"Are you winding me up?" - Chelsea manager Graham Potter slammed for his reaction after 1-0 loss to Southampton
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara has slammed Chelsea boss Graham Potter after his reaction to his side's 1-0 Premier League defeat to Southampton on Saturday (February 18). The pressure is growing on the English coach, with the Blues losing five and winning just one of their last ten games across competitions.
James Ward-Prowse's 45+1st minute free-kick was enough for the managerless bottom-placed Saints to secure a vital victory at Stamford Bridge, denting the Blues' hopes of a top-four finish. They trail fourth-placed Tottenham by 11 points in tenth position after 23 games.
After the game, Potter described Southampton as a tough team despite the Saints being relegation candidates. O'Hara was bemused by the reaction from the Chelsea boss, telling TalkSPORT:
"He's basically making excuses for changing the team. Did you see the team Chelsea had out? It was unbelievable. ... 25 of them are top players. So he's making excuses for that."
The west London outfit have had two blockbuster transfer windows since Todd Boehly became the cooperating owner last year. They have spent over £600 million on new acquisitions. O'Hara touched on that:
"I know they're new players, and you've gotta give them time to gel. But you've got Enzo Fernandez, Fofana, Mason Mount, Azpilcueta, Koulibaly, Chilwell. You've got £500-600 million players, and you're complaining about having to make a couple of changes, and that's why it's not quite clicking. Are you winding me up?"
Potter's description of Southampton particularly bamboozled O'Hara, as they're in a relegation scrap. They sacked former manager Nathan Jones five days before the win at Stamford Bridge. O'Hara added:
"You're at Chelsea, not used to losing, and he comes out and says 'Southampton are a tough team and well prepared'? They're bottom of the league with no manager; they're in disarray. How can you say that?"
O'Hara concluded:
"It's like it's ok; he's bang average, and Chelsea are 10th."
🎙️ "There will be people out there who think I'm the problem"
Although his side slumped to 1-0 defeat at the hands Southampton, Graham Potter still believes in his ability to turn Chelsea's fortunes around 💪 https://t.co/q0zTySUDXo
Potter's side travel to O'Hara's former side Tottenham on Sunday (February 26). They're out of all domestic cup competitions and trail Borussia Dortmund 1-0 heading into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie next month.
Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino wants Chelsea job if Potter is sacked
With doubts over Potter's future growing at Stamford Bridge, the question turns to who could be in line to replace the Englishman. One candidate is former Spurs boss Pochettino, who could be tempted to succeed Potter.
According to The Sun, Pochettino is on standby and prepared to take up the role if Potter is dismissed. The Argentine is keen on making a return to the Premier League after leaving Tottenham in 2019. He earned plaudits during his time with the north Londoners, leading them to the 2018 Champions League final.
Most wins by a Spurs manager in post-war era (159)
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Mauricio Pochettino as Spurs manager:
⚪️ Most wins by a Spurs manager in post-war era (159)
⚪️ Four consecutive top four PL finishes
⚪️ First ever Champions League final
Incredible achievements. 🙇♂️ https://t.co/34cP2bGuzx
He was most recently sacked by Paris Saint-Germain, despite the Parisians lifting the Ligue 1 title in his final game in charge. Pochettino told talkSPORT during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar:
"I miss the Premier League. Why not (return)? We are open; I am really open."
Pochettino has also managed Southampton and Espanyol during his managerial career. He managed 160 wins in 293 games across competitions as the Spurs boss.