The Chelsea head coach and his squad have not had the start to 2023 they were hoping for, with the latest disappointment coming on Thursday evening, when we were beaten 2-1 at Fulham, and he feels the pain of that result as much as anyone.

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Furthermore, Potter is also fully aware of the scrutiny the team comes under with every passing game as this form continues, but will not be pressured into acting rashly.

‘I think everybody at the club is suffering,’ he said. ‘People are looking for answers. People are looking for, not necessarily something to blame, but looking for a simple answer and it’s obviously not that simple.’

However, regardless of any frustration or pressure he may be feeling, Potter is certain that he can rely on his players to do everything within their power to improve our performances and results.

‘The players are supportive. They want to do better than they are, they want to get better results. We know the challenges that we have, we don’t want to use them as an excuse, but they just are what they are.

‘I thought the players kept going when we were down to 10 men on Thursday. The spirit of the team was good, the attitude was good. It’s not easy to do that when you’re down to 10 men. We kept pushing, so I don’t see any problem with their mentality, I just think that we have to improve.

‘From what I see they’re professional, they’re responsible, they’re honest. We’re in a bad moment and we’ve got challenges, I think everybody suffers at that point. The boys, I have their support, they have mine, and we just need to keep working.’

Our head coach also took a moment to voice his gratitude for the patience and support the Chelsea fans have given him since he arrived in September, explaining he has no issue with them making their frustration known at recent games and takes responsibility to lift the mood at Stamford Bridge.

‘I can understand that they’re frustrated,’ explained Potter. ‘I’ve never been someone who would place demands on the fans. The fans have been really great with us, I appreciate that, but I also understand that they’re frustrated with the results we’ve had and rightly so, because we’re Chelsea and we want better and we expect better.

‘So it’s up to us to perform well to make sure the support is behind us. Against Manchester City the support was fantastic because the team played well and we gave them something to support. That’s our challenge.’

Potter, his players and the Chelsea supporters will all be hoping that they can celebrate together at our next match, when we host Crystal Palace at the Bridge this afternoon.