Friday, March 29

How long can Brighton keep Graham Potter? – Impressive reign will have Europe’s elite circling this summer


How the heck do you lose seven Premier League matches in a row, draw at home to basement side Norwich and then produce two high level displays on the road to secure back to back victories at Champions League chasing Arsenal and Tottenham?

Okay, the two north London teams aren’t at the same level as a Liverpool, Manchester City and perhaps Chelsea but the Emirates and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are two of the more difficult assignments to be had in world football especially as both teams were highly motivated with plenty to play for.

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Tottenham in particular was a fine result as Antonio Conte’s team were in scintillating form but Potter’s tactics and the workrate and skill of the players never allowed Harry Kane and co to get going in their five star surroundings.

Graham Potter has navigated Brighton and Hove Albion through a poor patch with wins at Arsenal and Tottenham ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Manchester City

So what changed? “Well it’s football. It’s as simple as that,” said Potter. “That’s why we love the game so much. Sometimes, even as the question is, it’s almost seen as a negative but it’s part of football.

“If we could have put our penalties away and we could be closer to the European spots.

“I think we’re on 40 points now with six games to go, the challenge is for us to get as many points as we can between now and the end of the season and you assess and go okay, how can we improve again?

“But it’s been a good experience for us all I think to suffer because you need to suffer sometimes in order to grow.”

Very true, the Brighton fans and players did suffer during that period but Potter deserves much credit for re-energising Brighton’s season during that difficult period.

The international break certainly arrived at the right time as the players appear refreshed, seem to be thinking sharper and once again are trusting the tactics.

The draw at Norwich may have been a tough result to take for some but in many ways – other than finding the net – it was a very good display.

Dean Smith’s team are at the bottom but they can still be handful – see their narrow loss at Man United.

Albion dominated and overall their performance against Norwich was far more impressive than United could muster…Albion of course do not have a Ronaldo!

Potter took a different approach to the Emirates and the extra legs in midfield of Moises Caciedo, alongside Yves Bissouma and Enock Mwepu completely overran and overpowered Arsenal.

At Tottenham, Potter started with no striker at all as Tariq Lamptey came in for Danny Welbeck and the midfield were able to contain Conte’s team that had previously been scoring for fun through Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.

In short, Potter won the tactical battle with Conte – a manager considered one of the greatest in Europe – with a team costing a fraction of the price.

Prior to the international break, Albion’s season was in serious danger of ending with a whimper, now they appear to be on track for a top 10 finish and their highest ever Premier League points tally.

The contributions of Mwepu and Caciedo have added a new look and freshness to the team. Not only has it kick-started this season, it has also added confidence for next campaign too.

After Man City, Albion have five games to go and the experience for Mwepu and Caciedo will be vital for the next season – especially if Bissouma departs.

Potter rarely seeks credit but the losing run was a real test of his management and he has shown he can reinvigorate his squad and find solutions to keep Albion punching above their weight.

Impressive work indeed. Potter – if he isn’t already – will very soon be a man in high demand in the Premier League and across Europe. His contract runs until June 2025.

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