There comes a point in an under-pressure manager’s reign when the tone of the conversation surrounding his future changes and things begin to look ominous.
The hours that followed Saturday’s home defeat against Aston Villa proved to be that defining period for Graham Potter and very quickly the shift developed into a swift and brutal end to his Chelsea tenure.
A ‘painful scoreline’ he called the 2-0 loss. Painful in more ways than one it transpired, as the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Even still, following yet another setback the initial message from Chelsea remained the same as it had been for some time.