Graham Potter has narrow window to win back confidence of Chelsea fans as Dortmund clash looms

The knockout stage of the Uefa Champions League returned this week, with one of the clashes heavily anticipated being the Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea one.

With the German side set to host the first leg on Wednesday (February 15), it's not difficult to see why many Die Schwarzgelben fans are buoyant ahead of the game. Graham Potter’s side and Dortmund are on completely different paths at the moment. Not only is one team far more advanced in their project, but the other is only just starting under a new manager.

While the Blues are struggling to win games under Potter, Edin Terzic’s side have been racking up results with ease while playing beautiful football. For a team that has won their last seven games across ompetitions, Dortmund will start off as the favourites, which says a lot about Chelsea’s level at the moment.

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A manager on a short leash

When Potter takes his side to the Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday evening, he would already know that he’s currently on a short leash.

A run of just two wins in Chelsea’s last 12 games across competitions typifies the club’s miserable state. Considering the heavy investment made in the squad, that's simply not acceptable.

The Blues are already out of the Premier League title race and have also been booted out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. That leaves the Champions League as the only trophy they’re in contention for.

The problem, though, is that Chelsea are currently not good enough to go toe to toe with Europe’s elite clubs. Potter is already under a lot of pressure due to his side’s poor form. Another disappointing result against Dortmund will only compound his misery.

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Potter has slim window to win back Chelsea fans

West Ham United vs Chelsea FC - Premier League

Earlier this week, reports from some British tabloids, including the Daily Mail, suggested that the Blues owners are ready to back Potter and have no plans of sacking him.

It's clear, though, that the English manager has already lost the confidence of a huge chunk of fans, and he has a narrow window to win them back. Should the Blues beat Dortmund and reach the next round, it would give Potter some currency and repair some of the damage in the eyes of fans.

There are those who believe Potter is not cut out for the Chelsea job, but others think he needs time. For a manager who will be handling his first Champions League game on Wednesday, he surely has a lot to prove, as he told Sky Sports:

“This is the knockout stage of the Champions League, the pinnacle in terms of the game. It is a great test against a fantastic team in front of 80,000 people, a wonderful occasion.

We are all looking forward to the match. We have the squad we have, a Chelsea squad we are really excited about, but it is challenging and there is work to do. Whenever forming a new group, it takes time to understand each other and work out what make us tick."

The game against Dortmund can’t be classified as a make-or-break yet. There’s no doubt, though, that Potter needs a good result to get back fans back on his side after a tumultuous last few months.