THE POTTER PROBLEM

Chelsea's new manager is struggling to keep his head above water as the club languishes listlessly in the middle of the table. What's going on?

- NASIFA SULAIMAN

SIX months in the hotseat, eight new top players signed, hundreds of thousands of pounds at his disposal - and barely a win to his name.

It's all going horribly wrong for Graham Potter, the manager who carried the dreams of every fan on his shoulders when he was brought in to turn things around at Chelsea.

The nickname, The Blues, has seldom been more apt than it is now. Chelsea a lowly 10th on the English Premier League log - have barely tasted victory this year and won just two games in the past 17 matches.

Some of the losses were particularly agonising, such as the 1-0 defeat to Southampton, a side languishing at the bottom of the league. A 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur followed, making it three consecutive defeats in a row - and the pressure was piled on Potter.

"The team looks lost," says former player turned pundit Alan Shearer. "It's a worrying time for Graham Potter. They're nowhere near good enough."

It's not for lack of money being spent. Chelsea forked out £323 million (R7,1 billion) on eight top players, including Argentinian star Enzo Fernández, in the January transfer window.

But it made little difference. Chelsea, a club accustomed to dining at the top, is now feeding off the scraps.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

He was signed in September after Thomas Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea's billionaire new owner, Todd Boehly.

Potter (47) had had a hugely successful run as manager at Brighton & Hove Albion and was given a five-year contract. Shortly before Potter was appointed, Chelsea signed 11 new players and spent £271m (R5,4 billion) on recruitment. When eight more players were bought in January, it meant Chelsea had a first-team squad of 31 players.