Chelsea hold emergency Potter meeting ahead of Tottenham clash

Crisis talks were called at the club’s Cobham training ground after co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali gave their support to Potter and told senior staff to stick together after a calamitous few weeks.

In what has been described by sources as a “strategy meeting”, Vivell led discussions which also involved new sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Boehly and Eghbali are not thought to have been present in a meeting of the “football operation” at the club.

Potter and his backroom team arrived at work determined to turn things around and talks centered around how to take the club forward.

There has been a full debrief of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Southampton at Stamford Bridge, which was greeted by boos from Chelsea fans and calls for Potter to be sacked.

Chelsea have no plans to sack Potter before Sunday’s trip to Tottenham, but it was accepted there is a lot to do to turn around a run of results that has sent their season into a tailspin.

Vivell, Potter and senior first-team staff in the room put on a united front in a bid to resolve the issues at the club, including the low confidence and morale of the squad. Potter has been told to fight through calls for him to be sacked and has a full week to prepare for what feels like a crucial game against Tottenham.

The Chelsea boss gave players a scheduled two days off after the Southampton defeat and will now seek to instigate a turnaround after a dismal run of just two wins in 14 matches.

Vivell, 36, was appointed as technical director in December, having had a similar role at RB Leipzig. Sporting directors Winstanley and Stewart have also been hired to senior positions this season as part of a major overhaul behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge.

Potter retains the faith of the Chelsea owners for now. Boehly is due to be at the Tottenham game, while Eghbali is set to attend matches against Leeds and Borussia Dortmund after that. Both were present for the Southampton defeat. Sources insist Boehly and Eghbali remain committed to their long-term plans, which have Potter at the heart of them.

Potter, who held a no-holds-barred meeting with senior Chelsea players last month, hopes to turn the situation around with performances and results.

The Blues are languishing in 10th place in the Premier League, 11 points outside the top four, and were defeated 1-0 by Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The return leg is at Stamford Bridge on March 7.

Chelsea are out of both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League represents their last chance to win a trophy this season.