Kalidou Koulibaly has outlined a number of reasons why Chelsea boss Graham Potter is a great manager, despite pressure increasing on his job. The Blues are winless in their last six in all competitions, most recently losing to London rivals Tottenham, an unthinkable outcome for Chelsea especially at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Despite recent defeats and calls for him to be sacked, football.london understands that Potter still retains support from Todd Boehly for now. But as the head coach himself has admitted, that support will not last forever.
"There is always that question, absolutely, and you can’t stop the questions," Potter admitted after the Tottenham defeat when asked about the possibility of the owners stance changing. "While results are what they are, I accept it. It’s part of the job. My job isn’t to worry about that too much.
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"I understand the question and where it comes from, but I have to try to focus on keeping on helping the team and supporting the players. I really like these players, they’re good lads. They want to do better and want to win. But at the moment we’re suffering and that is my responsibility."
Despite pressure on his job, Koulibaly has defended his boss with a clear message. "Graham Potter is very good at communicating with everyone," he told SunSport. "He doesn’t care if you cost £100million or £20million, he will treat you in the same way. That’s the mark of a great manager."
Following his move in the summer from Napoli, Koulibaly has endured a mixed first six months in west London, but has recently come back into the team after a solid display against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. "I need time to adapt and I knew that," he revealed.
"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."
Like Koulibaly, many of Chelsea's recent signings have struggled to adapt to either the new league or the responsibilities placed on their shoulders. Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk are two of the players burdened with the task of solving Chelsea's attacking woes and it's probably fair to say one is having more joy than the other.
Felix scored his first Chelsea goal against and West Ham a few weeks and has steadily impressed since. "Felix is known all over the world, he’s a great player, we all know that," Koulibaly said. "Technically he’s very gifted and brings fluency to our game, which we crave."
Mudryk, meanwhile, has struggled to match the hype that was initially placed around him following a 30-minute cameo against Liverpool. But the 22-year-old firmly has the support of his teammate.
He said: "As for Mudryk he’s very quick, technically on a one-v-one he’s outstanding and can be a big help for us. But he is a player who needs the ball to make the difference and our job is to get it to him.
"Every player joining Chelsea needs time to adapt and Mudryk is no different. We’re not worried because we know he will lead us forward."
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