Graham Potter’s ‘heart-to-heart’ chats helped save his Chelsea job

Graham Potter inspired the two victories that saved his Chelsea job with a series of heart-to-heart talks with his players, staff and the club's owners.

Head coach Potter came through his make-or-break games against Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund with back-to-back wins that delighted co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, who celebrated with a beer in the Chelsea dressing room on Tuesday night.

With Chelsea booking a Champions League quarter-final date and signs of confidence in the squad growing ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Leicester City, Potter can again look at the remainder of the season with optimism.

Boehly and Eghbali will have also noted the noise in and around Stamford Bridge for the Dortmund second leg, which long-standing staff and fans rate as the best atmosphere experienced for a Chelsea home game since pre-Covid.

There is pressure on Potter and the players to maintain the upturn in results, particularly in the two remaining games against Leicester and Everton before the international break, but Chelsea's head coach has impressed everybody at the club with the way he has coped with such a pivotal spell.

Personal talks to reassure plans and ease concerns

Telegraph Sport understands that Potter has held a number of personal talks with players, staff and members of the Chelsea's board, including Boehly and Eghbali, over the past week to reassure individuals of his plans and listens to any concerns or suggestions they had.

Rather than simply dishing out his own orders and opinions, Potter referenced the fact he had taken on board the views of others by saying: “We've had a good training week, good feedback, honest conversations. I feel the support from the players. I feel the support from the people in the building. We all want to improve and that's exciting.”

Big calls over captaincy and selection

Potter has also impressed by making a couple of big calls by dropping Hakim Ziyech, who was lucky not to be sent-off against Tottenham Hotspur, and leaving £88 million signing Mykhailo Mudryk watching from the sidelines in the past two games as the winger acclimatises to life in England.

Eghbali and Boehly saw first-hand how Potter coped with the pressure of the past two games, speaking with him about his plans and the support they could offer during their latest visit to England in which they watched the Leeds and Dortmund games together.

Potter has faced a huge challenge trying to manage such a big squad since the January transfer window and Telegraph Sport revealed after the defeat by Tottenham that doubt had set in among some players over his ability to turn the situation around and his decision to leave some players out of his matchday squad.

But a number of players are understood to have been reassured by Potter's heart-to-heart talks and impressed with his handling of the squad over the past two games in which he gave Mateo Kovacic the captaincy in the absence of Thiago Silva.

Kovacic is facing a big decision over his Chelsea future with his contract due to enter its final year, which has prompted interest from Manchester City. But, despite that uncertainty, Potter has made his faith in the Croatian clear by giving him the captain's armband at a crucial time.

Kai Havertz has been entrusted with Chelsea's penalty taking duties since Jorginho was sold and repaid that decision by scoring the goal from a spot-kick that sent the club into the last eight.

Potter explained why he had left Marc Cucurella out of his squad entirely after the left-back was booed in Dortmund before bringing him straight back into the starting line-up in the return leg in which the £60m signing was voted the man of the match.

“Obviously, when you're having a bad time like we've had, you accept the criticism, you have to deal with it,” said Potter. “Marc has dealt with it well. We've tried to shield him a little bit at the same time and pick the moment. I thought, regardless of his situation, the crowd were going to get behind us because of it being the Champions League. Thankfully, he delivered a top performance.”

On Potter's handling of Cucurella, a source added: “It's all about confidence and getting that family support from the coach, his team-mates and the club.”

Bringing good times back to the Bridge

The atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge for the Dortmund game provided encouragement that a bond can develop between Potter's squad and the fans, with Enzo Fernandez being approached by a young supporter who ran on to the pitch at the final whistle.

“It touched my heart when the boy ran out to come and see me,” said Fernandez. “He came and asked for my shirt. It was such a special moment because he wanted to see me and he gave me a quick hug. It made me feel even more connected with the fans. I love getting to know the fans and the trust that they have in me is incredible. I feel at home.”