03 March 2023 , 15:49
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Chelsea star Kalidou Koulibaly has leapt to the defence of under-fire boss Graham Potter by claiming that he is a “great manager”.
The former Brighton manager has endured a woeful opening few months as Blues boss since being appointed as Thomas Tuchel’s successor. He is already facing calls to be sacked amid a run of just three wins in 18 matches in all competitions ahead of this weekend’s showdown with Leeds.
As it stands, the Stamford Bridge hierarchy appear unlikely to take drastic action over Potter’s position and are continuing to stick by their man. Koulibaly, meanwhile, has hailed his manager by praising his communication skills, whilst the Senegalese has also been left impressed with Potter’s approach to his expensively put-together squad.
Speaking with The Sun, the former Napoli defender said: “Graham Potter is very good at communicating with everyone. And he doesn’t care if you cost £100million or £20m, he will treat you in the same way. That’s the mark of a great manager.”
Whilst Potter has endured a tricky time of things since arriving in West London, the same could certainly be said of Koulibaly. The central defender was signed for £33m in the summer but has struggled for consistency since.
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The 31-year-old has made just 14 Premier League starts throughout the campaign, his lowlight arguably being a sending-off in a 3-0 reverse at the hands of Leeds at the start of the campaign. He is not allowing himself to panic though and believes he will eventually be a success at Stamford Bridge.
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“It’s not a difficult season but I need time to adapt and I knew that,” Koulibaly added. “When I decided to come here I was well aware that it wouldn’t be easy.
“I have a three-year contract and I am calm. I have time to show everybody who I am.”
Ahead of this weekend’s clash against Leeds - a game that Koulibaly is expected to start amid a long-term injury to Thiago Silva - Potter has also spoken out on his position. He admitted that talks have been held with the club hierarchy and maintained support remains behind him.
Speaking in a press conference, he said: “My position is that I need to focus on the next game. Whatever the discussions are, that's not for me.”
“There is support and I've spoken to them. But I'm not going to hide behind that. The results haven't been good enough,” the Blues boss added.
Should Chelsea fail to beat Leeds at Stamford Bridge this weekend, it would signal their longest run without a victory in all competitions since 1995. Their European hopes are already hanging by a thread with 14 points separating the Blues with fourth-placed Tottenham.