‘We’re 100 per cent behind him’: Kai Havertz leaps into Graham Potter’s defense, insisting Chelsea’s win over Borussia Dortmund proves he IS a ‘great manager’ while criticizing pundits in England who ‘believe that they know more than him
Kai Havertz praised Graham Potter after Chelsea’s win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, stating the result showed he is a “great manager” while taking aim at pundits who “think they know more than him”.
Chelsea took significant pressure off Potter’s shoulders by producing the most impressive performance of his reign so far against Dortmund, battling back to a goal on aggregate to go top in their Champions League round of 16 tie.
After losing last month’s first leg 1-0, Raheem Sterling’s opening goal and a controversial Havertz penalty, in which the German recovered and scored a second penalty due to an encroachment after he hit the post with his first effort, saw the Blues rally and book. their place in the quarter-finals on a joyous night at Stamford Bridge.
The win is a big boost for Potter, whose future as head coach hung in the balance after a miserable streak of two wins in 12 games and one goal scored in open play in seven.
Many have questioned whether the former Brighton boss is cut out for such a high-pressure, elite job at Chelsea, but Havertz insists the team were already convinced he is up for the task behind the scenes.
Kai Havertz praised Graham Potter after Chelsea’s win over Borussia Dortmund
Havertz fired the winning goal from the penalty spot as Chelsea defeated Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16.
The win was a huge boost for Potter, whose future as head coach was on the line.
He said be in sports after the victory: ‘Yes, of course, we know that the pressure is coming on him, but you can see that he is a great coach because in the media, I can’t even believe how many people have to talk [about] him.
We have hundreds of managers in England, they think they know more than him. But we know in the dressing room that he is a great personality, a great coach for us and he helps us all a lot, including me.
“So we’re behind him 100 percent, even though people might not see it, but I think now everyone saw that he’s a great coach.”
While their hopes of finishing in the top four in the Premier League have all but dashed in 10th place, advancing to the last eight of the Champions League is welcome relief for Potter and keeps Chelsea’s season alive.
The spirit, energy and quality displayed in Tuesday’s win will raise hopes of a strong run in this year’s competition, with the quarter-final draw next Friday.
And Potter couldn’t contain his joy after his biggest moment as head coach yet, admitting the win means a lot given the “difficult period” of recent months.
‘I’m not sure [how I’m feeling]! There is a lot of emotion at the end. It was tense at the end, but the guys played fantastic. I’m delighted that they get the win and great for everyone here,’ he said.
‘There was a fantastic feeling in the dressing room. We have been through a difficult period and this competition means a lot to us. We wanted to progress and get to the last eight and that sets us up for the next few weeks.
Havertz believes Potter proved a ‘great manager’ in his comeback win on Tuesday
Potter could not contain his joy after reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League
‘It’s great for the lads, two wins, two clean sheets after a difficult period. You get that in life and it’s about how you respond and the players have been fantastic.”
Next up for Potter and company is a Premier League trip to Leicester on Saturday, before finding out their quarter-final opponents in the Champions League next Friday.
Benfica is in the draw after their resounding 5-1 win against Club Brugge on Tuesday, with Bayern Munich vs PSG (1-0) and Tottenham vs AC Milan (0-1) for Wednesday night.
Next weekend’s second legs will see Manchester City host RB Leipzig (1-1) and Liverpool host Real Madrid (5-2), while Porto vs Inter Milan (0-1) and Napoli vs Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0) are also in store.