[Football] Graham potter turns down Ajax ...

[ATFC Seagull]

31% win record with us. Gosh we were patient with him.

I've never really given much thought to win percentage as a stat (no idea what typical percentages are) but my gut instinct is that winning one in three for a club our size in the PL, who finished 17th the year before, is ok?

 

[Bold Seagull]

As a coach I like Potter, but can you imagine how long it would take to get his England squad working, Not a chance. Utd if they give him the time and space he got with us, but again I doubt they will be patient.

If you recall our final 9 games in 2018/19, the transformation in 2019/20 was stark. Even in 2020/21 with covid distruption and some frustrating results, we won at St James Park, Villa Park, Anfield, double of Leeds, beat Spurs and Man City.

Will be very interesting to see how he gets on in his next job.

 

[Krafty]

What happens after Potter has been given time? Is this one of footballs biggest myths. After three seasons we didn’t achieve that much a mid table finish no cup runs of note despite having a pretty decent squad that RDZ got to a Europa league place at the first attempt.

We finished 17th in the season before Potter arrived; during Potter's last full season, we finished 9th. That is quite an improvement, isn't it?

You could say that he developed the squad so that RDZ got to a Europa League place at his first attempt. Mind, during that 22/23 season, we had 13 points in our first 6 matches under Potter.

 

[Justice]

We finished 17th in the season before Potter arrived; during Potter's last full season, we finished 9th. That is quite an improvement, isn't it?

You could say that he developed the squad so that RDZ got to a Europa League place at his first attempt. Mind, during that 22/23 season, we had 13 points in our first 6 matches under Potter.

Wouldn’t you say RDZ is doing a better job this season with a very poor midfield. Potter had Mac, Moises, Biss & Mwepu and finished 9th. We’ve seen what RDZ achieved with just two of those midfielders.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Wouldn’t you say RDZ is doing a better job this season with a very poor midfield. Potter had Mac, Moises, Biss & Mwepu and finished 9th. We’ve seen what RDZ achieved with just two of those midfielders.

It rmains to be seen. This season has been a bit patchy and I hope we finish 9th or higher but I am starting to have my doubts with RDZ's all round ability.

And yes RDZ finished 3 places higher last season but he also had Mac and Moises with a lot more confidence and experience at his disposal. It's not exactly a direct comparison to Potter's 9th place. You could also argue Potter helped coached them into the players they were to become. I am not a Potter apologist but it's unfair to simply dismiss his efforts like this.

 

[METALMICKY]

If Potter is waiting for the Man United job I think it's a huge mistake. The expectancy and the lack of patience will be even worse than Chelsea and we know he doesn't handle pressure well.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Nah it's not wages.

Ajax might be massive but they are an absolute mess. Their squad is dreadful , the owners are dodgy and they are flat broke. Unless they are taken over they're destined for years of rubbish. This was such an easy win for us this season.

If that's the case then he's right to steer well clear of them.

 

[Krafty]

Wouldn’t you say RDZ is doing a better job this season with a very poor midfield. Potter had Mac, Moises, Biss & Mwepu and finished 9th. We’ve seen what RDZ achieved with just two of those midfielders.

I’m not considering it as a competition, I think that both managers have done incredibly well at Brighton.

You can’t discredit what Potter has done. I believe that is why we are in the position we are now - first time in Europe, etc.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Wouldn’t you say RDZ is doing a better job this season with a very poor midfield. Potter had Mac, Moises, Biss & Mwepu and finished 9th. We’ve seen what RDZ achieved with just two of those midfielders.

RDZ has Joao Pedro, Ferguson, Welbeck and Ansu Fati. Potter had Maupay and Welbeck.

I think that evens things out.

 

[Bold Seagull]

If Potter is waiting for the Man United job I think it's a huge mistake. The expectancy and the lack of patience will be even worse than Chelsea and we know he doesn't handle pressure well.

Are they that impatient?
Louis VG - 2 years
Mourinho - 2.5 years
Solksjaer - 3 years
Erik Ten Hag - 2 years

Other than caretakers / Interim, only Moyes was given less than 2 full seasons.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Are they that impatient?
Louis VG - 2 years
Mourinho - 2.5 years
Solksjaer - 3 years
Erik Ten Hag - 2 years

Other than caretakers / Interim, only Moyes was given less than 2 full seasons.

They have been very patient by the standards of most big clubs but I think that will change now. By all accounts, while the Glazers were running things they didn't really care that much how they performed on the pitch as long as commercially they were doing well but Radcliffe and Brailsford etc will not put up with poor performance for long.

If Potter is in with a chance of that job he'd be a fool not to take it. With the right man in charge added to a now improved structure behind the scenes, I don't think it will be long before they're at the top again. Mainoo, Garnacho and Hojlund are generational talents they can build a team around.

 

[Justice]

RDZ has Joao Pedro, Ferguson, Welbeck and Ansu Fati. Potter had Maupay and Welbeck.

I think that evens things out.

Last season he didn’t. He had Fergie & Welbz.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Last season he didn’t. He had Fergie & Welbz.

But that's irrelevant and not the point you were making - last season he still had fully developed Caicedo for a whole season and Mac Allister?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I've never really given much thought to win percentage as a stat (no idea what typical percentages are) but my gut instinct is that winning one in three for a club our size in the PL, who finished 17th the year before, is ok?

That is across all competitions rather than just PL. Potter's win percentage record in the PL for the first two seasons was identical to Chris Hughton's two seasons. We won 9 games in each of those 4 seasons (23.6% wins). If you take Potter's last full season and start of the 22-23 in isolation his win percentage is 36.4%

PL only record for our 3 managers
Hughton 23.6% (18 wins in 76 games)
Potter 28.3% (34 wins in 120 games)
RDZ 39.7% (25 wins in 63 games)

 

[Justice]

But that's irrelevant and not the point you were making - last season he still had fully developed Caicedo for a whole season and Mac Allister?

I don’t why it’s so hard to admit RDZ got hold of that squad and supercharged it to a level none of us not even Bloom expected.
It’s not hard to see why we started scoring so many goals compared to Potter’s tactics. Chelsea took a similar path couldn’t score and started drawing games. He’s a good coach up until the final third where play slows down to much to concern a defence.

 

[Flounce]

I don’t why it’s so hard to admit RDZ got hold of that squad and supercharged it to a level none of us not even Bloom expected.
It’s not hard to see why we started scoring so many goals compared to Potter’s tactics. Chelsea took a similar path couldn’t score and started drawing games. He’s a good coach up until the final third where play slows down to much to concern a defence.

Your last sentence has turned into deja vu under RDZ though

 

[Giraffe]

No one has mentioned Dan Ashworth going to Man Utd. Surely that increases Potter's chances of that job.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Would that really be the stumbling block?

I know at the top end football players/managers think very differently to us but would earning more in a week than the average person earns in a year be the reason why someone turns a job like Ajax down?

There must be a number of reasons why he wouldn't be interested - maybe a more attractive job is in the offing or maybe he doesn't want to uproot to another country again or maybe he's been burnt by Chelsea and doesn't want the risk of another potential basket case job.

I haven't thought too deeply about it, it just seemed like quite a good job for him to take.

One of them I would think, can’t seem them paying £3m to £5m a year which i suspect he will demand going forward

That, as well as probably not wanting to relocate overseas with a young family and the fact Ajax are in a total mess right now will also be contributory.

 

[Flounce]

And didn’t Ratcliffe try and get him to go to Nice with whom he’s involved? If Ashworth is on gardening leave it makes sense for Potter to wait until he gets there and what happens to Ten Hag before he commits to anything. Has to be in with a shout for the United job next season imo

Edit, meant to quote @Giraffe

 

[GT49er]

I don’t why it’s so hard to admit RDZ got hold of that squad and supercharged it to a level none of us not even Bloom expected.
It’s not hard to see why we started scoring so many goals compared to Potter’s tactics. Chelsea took a similar path couldn’t score and started drawing games. He’s a good coach up until the final third where play slows down to much to concern a defence.

I don't see why it's so hard for you to accept that de Zerbi took over a very good team, that was in a very good place, that Potter's good work had got them to.

As has been said before, it's not binary, one manager good, the other bad. Just get used to it.