Now in charge of the Swedish national team, Potter has endured chastening spells at both Stamford Bridge and the London Stadium in recent years, and the scars appear to still be fresh.
The exchange began innocently enough, with the 50-year-old sharing photos of himself in a Pilates class.
A fan commented: "Hopefully you are better at Pilates than you are a football manager."
Potter hit back: "I'll try not to do Pilates in a dysfunctional place and I will be ok."
Pressed by another user on which job he meant, Potter kept things deliberately vague.
"Easy tiger. I never mentioned West Ham or any club," he wrote. In a further reply to a supporter telling him to "ignore the haters," he struck a more reflective tone: "Of course I am responsible for my part but unfortunately lots happen at football clubs to determine success or failure, not just one man! COYI."
Potter was dismissed by Chelsea less than a season into a five-year contract, having won just 12 of his 31 matches in charge. He returned to management after a two-year hiatus to take over at West Ham in January 2025, only to be sacked early in the following campaign with the club sitting 19th in the Premier League. Both jobs were undermined by upheaval in the boardroom as much as results on the pitch.
Since leaving West Ham United, Potter has rebuilt his reputation in international football, taking charge of Sweden as they battle to save a faltering World Cup qualifying campaign — a country where he first made his name in club management, guiding Östersund from the fourth tier of Swedish football into European competition during a seven-year spell before his move to the Premier League.
The turnaround since taking the Sweden job has been notable enough that, for the first time in some time, Potter finds himself being talked about for the right reasons rather than the wrong ones.
Sweden had lost three qualifiers in a row, including back-to-back defeats to Kosovo, when Potter was appointed, leaving World Cup qualification looking close to impossible. His task now is to salvage what he can of the campaign while restoring belief in a squad he has described as containing players who "deliver in the world's best leagues" week in, week out.