raham Potter Admits His Side ‘Failed to Do the Basics’ in Opening Day Defeat
Graham Potter delivered a brutally honest assessment of his team’s performance after their disappointing opening-day defeat, admitting that his players “failed to do the basics” in what he described as a frustrating and avoidable loss.
The highly anticipated start to the season quickly turned sour as Potter’s side struggled to find rhythm and cohesion against a well-organized opponent. Despite dominating possession for large periods of the game, they lacked penetration in the final third and were repeatedly exposed on the counterattack. Speaking after the match, Potter didn’t hold back in outlining where things went wrong.
“We didn’t do the fundamentals well enough,” he said during his post-match interview. “Simple things like winning second balls, tracking runners, and being brave in possession—those are non-negotiables at this level, and we fell short in all of those areas. You can talk about tactics and systems, but if you don’t do the basics, you make life very difficult for yourself.”
The defeat has sparked early concerns among supporters, particularly given the club’s significant investment over the summer and high expectations heading into the campaign. Potter, however, was quick to shoulder responsibility, insisting that he and his coaching staff would work tirelessly to correct the issues before the next fixture.
“I take full responsibility,” he continued. “It’s my job to prepare the team, and clearly, we weren’t
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