Graham Potter has been criticised for playing the "blame game" after revealing several Chelsea first-team stars admitted to him their pre-season tour was the worst they'd ever experienced. The Blues headed to the US for several pre-season fixtures, with a 4-0 thrashing against Arsenal the damning highlight.
There was significant uncertainty riddled throughout the club at the time of the tour regarding football operations and Thomas Tuchel admitted at the time the club were struggling. "It's quite a challenge after change already the third time the location," he told Chelsea's in-house media on the changes across the USA.
"A lot of travelling, another time zone, a totally different feeling of temperature, huge humidity, so very demanding for first training and the players are struggling with the heat. We give maybe more time and space to drink – more break – but we can’t hide from the fact we’re in pre-season and we have to, somehow, put kilometres into the legs. From this point, we don’t adapt."
READ MORE: Graham Potter handed Chelsea sacking warning amid Todd Boehly meeting and Tottenham clash
Just six Premier League games into the new season, Tuchel was sacked as Chelsea head coach and replaced by Potter. Despite making a blistering start to his reign in west London, going his first nine games unbeaten, the Chelsea boss has endured a difficult start to 2023 seeing his side win just one game scoring four goals in the process.
Calls for him to be sacked subsequently emerged after a particularly disappointing defeat to Southampton, however the board remain behind the 47-year-old.
"Yes, I've spoken to them [the board] and it's the same as it's always been," he said in his pre-match press conference against Tottenham. "There has always been support. I've been under pressure here for four months from you guys. Have you spoken to the owners? Do you have their support?
"That continues and they've been great, brilliant. They also see where we're at but at the same time are frustrated because the results are what they are and we have to do better."
Potter also spoke about the pre-season the club endured, despite the fact he did not take over until September, explaining how he had been told by some senior Chelsea players that it was not a very good experience.
He said: "Speaking to a few of the experienced guys, they said it was the worst pre-season they've had. Organisationally, the tour didn't work as well as they'd like. I wasn't there so I can't say."
That admission, which indirectly brought up Tuchel, caused some division, with former Blues midfielder Craig Burley giving his verdict on Potter's comment. “I don’t like that,” Burley admitted on ESPN FC. “At the end of the day, [Thomas] Tuchel has gone and what’s left is left.
“Todd Boehly and the consortium signed him players. It’s his [Potter’s] responsibility now to get results because I’m not sure it is the time to play the blame game about what happened in the pre-season.”
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