Potter insists his anger management is an asset after Mourinho comparison

By Sports Desk February 14, 2023

Graham Potter rounded on former players who have questioned his experience and edge as the Chelsea boss insisted he chooses the right moments to show anger.

Former England stars Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole have been among those to speak out about Potter's leadership.

Both expected a more forceful response from the former Brighton and Hove Albion head coach after Chelsea were denied a penalty at the weekend when Conor Gallagher's shot hit the arm of Tomas Soucek in a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Cole said there should have been someone on Potter's staff to "cause a bit of an uproar", while both men suggested Potter missed a chance to lay the blame for a disappointing result at the door of the match officials, thereby taking heat off his struggling team.

Ferdinand suggested the likes of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, plus Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, would have swiftly jumped at a chance to deflect incoming criticism.

Their verdicts on BT Sport came as Potter gave a reasoned reaction to the broadcaster, saying Chelsea needed such things to go for them, adding there was "nothing to complain about there".

Asked about whether he shows anger and in what circumstance, Potter addressed the matter on the eve of his team's Champions League last-16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

"Of course I get angry. I'm a human being just like you," he told reporters in Tuesday's press conference. "It's just I choose to conduct myself the way I think is the right way to conduct myself on the side.

"That's not to say we don't all lose our temper, because we do, because it's an emotional thing, but I think I have a responsibility to myself, to Chelsea and the game to act in a way that I think is the right way for me; not for anyone else, for me.

"if you think you can start a coaching career in the ninth tier of English football, in the Northern Counties Division One, and get to this point now with Chelsea in the Champions League without getting angry or being nice, then I would suggest you don't know anything about anything."

Potter said the Dortmund away game on Wednesday would be a "wonderful occasion" and he is "really excited for it".

He also spoke about perceived problems between Mykhaylo Mudryk and Marc Cucurella, with reports claiming new signing Mudryk gave a 'like' on Instagram to a post critical of the Chelsea left-back.

They need to forge an alliance on the flank if Chelsea are to blossom, and Potter looked to defuse the situation, saying: "There's no problem in terms of anything sinister at all.

"If anything, it's just team-mates understanding each other. It's quite a common problem: when to pass and at what point and what time.

"There's no problem, it's more just an understanding challenge, which is quite easy to understand when you recognise the context we're in."

Potter added: "We've got a squad we're really excited about, but we know there are challenges and work you have to do. If all of us started working together we'd have to take some time, understand each other, understand what makes us tick and understand how we can help each other.

"That's the impression I get when I see the boys on a daily basis: good spirit, good harmony. They're pushing each other in a good way."

Potter knows Chelsea's vast spending spree, in the region of £600million since Todd Boehly came in as owner, means they have to perform at a high level.

"Of course there's more pressure and expectation when you spend money," he said.

He spoke of how it was difficult to see any club sweeping to consistent trophy success without major investment, but suggested five per cent might find a formula without lavishing huge sums in the transfer market.

"It's like warfare," Potter said. "Sometimes guerrilla warfare can win. You don't have to have the big guns and the big ammo, but sometimes it helps as well."

Related items

  • Al-Ittihad 0-5 Al-Ettifaq: Ekambi scores hat-trick in five-star display Al-Ittihad 0-5 Al-Ettifaq: Ekambi scores hat-trick in five-star display

    Karl Toko Ekambi netted a hat-trick as Al-Ettifaq got back to winning ways in style with a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

    He scored twice in four minutes at the end of the first half to send the visitors into the break 4-0 up before getting his third just 10 minutes after the break.

    Seko Fofana had already given Steven Gerrard’s side the lead five minutes into the contest, while Moussa Dembele doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.

    Al-Ittihad had the chances, but they could not find the back of the net, as they stayed fifth, but are now just six points above Al-Ettifaq. 

    Data Debrief: Clinical finishers

    Al-Ettifaq had five shots on target against Al-Ittihad, scoring with all of them while creating an xG of 3.62.

    With his hat-trick against Al-Ittihad, Ekambi has now scored 11 goals for the season, netting more than once for the first time since joining the club.

  • Terzic calls on Dortmund to maintain focus ahead of Champions League final Terzic calls on Dortmund to maintain focus ahead of Champions League final

    Borussia Dortmund will not go easy on Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday as they look to maintain their rhythm ahead of the Champions League final, says coach Edin Terzic.

    Dortmund are fifth in the Bundesliga with two games remaining, with the performances of German clubs in Europe ensuring that will be enough for Champions League participation next season.

    They are also building towards their third appearance in the final of Europe's premier club competition, having overcome Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on aggregate in the last four.

    While all eyes will soon turn to their trip to Wembley Stadium to face Real Madrid on June 1, Terzic is determined that his side maintain their intensity levels, even if he rotates his squad.

    "Through this rotation we not only keep the team physically and emotionally fresh but we also give chances to other players," Terzic told reporters on Friday.

    "Our season just got a bit longer and we want to keep the rhythm up. It is about what we have built up in the past weeks and us wanting to still achieve something big, and that cannot happen with us shifting down a gear.

    "We want to make these weeks the best weeks of the season."

    Mainz denied Dortmund the Bundesliga title last season, snatching a 2-2 draw against BVB on the final day as Bayern Munich swooped in to retain their crown. 

    They are now battling against relegation, but Terzic is not thinking of Saturday's game as a chance for payback.

    "They did spoil our summer last year, but they did it fair and square. They had a say last season and did it well," he said. "Now we have the chance to have an influence." 

    Mainz are in 16th place, currently occupying the relegation play-off spot, five points ahead of 17th-placed Cologne.

    More importantly for Terzic, the game marks the start of a three-week build-up towards the Champions League final.

    "We celebrated our qualification for the final on the night and now we have to deal with the situation pragmatically," he said.

    "Now a new preparation starts for the Champions League final with these remaining two Bundesliga matches."

  • Al-Akhdoud 2-3 Al-Nassr: Brozovic stunner delays Al-Hilal coronation Al-Akhdoud 2-3 Al-Nassr: Brozovic stunner delays Al-Hilal coronation

    Marcelo Brozovic scored twice – including a fine half-volley in second-half stoppage time – as Al-Nassr beat Al-Akhdoud 3-2 to delay Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League title coronation on Thursday.

    Former Inter midfielder Brozovic fired in a seventh-minute opener from outside the area before Cristiano Ronaldo tapped into an empty net to double the visitors' lead.

    Sadio Mane struck the woodwork early in the second half and Al-Nassr relinquished control of the game from there, with goals from Hassan Al Habib and Saviour Godwin making it 2-2.

    However, Brozovic blasted a bouncing ball home following a goalmouth scramble in the first of seven minutes of stoppage time to hand Al-Nassr a fifth straight win and keep them within nine points of Al-Hilal, with three games still to play.

    They have only delayed the inevitable though as the leaders – who have only dropped four points all season – need just one more point to secure their crown ahead of facing Al-Hazm on Saturday.  

    Data Debrief: Brozovic upstages Ronaldo

    While it's usually Ronaldo writing the headlines for Al-Nassr, he was upstaged by Brozovic on Thursday as the Croatian found the net with both of his shots, also leading all players on the pitch for final-third passes (19) and completing 90.1 per cent of his passes overall (81/95). 

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.