Fans 'entitled' to be angry at struggling Chelsea: Potter

Chelsea fans have every right to voice their criticism of the team following a disastrous run, manager Graham Potter said, adding that only solution for the club's struggles is to start winning games, beginning with a visit to Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite their record January transfer window spending of around 300 million pounds (US$361.08 million), Chelsea have won one of their last 10 matches in all competitions.

Following last week's 1-0 home defeat by bottom-club Southampton, they sit 10th in the Premier League standings, 11 points behind rivals Spurs in fourth, albeit with a game in hand.

"Supporters, rightly so, are upset because we lost at home to Southampton. Supporters care, when they are upset they make they let their feelings be known and we accept that," Potter told reporters ahead of Sunday's league clash with Spurs.

"There's nothing I can say that will make the supporters – if they are against us – with us. The solution is that you have to win football matches.

"If you lose 1-0 at home to Southampton, who are bottom of the league, you expect fans to voice their criticism... Results haven't been good enough, a 1-0 defeat to Southampton isn't good enough, they are entitled to be angry."

Potter added that Chelsea's problems are nothing new and that they began even before the season started, with a poor pre-season.

The 47-year-old's comments echo the sentiments of his predecessor Thomas Tuchel, who had expressed concern over the team's lack of commitment during their pre-season tour of the United States.

"Speaking to a few of the experienced guys, they said it was the worst pre-season they've had," Potter said.

"Organisationally, the tour didn't work as well as they'd like. I wasn't there so I can't say.

"We thought we