Graham Potter, the manager of Chelsea, has been warned by former Aston Villa captain Gabriel Agbonlahor that he risked being fired if his team’s performance continued to slip.
The caution comes in the wake of Thursday’s 1-0 Premier League loss by Manchester City at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
Following Thomas Tuchel’s dismissal, Potter was named Chelsea’s manager in September of last year. The Blues enjoyed a promising start under Potter, but their recent results have been dismal.
Chelsea is now in tenth place in the Premier League standings, 19 points behind league leaders Arsenal, having won only one of their last nine games overall.
In an interview with Football Insider, Agbonlahor claimed that if Chelsea’s performance doesn’t improve, co-owner Todd Boehly wouldn’t think twice about firing Potter.
He also requested that Potter be permitted to continue working with the team from the Chelsea board.
“I do anticipate that this owner will fire Potter if things don’t get better. I do, however, hope he doesn’t. He requires time. This team includes many players who are not his. James has experienced injury issues, Aubameyang up front has lost his legs, and the midfield might use some replacements, according to Agbonlahor.
Chelsea requires a season of reconstruction. One each for Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United. It is more important to organize this squad than if they place sixth or seventh. I am hoping he gets the time he needs, but we have already seen that Boehly won’t mess about.”