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Reece James gives verdict on Graham Potter after Tottenham defeat.
After Sunday’s devastating 2-0 loss to Tottenham, Chelsea defender Reece James has put his support behind manager Graham Potter, who is under criticism.
Calls from fans for Potter to be sacked have grown in recent weeks following a run of just two wins in 15 games across all competitions which has seen them tumble out of the top-four race and left them closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League spots.
Chelsea was defeated 1-0 by Borussia Dortmund in the recent first leg of their Champions League round of 16 match, and the team has been eliminated from both domestic cup tournaments.
Potter’s position is under immense pressure but, after the Tottenham defeat, James urged fans to stick by the boss.
“We’re all on the same page, we’re sticking together and that’s a big positive,” he told beIN SPORTS. “[Potter] is in a similar position to us players. We’re the ones out there on the pitch performing, so just as much stick he gets the players are playing as well, we’re in it together.
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“Everyone has seen how good of a manager he is. That showed when he was at Brighton and they were in and around top four. His ability is definitely not questionable.
“[And] it’s not like we’re not trying, we’re giving it our all but results are simply not going our way at the moment. It’s not like the players are sacking it, or anything like this, we’re working hard, it’s just results are not falling our way at the moment.
“Nothing happens overnight. We don’t just wake up tomorrow and we’re out of the situation we’re in, it’s going to take weeks and months to get to where we’re meant to be.”
Potter himself recently compared his struggles to the likes of Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp, highlighting the importance of sticking by a manager if results are not immediately as impressive as fans would like.
The same furious fans were quick to point out that eight months after taking charge of Manchester United, on the day Potter made that remark, Erik ten Hag won his first title as the club’s manager.