Potter under heavy fire in Sweden following Dutch humiliation: 'Call me incompetent'

The Englishman admitted during a press conference that he feels under intense pressure before Sweden's final crucial group match against Japan. 

"Of course. It would be strange if I didn't. But do I take into account what you (the press, ed.) write? No. It's irrelevant. I don't listen to what you say. Then we can have a good conversation here, regardless of what you have written. That's the best way to do it."

For the former Chelsea coach, it's not a problem if negative things are written about him. "I am a person who wants to do well and wants to win. You may think that I am incompetent, and in that case, I accept that."

Potter also admitted that he was completely off guard by Dutch coach Ronald Koeman's decision to use Sunderland striker, Brian Brobbey, against the Swedes, where he scored twice. 

In the wake of the heavily criticized 2-2 opening draw against Japan, Koeman was under immense pressure to find an effective focal point for the Dutch front line. Choosing Brobbey over traditional starters like Memphis Depay shocked fans and pundits alike, as the 24-year-old forward had spent much of the qualifying campaign on the fringes of the national squad.

"I did not see it coming", said Potter. "Brobbey changed the dynamic of the Netherlands a lot. He made them go from being a good team to being a very, very good team. To come up against that class of opposition, with that width, that control and the 'nine' threat was a bit too much for us", said Potter.

"He hadn't played for the national team for a while. I thought they wouldn't start him. But they did, and you never know until the team is released before kick-off.  That's why sometimes it's an advantage to be able to keep the lineup a secret. Because then you can surprise the opponent. It's not easy to achieve that. So congratulations to the Netherlands. Tactically, we did not react well enough to it", said Potter.

Sweden, who have three points after their win against Tunesia will face Japan on Friday morning 01.00 CET.