Under-pressure
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter says he has to be respectful to "stupid"
questions from the media and insists he retains the "full support" of the
club's owners.
Potter, who left Brighton to replace the sacked Thomas Tuchel in September,
has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after overseeing just one win in
eight Premier League games.
Chelsea's sixth defeat of the season at the hands of Manchester City on
Thursday evening - a fourth loss in six league games - has left them in 10th
place, but the 47-year-old came out fighting as he prepares to face the
Premier League champions again in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
"There are times when you get cross and you get angry. But my responsibility
is to speak [to the media] in as respectful a way as I can, even though some
of your questions are stupid," Potter said.
"I have got to answer them as best I can and as respectfully as I can,
because I represent a fantastic football club and I have got that job to
do."
Asked whether there has been too much negativity around Chelsea in recent
weeks, Potter replied: "I do not know. I do not read the newspapers. I stay
away from social media.
"I am not naive to know that when you are having the results that we have,
there is not going to be criticism and negativity - that would be strange
for me to think that. And, again, I am not sitting here as some egomaniac
that has all the answers and gets everything right - of course, that is not
the case.
"But, at the same time, there are some challenges that we face. There are
some margins in the Premier League that are difficult. We have had a massive
transition (with new owners at Chelsea), problems in terms of injuries do
not make it easy to be stable.
"But it is sort of blah, blah blah, isn't it? People want to see results and
say 'shut up Graham, what are you talking about? We need to win.'"
Chelsea's prospects of winning silverware this season were damaged when they
were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by City in November, although they
remain in the Champions League and will face Borussia Dortmund in the last
16.
Potter highlighted the beginnings of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel
Arteta's managerial reigns at their respective clubs before insisting the
Chelsea board remain supportive of the work he is doing at Stamford Bridge.
"I think Pep was there a year before they won anything, and then obviously
Mikel and Jurgen took a bit of time," Potter said. "Obviously, it is maybe
different for me for some reason, but I do not put a timescale on it.
"I know the responsibility we have here, but also I know that I am capable
and I know the quality that I have, and I have the full support of,
certainly, the owners, the players and the staff here."
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