• Potter said his mental health had suffered after he and his family received anonymous abuse during his side’s poor run of form.
•Frank and Potter were rival managers in the Championship with Brentford and Swansea, and have since met in the Premier League.
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Brentford manager Thomas Frank says the abuse aimed at football managers is “a disgrace” amid Graham Potter’s plight at Chelsea.
Potter said his mental health had suffered after he and his family received anonymous abuse during his side’s poor run of form.
The Blues are 10th in the Premier League after one win in 11 games, but Frank has backed Potter to succeed.
“I’m convinced that, over time, he will find that solution,” he said.
Potter left Brighton to take over at Chelsea on a five-year deal following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel in September.
After Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Tottenham, the Blues have won just nine of their 26 games under the Englishman and Frank said he felt “massively” sorry for Potter.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, Frank, said: “Unfortunately, in some cases it’s part of the industry, and I think in many ways that’s a disgrace.
“I think a big thing is social media. I’m not on social media, but I have three children and all of them are, same with my wife, so one way or another, they will always find us. They could always get a message across.
“One abuse is one too many. It’s the few that are the noisiest and we hear the most. I think it’s very important that we need to be aware that there are still a lot of fans out there that back them.”
Frank and Potter were rival managers in the Championship with Brentford and Swansea, and have since met in the Premier League.
“First and foremost, he’s a very good man,” said 49-year-old Frank. “Secondly, he’s a very good coach and it’s proven that he can do a good job. A good coach can work at every club.
“This is not against Chelsea. It’s just that sometimes the circumstances create an environment where it’s difficult to get everything to just click.
“There’s a lot of new players, the team isn’t in sync, trying to find the right balance of players. A lot of players have been in and out [of the team]. Graham is searching for a solution and I’m convinced that, over time, he will find that solution.
“If I were to give advice then it’d be ‘trust himself’ because he’s more than capable of turning this around - trust himself and the guiding principles that have made him very successful and gave him the opportunity to be the Chelsea manager.”
Frank, who took charge at Brentford since October 2018, is enjoying a successful spell with his side currently four points above Chelsea in ninth. But he said that during difficult periods, the biggest support tends to come from fellow managers.
“Hopefully we have some good friends that can look after us if and when we lose our job,” said Frank. “I don’t think I know a manager who wouldn’t find the time [to help], if a colleague, a good friend says ‘hey mate, I’m a bit down, what did you do?’
“We are maybe the only ones that really know the pain you are feeling. It’s a lonely job. [The pressure on] assistant coaches, players, directors — it’s just different. I think it’s important that support’s there.”
“I think it’s fair that there’s expectations from fans and everyone, and you get critics when things aren’t working well,” Frank added. “That is the nature of the game and we have to have thick skin to cope. But also, it’s crucial that every person that wants to perform - a manager or player — the more focused and calm they can get to do their job, the better they perform.”