- Ali
Chelsea manager Graham Potter said any criticism he gets in the wake of their humiliating defeat to Southampton in the most recent Premier League fixture is understandable.
Graham Potter and his players were booed off the pitch by Chelsea fans at the end of their 1-0 defeat to Southampton, who languish at 20th in the Premier League. James Ward-Prowse’s goal on the stroke of halftime was enough for Southampton to earn three crucial points and inflict a defeat on Chelsea.
Chelsea have not tasted a victory for more than a month now. Their most recent win happened in mid-January when they got the better of their London rivals Crystal Palace 1-0. They have since played five games and have not won any of those.
Chelsea now finds themselves sitting 10th in the Premier League points table, 10 points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United and 23 points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
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Speaking after the defeat to Southampton, Graham Potter admitted he understands any criticism he gets. Graham Potter also believes he is not the problem behind Chelsea’s slump in form.
“After a 1-0 defeat at home, any criticism you get is understandable,” Graham Potter said. “I think we’ve had a tough period and I think we’ve had lots of challenges in terms of integrating young players into the Premier League. While results don’t go your way it can be tough, that is how it is.
“I’m sure there will be people out there that think I’m the problem, absolutely. I don’t think they’re right but I’m not arrogant enough to say their opinion isn’t worth articulating.”
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Graham Potter also said Chelsea took a step back in their performance in the first half. He also said the response in the second half after Southampton led at halftime was good, but not good enough.
“My job is to help the team, keep working through a team period, we’ve had to make some changes today and the truth is we took a step back in our performance in the first half,” Graham Potter said. “The response in the second half was good, but it wasn’t good enough.”
Chelsea will face their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in their next match. The match between the two aforementioned teams kicks off at 7:00 pm Indian Standard Time on February 26.
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