Potter reveals menacing emails have wished death on Chelsea boss and his family

Chelsea boss Graham Potter revealed he has received messages wishing death on him and his family during his short time in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Potter, whose team travel to face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, has struggled to build a winning team since replacing Thomas Tuchel in September.

While Chelsea have bought extensively, assembling a large squad at great expense, Potter’s Chelsea sit 10th in the table and are almost certain to miss out on a top-four finish.

The head coach has faced criticism in recent times, with a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton last week a low point of his reign.

Chelsea have scored just six goals in their last 11 Premier League games and have netted more than once in just one of their last 14 league outings.

While some fans still show patience, others have turned against Potter, and a small minority have expressed their disenchantment viciously.

Potter said on Friday: “If you go to work and somebody is swearing at you, it’s not going to be pleasant. If you’re referred to as the worst person in the history of the club.

“I want to succeed here. There’s this nonsense I don’t care. My response would be, ‘Where’s your evidence on that?’.

“Not that I’d let you do it, but you can ask my family how my life has been for me and for them. It’s been not pleasant at all.”

He remains “really grateful” to have the Chelsea job and knows some people will be dismissive of the problems of a football coach on a huge salary.

“Nevertheless if you ask me, ‘Is it hard, is it tough, is it nice to hear?’, 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. That’s obviously not pleasant,” Potter said.

He sees talk of him facing pressure in the media all the time, and is often answering questions on the subject.

“And if we don’t get the results then obviously that’s what happens,” Potter said. “You suffer, and you get upset. When you’re in private you show real emotion with your family.”

The former Brighton and Hove Albion boss said he would continue to “act with an integrity that is right for me”.

“I never want to be anybody else. I don’t want to be fake,” Potter said. “I’ll do my best and if my best isn’t good enough, OK, I accept that.”