Graham Potter addressed the media ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
Chelsea will play their first league match under the 47-year-old following his appointment in mid-September and will be hoping to claim their fourth win of the campaign so far.
It’s been a mixed start for the Blues and after being out of league action for nearly a month, with their last game coming on September 3 in a 2-1 win against West Ham, they will not want to drop points as they eye a top four spot.
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Potter has now had time to settle in at Chelsea since his arrival. His first game ended in a draw in the Champions League versus RB Salzburg, so a first win will be welcomed to avoid any early pressure.
Here's what the Chelsea head coach had to say on Friday afternoon in full in his pre-match press conference:
On long wait - 23 days - for first league match being good or bad
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“Probably a bit of both if I'm honest. Used a bit of time to get to know people but at the same time we're itching to play. We couldn't control anything in terms of how things have panned out, we've had to make the most of it.”
On team news
“N'Golo is fine in terms of coming through the rehab stages. He has been on the grass with the team but not in full training. We have a bit of illness with Marc Cucurella and also Carney Chukwuemeka, but apart from that everyone is fit.”
On Selhurst Park reception
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“I'm sure it will be a nice one. It's a proper football stadium. The boys are ready though and waiting to play.”
On international break
“We can do some thinking while they’re away, we can do some thinking, analysis. We have to start somewhere. Everybody is ready, looking forward to playing. It’s never easy picking a team. You have good players and options. We can deal with that.”
On Patrick Vieira
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“He’s done a fantastic job, built on the foundation that Roy laid. Fantastic structure. Always difficult to play against, well organised, good spirit. It reminds me of him as a player. A really good job.
On not beating Palace in seven tries
“I miss those stats that bring a bit of negativity! It shows how tough the Premier League is. We had some tough games against Palace, we should have won. That’s history. Looking forward to Saturday and changing that record.”
On excitement of nine games in October
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“I can understand where he (Antonio Conte) is coming from. For me it’s positive. We haven’t played in a while. Our group is a big group, they want to play. Bring it on.”
On Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
“Looking forward to working with him, enjoyed working with him in our brief time together. He’s a good guy, focused, wants to play, wants to score. Looking forward to it. He has nothing to prove to me or anything negative in that regard. His career is his career, I have huge respect for that. He’s acted as a top professional and person. Looking forward to working with him.”
On Billy Gilmour, Levi Colwill and youngsters
“I don’t know whether it’s expected. All players hope they get an opportunity, that’s normal. They put themselves in there in training, games, earn the right to play. In a club like ours the competition is huge. If the quality is there, age should be no barrier.”
On patience
“I don’t want to be that guy who is asking for time. The coaching process, it helps if you have time. We’re in a world where there isn’t a lot of patience. All I can do is try my best, improve, work with the players.
On less time on training ground in first month
“We’d all like an ideal world but this isn’t an ideal world. I won’t complain about that. We have to be smart how we work, how we use our time. In a world with a lot of challenges people don’t want to hear me complain about a Premier League match!”
On surprises at Chelsea
“No, no surprises. I’ve been positively happy how I’ve been welcomed at Cobham, the players have been amazing, honest. Good experienced players and young ones who are ambitious. I’m looking forward to getting going tomorrow.”
On challenges he’s facing
“Six weeks, 13 matches and quickly understanding the players, making sure we use them in the right way, winning football matches in the toughest league in the world and Champions League as well.”.
On changes under Chelsea owners and season ambitions
“Change is good and it’s bad. It’s challenging. It’s how you deal with it and work with it. It’s well documented what’s happened in terms of ownership, the coach, different people. It’s life and how you manage it. It’s more than a short term challenge, how you align the sources you have, football idea to make it successful. The past, resources, history doesn’t guarantee anything in this league. There’s a lot of clubs that spend a lot of money and don’t achieve what they want to. The strategy has to be clear. Life or death is a bit dramatic, it is what it is. I can’t control people’s perception. I focus on the next match, training session and how to improve the team.”
Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Crystal Palace, Premier League, Football
Nick Emms