Relaxed Graham Potter insisted he is shutting out the noise after admitting “you are only 90 minutes away from a crisis” at big clubs like Chelsea.
The spotlight has been on the ex-Brighton boss since his expensively-assembled new side was crushed 4-1 by his old one at the Amex last Saturday. But Potter, who has already qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with Chelsea, remains calm.
“In my job, or where I’m sat, you’ve got to be careful what you listen to essentially because people can talk and say whatever. It’s part of life. You understand when you’re at a club like this that you are only 90 minutes away from a crisis and you have to put things into perspective.
“You have to understand where you’ve been and what has happened, and look at it as intelligently as you can.
“Whatever people say from the outside, there are always opinions, always people that don’t like you, always people that have a different opinion of how the situation is, and you can’t really control that.
"All I can do is focus on how I think and what I think and how I act and let the noise carry on.”
Blues forward Armando Broja has meanwhile spoken of his pride to be Albanian amid the continuing demonisation of migrants.
The Slough-born striker, set to line up against Dinamo Zagreb in Chelsea’s final Champions League group game, refused to be drawn into the controversy. But the 16-cap international, 21, insisted it was an honour to represent his country.
He said: “I haven’t really read what was going on but for me personally I have always been proud to say I am from Albania. My parents are from there and my origins are there.
“I love being from that country and to be able to play for the national team is a big honour for me also. I haven’t read too much into it.
“But speaking for myself I am proud to be from an amazing country.”
Broja has scored just once in 13 appearances for Chelsea this season. But the rookie marksman has insisted he is ready to take his chance at Stamford Bridge after spending last season on loan at Southampton.
“Of course everyone knows Chelsea is one of the best football clubs in the world,” he added. “So it’s always going to be tough to get into this team and try and perform for this team.
“The opportunities and the chances that I do get I will try and perform as much as possible on the pitch and in training to get chances to show what I can do.”
