Graeme Souness suggests Graham Potter needs to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League this season to avoid the sack.
Potter, who replaced Thomas Tuchel as the Chelsea boss last month, takes charge of his fifth game tonight away to AC Milan.
The Blues are on a four-game unbeaten streak since the managerial change, which has included two Champions League fixtures.
As for the league situation, the London club are fourth in the table with 16 points from eight games.
Potter needs top-four finish
According to pundit Souness, Potter desperately needs to secure Chelsea qualification into next season’s Champions League.
He thinks the 47-year-old Englishman will be “under pressure” without a spot in Europe’s elite club competition.
“If you are not in the Champions League next year, he’s (Potter) under pressure, simple as,” Souness told talkSPORT.
“And then the following year, if you’re not challenging for both those big trophies, you are under pressure.”
New ownership
If Souness made this suggestion a year ago under the previous owners, you could bank on it being correct.
However, let’s wait to see if the new ownership that includes Todd Boehly takes a different approach to the hiring and firing of their manager.
The Independent claimed in September that finishing in the top four of the Premier League is a target set to Potter. It’s not seen as a “deal-breaker” when it comes to his job at Stamford Bridge, though.
A lot of Chelsea fans would like to see Potter get the chance in the long-term to implement his coaching and methods, but you can’t hide from the fact the standards at the club have been very high for a couple of decades.
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