Guardiola asks for time for Potter

Should Chelsea get rid of Graham Potter? He is the man in whom Todd Boehly's board entrusted to take the reins for their ambitious project but, at the moment, results are not all that good. The most recent one was a thumping against Manchester City in the third round of the FA Cup. In his press conference after the game, Pep Guardiola showed sympathy with his counterpart and asked for them to give him more time.

"I'd say to Todd Boedhly, who it was a pleasure to meet, that he should give him time. I know that results are important at the big sides, but I'd say he should give him time. I think that the second half represented who he is and what he did at Brighton was impressive. Every manager needs time. We need time in our first season. I got results in my first season at Barcelona, but we had Messi", he said.

Potter himself defended himself against the critics he heard in the stadium, where his fans were shouting Thomas Tuchel's name: "We can't do more than our work but better and work harder. We understand the fans' frustration, but our job is to do our job. There are always other opinions, critics or negativity, but that's part of the challenge", he claimed.

"The first half was painful and tough for us all. In the second, we had to come back and there were a few positives with regards to the young players, but we're disappointed to be leaving the competition. As for the more experienced players, City are the worst side to play against when things aren't going well because it makes you look like you're not even trying", he said too.

January 8, 2023