Kai Havertz conceded that Graham Potter’s sacking was “frustrating” in what appears to be a message to the Chelsea board.
The former Brighton boss was sacked by the Blues on Sunday after just six months in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Having put pen to paper on a five-year contract, he became the second managerial casualty of the Todd Boehly era.
Potter had struggled during his stint in London after winning just 12 of his 31 games in charge in all competitions – a run of form that has seen the club fall out of contention for a place in the Champions League.
While it may be the correct decision to sack Potter, it appears that he still had support within the dressing room at Chelsea.
Speaking after Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool on Tuesday, Havertz hinted at his disgruntlement with the decision to sack Potter.
He said: “First of all, I have to say it is really nice and we have to respect Bruno and the coaching staff for standing in front of the team when the manager got the sack.
“The club has to respect those guys. But it is not our job to think about who is coming in, it is up to the owners to decide that.
“We have to do our job on the pitch but when you have a manager long-term it is easier for us players. It is not nice, we have to take responsibility for what is going on.
‘’We are at the front, everyone sees us. We are all very frustrated to see Graham go but we have to accept the situation.”
“He’s been prominent all season calling it a long-term project, now all of a sudden we’re seeing Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart quite a lot in the last few days.
‘’Obviously Winstanley was with Graham Potter at Brighton and look, I don’t think we’re surprised by the sacking but if you’re going to sack someone you must have been thinking about in the last two or three weeks.”
