[Football] Has Graham Bitten Off More Than He Can Chew?

[BadFish]

Yes, I see nothing indicating the opposite so far.

Graham Potter joined with the reputation of playing effective attacking football but couldn't make it happen with Maupay (the substitute in a non-scoring Everton), Connolly (not exactly tearing the world apart), Trossard (who RDZ won't touch with a barge pole), Murray (who couldn't score in the Championship at that point), Alireza J (now a non-scoring substitute in monkeyball league where everyone scores), Welbeck (inconsistent goal scorer throughout his career), Solly (who is apparently going to score dozens of goals now but it remains to be seen really) as his options up-front for most of the goal struggle-era.

These were fed chances by the likes of Bissouma (fantastic player but not really a playmaker), Stephens (great player but also not really with that lethal final pass), Pröpper (overrated imo), Lallana (who is great but also was unavailable for lengthy periods of time) a young and according to himself not ready Ali Mac, Pascal Gross (Potter should probably have got more out of him in the first few seasons)...

GP couldn't get this very sub-par bunch of players (aided by left-back BDB for the most part and Montoya and later Veltman on the RB/RWB) to score a lot of goals, that is true. It is also true that once certain players (Ali Mac and Caicedo most notably) reached readyness, the team did get a lot of goals.

RDZ never had the same problems GP (and CH) faced for most of the teams "non-scoring" era. This is imo the main reason why the team is scoring more goals.

Ah well we will have to agree to see this differently. As I say I was a fan of the potential of Potter, I just don't think he ever realised it with us.

Will he at Chelsea? Only time will tell . . . if he gets the chance.

 

[dazzer6666]

 

[Icy Gull]

Pressure is getting to him, isn’t it?

 

[dwayne]

If he was recognised as amazing immediately why didn't he get a start before RDZs sixth game, when Welbeck was injured?

Fair play on that one

 

[Swansman]

Ah well we will have to agree to see this differently. As I say I was a fan of the potential of Potter, I just don't think he ever realised it with us.

Will he at Chelsea? Only time will tell . . . if he gets the chance.

Yup, indeed we see it differently. I don't think 2019/20 Brighton had the potential to get in a better position than it did. 2020/21 Brighton might have had the potential to reach one or three places better. 2021/22 had the potential to finish somewhere in the top 10 and did so. Two out of three seasons reaching the best or close to the potential position in the league. I think this side also has the potential to finish somewhere 8-10 but with somewhere around 6-10 points better. Remains to be seen if this will be the case.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I really don't understand what Scott Boehly's vision is.

On the one hand he has told Graham Potter that he has a long term plan to build for the future and to change the playing philosophy and provide first team players from their development squad, a la Brighton. He will also be given time to do so.

On the other he has publicly informed all other club chairmen that he is willing to outbid any suitors for all of their best players.

Confusing in the extreme.

 

[Swansman]

Pressure is getting to him, isn’t it?

Obviously. Any manager managing a big team - goes for Wenger, SAF, Conte, Mourinho, Tuchel and so forth - will at some point rage at the media, because there is more pressure and more headline seeking questions than the "did you have a nice cup of coffee this morning mr manager?" ones you usually get in Brighton.

Funny - if RDZ had said the same things, you and others would be in the "look at the honesty and emotions, and yes they do ask some stupid questions camp" but if GP does it, it is seen in a different light. Which isn't weird given the circumstances, but unfair nonetheless.

 

[Icy Gull]

Obviously.

Funny - if RDZ had said the same things, you and others would be in the "look at the honesty and emotions, and yes they do ask some stupid questions camp" but if GP does it, it is seen in a different light. Which isn't weird given the circumstances, but unfair nonetheless.

I have already said that De Zerbi calling out Trossard publicly is probably not wise. I would expect De Zerbi to bite very quickly if an interviewer pissed him off after a bad game btw.

No axe to grind, just that I think GP is now coming out with things you could see he wanted to say in press conferences whilst he was Albion manager but contained himself…that’s all

 

[Swansman]

I have already said that De Zerbi calling out Trossard publicly is probably not wise.

No axe to grind, just that GP is now coming out with things you could see he wanted to say whilst he was Albion manager but contained himself…that’s all

Maybe not wise but these managers are just humans... RDZ has looked more and more annoyed with every press conference because he is used from Italy to get questions about tactics etc. and not every week facing questions meaning "do you hate this guy? Why isnt he playing? How angry are you about that Charlton none-win weeks ago?". That happens tenfold when you manage a big team... and every manager hates it. If they could choose, I'm fairly sure none of them would ever attend a press conference. Well, maybe Mourinho since he is a narcissist.

 

[dazzer6666]

Obviously. Any manager managing a big team - goes for Wenger, SAF, Conte, Mourinho, Tuchel and so forth - will at some point rage at the media, because there is more pressure and more headline seeking questions than the "did you have a nice cup of coffee this morning mr manager?" ones you usually get in Brighton.

Funny - if RDZ had said the same things, you and others would be in the "look at the honesty and emotions, and yes they do ask some stupid questions camp" but if GP does it, it is seen in a different light. Which isn't weird given the circumstances, but unfair nonetheless.

Don’t disagree, but for an intelligent chap he’s misreading the room a bit in terms of the relatively high % of entitled bellends that follow that club and have never (yet) accepted GP. They simply won’t tolerate him like we would - they are looking for any excuse, the slightest chink in his armour to have another pop at him. Could argue I suppose that the noisy fans don’t matter - but they do. Massive test of the strength of Boehly’s ‘vision’ when the noise from the Burberry wearing Chavs gets to deafening……….

 

[BadFish]

Obviously. Any manager managing a big team - goes for Wenger, SAF, Conte, Mourinho, Tuchel and so forth - will at some point rage at the media, because there is more pressure and more headline seeking questions than the "did you have a nice cup of coffee this morning mr manager?" ones you usually get in Brighton.

Funny - if RDZ had said the same things, you and others would be in the "look at the honesty and emotions, and yes they do ask some stupid questions camp" but if GP does it, it is seen in a different light. Which isn't weird given the circumstances, but unfair nonetheless.

Man, you have got it bad.

I wonder, will end in a marriage or a restraining order?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Man, you have got it bad.

I wonder, will end in a marriage or a restraining order?

It is a worry l agree.

 

[Swansman]

Man, you have got it bad.

I wonder, will end in a marriage or a restraining order?

Always got it bad when its "lets all shit on this bloke"-time, if you haven't noticed. Go read threads about Solly March, Dan Burn, Adam Webster, Dale Stephens, Aaron Connolly, Neal Maupay or anyone else who at some point had people queuing up to throw shit on them. So yeah, you're right. I'm getting married to all of these. I've got it bad and will never be a glorious shitthrower like the majority enjoys turning into.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I'm not sure if we play quicker than under GPott. It does look crisper.

But we do draw the opposition on much deeper in our own half and that creates space which allows us to find passes more readily than before. So maybe it appears quicker because we have pulled the oppo out of position and created more opportunities to pass?

And some loons don't like us playing out from the back!

 

[BadFish]

Always got it bad when its "lets all shit on this bloke"-time, if you haven't noticed. Go read threads about Solly March, Dan Burn, Adam Webster, Dale Stephens, Aaron Connolly, Neal Maupay or anyone else who at some point had people queuing up to throw shit on them. So yeah, you're right. I'm getting married to all of these.

Your definition of shitting on someone is people suggesting they are happy with his replacement after he ditched us and pointing out the fact that he lost his cool at a press conference? (And it is a fact, he did, just watch it).

Nah, this time it is bromance all the way.

Are you defending him on the Chelsea forums to this degree. My guess is that we are fairly tame compared to what is happening over there. Am I right?

 

[Seagull27]

Again, although he was sacked and, no doubt, paid off handsomely, Albion didn’t take steps to screw him over for the future.

And we were paid handsomely for Potter and co - a fee that we agreed to put in his contract as a release clause.

Every sacking is a blotch on a manager's record, Hughton hasn't been recruited by a PL team since. If we were loyal to him, despite the risk of the club going backwards we would've given him another season to improve. But Tony made a emotion/sentiment-free business decision in the best interest of the club. The correct decision I might add, obviously - but we can't complain if our next manager makes a similar sentiment-free business decision in his own interest. After all, a poor run of results could have seen us sack him.

Be angry at Chelsea, by all means, they're the ones that have tried to steal our model with minimal effort.

He didn't take steps to screw us over, he took steps to give himself the best opportunity at his new club. And it clearly hasn't screwed us over, we still seem to be doing pretty well.

 

[The Fits]

What @Swansman is saying in this post is totally valid. There's a difference between appreciating what Potter did here whilst being critical of some of his tenure and just shitting on him for the sake of it whilst seemingly totally forgetting about how good things were under him (especially the last few months).
I was always very much in the 'great that we play nice football but not convinced' camp, the way he took Roberts and Bruno was sly (although ultimately it would've been their decision) and I am enjoying Chelsea stuttering, but they'll be back above us eventually and Potter will no doubt find success either their or at another club.
Let's not rewrite history. It's a bit unhealthy really.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Also a sub for RDZs first three games (then injured for two) until Welbeck was injured.

Yes, the team has scored more goals. I don't see any data indicating that Brighton is passing the ball at a higher speed, but feel free to provide some. To me it comes down to improved quality (Pervis better offensively than Cucurella and Mitoma a class above what has previously been available) as well as the opposition (Southampton and Everton rolling over to die a painful death, similar to Leicester), whereas it is the exact same struggle against teams that defend well (such as Fulham when GPs boys played them and Nottingham/Spurs/Villa/Brentford when RDZ faced them).

FFS, You would have to be blind or Palace not to see the difference. FWIW I was gutted when Potter left so it’s not a case of Potter being shit (far from it) but the improvement under RDZ has been staggering. Potters Brighton is pedestrian compared to RDZ’s.

 

[dazzer6666]

I'm not sure if we play quicker than under GPott. It does look crisper.

But we do draw the opposition on much deeper in our own half and that creates space which allows us to find passes more readily than before. So maybe it appears quicker because we have pulled the oppo out of position and created more opportunities to pass?

And some loons don't like us playing out from the back!

This, although I think we’re more prepared to risk a first time pass (and potentially lose possession) once we get moving forward

 

[Justice]

I think we can all agree RDZ’s progress with us is far better than Potters progress with Chelsea.
I’ve always thought Potter crumbles under pressure when we weren’t expected to win against the top sides we played well because the pressure was off. RDZ has started to brush aside the lesser teams in the league something Potter rarely managed to do. Interestingly though Chelsea haven’t beaten a side above them this season which would suggest Potter is finding equally difficult now he is expected to win the games against teams in the top half. He’s having the same problem the opposite way round.