid down his philosophy at the Emirates. They are now reaping the benefits. Of course, not every case is the same and Arteta’s success doesn’t mean that every manager experiencing a tough run will come good sometime in the future – but it does give us a new perspective on things.

While it may sound repetitive, Chelsea supporters must exercise patience and trust in Potter. The 47-year-old has already received the backing of the club’s board, and the supporters must follow suit.

Modern football teams, however, also have varied rules, since only a small number of clubs allow the manager to fully control the team and adhere to their plans, while others aren’t afraid to fire the coach if he doesn’t deliver in a short span.

More Chelsea News:

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• Shakhtar sporting director confident that Mykhaylo Mudryk will be a success at Chelsea

Under Roman Abramovich, the situation might have been different but those days are now over. What Todd Boehly and co. do with Potter if results don’t improve in March will give us a huge insight into their philosophy when it comes to their belief in managers.