Chelsea manager Graham Potter reveals about receiving anonymous death threats from supporters

Chelsea are going through a rough patch as they have only won two of their last 14 matches in all competitions and will face Tottenham on Sunday.

“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,” Potter told reporters.

“You have got to take the situation for what it is, take the criticism, but don’t get drawn into stuff that is incorrect. Try to have perspective but at the same time acknowledge the criticism and bad feeling. That’s how it should be.

“It’s a challenge and if you go to work and somebody is swearing abuse at you it’s not going to be pleasant. If you’re referred to as the worst person in the history of the club.

“You can answer the question two ways and say ‘oh I don’t care’ but you know I’m lying but everyone does care what people think because we are hard wired to be socially connected.

“Rightly so. So there is an element of that and I want to succeed here so it’s nonsense this notion that I don’t care so it’s ‘OK where does that come from?’ Where is your evidence on that?’

“Ask my family. Because people have a perception that you don’t care and my response is ‘what is that based on? How do you know?’

“And I would ask you to ask my family — not that I’ll let you do it — how life has been for me and for them. It has not been pleasant at all.

“I understand that supporters go home and they are really annoyed because their team is not winning. But I assure you my life for the past three or four months has been fairly average apart from the fact that I am really grateful for this experience. I can see it in a way that I see [the criticism] but also say what a great challenge this is.”

Chelsea’s manager walked into Friday’s press conference and said: “Sorry I’m late guys, I’ve just come out of a crisis meeting.’ Asked how it went, he answered: ‘Well, I’m still here.”