'It's hard to gel' - Enzo Fernandez pleads for patience from Chelsea fans amid growing pressure of Graham Potter

Enzo Fernandez has admitted Chelsea's new players have found it difficult to get used to their new surroundings and urged fans to be patient.

Chelsea signed host of new players in January
Fernandez was club record signing
Blues continue to disappoint despite investment

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues brought in a host of new players in the January transfer window, including club-record signing Fernandez in a £107 million ($131m) deal from Benfica. His signing came in the same month of the arrivals of Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Joao Felix and David Datro Fofana. However, Chelsea continue to struggle in the Premier League, having failed to win any of their last four matches to leave them sitting 10th in the table.

WHAT THEY SAID: Fernandez insists it has not been easy for the team to gel together as he called for realistic expectations, saying: "When you get that amount of young lads — and we’ve all had 20 days to get to know each other on and off the field — when you’re talking about the standard of football here in the Premier League it’s hard to gel as a team.

"My message would be to the fans: trust the players, trust the backroom staff, trust the manager, because we are all moving in the same direction. We have got a lot of new faces here and it is a restructuring of the club, really, and the playing staff. I would encourage them to be patient. We know it’s a tough standard. But we’ve been given all the tools we need by the coaching staff and the manager here. It’s just a case of being patient and we will get to know each other."

THE BIGGER PICTURE:Pressure is building on coach Graham Potter amid Chelsea's continuing struggles. He has guided his team to just one victory in their last 10 matches in all competitions, leading to calls for him to be sacked by new co-owner Todd Boehly.

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