Graham Potter claims he is more confident in his position than ever after meeting one of Chelsea’s owners on a World Cup trip to California.
Potter and his wife spent a week on the west coast of the United States after watching Chelsea enter the World Cup break on the heels of three consecutive defeats, a streak that has left them eight points below the top four.
But while the former Brighton manager, who took over from Thomas Tuchel in September, conceded he was not the finest company as he pondered those defeats, Potter disclosed that a “nice talk” with co-owner Behrouz Eghbali had only been positive.
“I’m even more confident and conscious of the support I have today than I was when I started this position three months ago,” he remarked. Therefore, this indicates something. It is a testament to their assistance and communication with me that they have been so excellent.
“We are all aware of the demands and pressures at this club, but we also have enough individuals who can see the big picture and where we are to be able to say, ‘This is where we are, how can we improve?'”
Potter continued, “When I was in California, I met Behdad and had a pleasant conversation with him. Fantastic support. I am quite excited for the upcoming weeks, months, and years. We recognize where we are on the trip and the obstacles that lie ahead, but that is where we are at the time.
“I would have liked to have won a few races in California, but it was not to be. Therefore, it is necessary to ponder, accept the pain and frustration, and determine how to go to improve the situation. This is my occupation and how I’ve been spending my time.”
Chelsea will host Bournemouth on Tuesday and travel to Nottingham Forest on December 31. Then, Potter’s team will face Manchester City in consecutive league and FA Cup meetings, and their manager has admitted that they will need to start fast to catch up in the fight for Champions League qualifying.
“It will be difficult to close the deficit,” said Potter, “but our focus is on our performance, how we function, and how we are playing.” “This is where we stand. If you don’t control it, if you don’t perform better there, it doesn’t matter how much you talk about the gap or what others do.
“We know that we can use our experience, our acquired knowledge, and the difficult times we’ve endured asking, ‘Okay, how can we move forward and play better?’ So this is our main concern.”
