Chelsea’s setback on Saturday dropped them to tenth position, far from the top-four finish required to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Chelsea coach Graham Potter acknowledged the displeasure of fans who booed the Blues off the field after a 1-0 home defeat by Premier League bottom club Southampton on Saturday, but said his critics were wrong to blame him entirely.
I think we’ve had a difficult era and a lot of hurdles in terms of integrating younger players into the Premier League.”
The former Brighton & Hove Albion manager, who took over for Thomas Tuchel after the German was ousted by Chelsea’s new owners last September, admitted it was difficult when results were poor.
“That’s how it is, and I’m sure there are people out there who believe I’m the problem,” Potter explained. “I don’t think they’re correct, but I’m not egotistical enough to sɑy their point of view isn’t worth expressing.”
He said he accepted responsibility for Chelsea’s poor first-half performance after his team fell behind to a free-kick by Southampton’s dead-ball specialist James Ward-Prowse shortly before the break, despite making six changes from the side that lost but played well at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in midweek.
“We took a step back in terms of our performance in the first half,” Potter said. “The response in the second half was good, but clearly not enough.”
Big-spending Chelsea, which spent nearly 300 million pounds ($361.05 million) on players in January alone, has now won just two games in their last 14 overall.
It has 23 league goals this season, compared to 51 for Arsenal and 60 for Manchester City.
Chelsea’s setback on Saturday dropped them to tenth position, far from the top-four finish required to qualify for next season’s Champions League. So far, their American owners, who purchased the club last year, have supported Potter, stating that they are building for the long run.
Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta was in hospital but conscious, according to Potter, after being kicked in the head in the second half. He was carried away on a stretcher after being treated on the pitch for almost 10 minutes by medical personnel.
“He’s in the hospital, where he belongs. “He’s conscious, and he’s talking to his wife, which is excellent,” Potter added. “When it originally happened, we were obviously really concerned.”
Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta was in hospital but conscious, according to Potter, after being kicked in the head in the second half. He was carried away on a stretcher after being treated on the pitch for almost 10 minutes by medical personnel.
“He’s in the hospital, where he belongs. “He’s conscious, and he’s talking to his wife, which is excellent,” Potter added. “When it originally happened, we were obviously really concerned.”
