'He should be sacked for that interview' - Potter slammed after Mudryk complaint

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 24 Feb 2023 13:07 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea were beaten 1-0 by managerless Southampton on Saturday, with Graham Potter lamenting the fact he had to make sweeping changes in the second half, including bringing on the €100 million Mykhailo Mudryk.

Potter has endured a difficult time since replacing Thomas Tuchel in the Stamford Bridge dugout, winning just 36 per cent of his games so far.

The Southampton defeat was particularly abject, with James Ward-Prowse's free-kick on the stroke of half-time enough to give the Saints all three points.

READ: ONE goal in FIVE games! Chelsea in crisis after £600m transfer spend

"The truth is we took a step back with our performance in the first half," said Potter after the game. "Our response in the second half was good, but it wasn't enough."

Raheem Sterling and Wesley Fofona - £122 million worth of talent - came off the bench at half-time, with Mudryk coming on after 64 minutes.

None were able to turn the tide, and former Aston Villa and England forward Gabby Agbonlahor, for one, has no sympathy for the former Brighton man.

READ: How much would it cost Chelsea to sack Graham Potter?

Agbonlahor: 'he should be sacked'

"He should be sacked for that post-match interview," he told talkSPORT. "'I had to make some changes due to the Champions League, I had to bring different players in against a settled, organised side.' What are you talking about?

"[Southampton] haven't got a manager. You're playing against a team in disarray who can't get back-to-back wins together. And you complained that you had to bring Mudryk off the bench? You had to start [Joao] Felix. Are you joking me?"

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has publicly backed Potter, recognising that the squad has undergone significant change in the two transfer windows since he succeeded Roman Abramovich in control of the club.

It would also be expensive to part ways with him so soon into a five-year contract. Potter is thought to be earning between £10-12 million a season, meaning buying out the remainder of his deal would cost £44-52m.