[Albion] If Graham Potter is re-appointed...

[schmunk]

Yes, recently joined, ambiguous posts, passively aggressive. Palace all the way.

It's Swanny.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

.."Ladies and Gentlemen !! ....., After leaving under a cloud ,... After 6 months at Chelsea ,.. and a year on holiday .., and with another 10 million in his bank account , ...
He's Back at the Albion!!......Please , Let us all ..Give a Big round of applause ..., to the one and Only !!! ....

As long as it doesn’t follow the current guise of “fanzone” I could live with it

 

[chickens]

For all those who are convinced that Graham Potter slagged as off by saying the Brighton job was an easy life. He didn't.

Here are his quotes in full from that press conference. Try to make your own informed opinion without the aid of a big read tabloid headline to guide you.

'Football is emotion. It's about the results and so, therefore, that overrides everything but the coaching process is something that gets better with time because you go through the ups and downs and then you understand more about this person, who can come with us, who maybe we’re not on the right path together [with] how you can help them, how they can help you.’

If I wanted a nice, easy life, I could have quite easily stayed at Brighton in the Premier League, signed a new contract and been absolutely okay.

And I wouldn’t have had too many questions about myself, pressure, sackings or anything like that.’

The starting point at Brighton was we were a bottom three team in the Premier League and we're trying to change the playing style.

‘You can imagine you get all the narratives that say “you can't do that, you need to fight and need to do this” so you have to try and convince and you go through a process of convincing the players, working and developing the players, changing the players and over time, the team progresses, and then the team functions and everything is ok.

‘You have to go through it. There is discomfort and pain along the way. If you want to do something new, in my mind, you have to fail. It'd be wrong of me to say anything else. There’s no shortcut to it in my experience.'


So for the hard of thinking, what he actually said was he had been through the pain at Brighton and was beginning to reap the rewards. The hardest part of the job was done and it was getting easier, with less pressure and little chance of getting sacked. By taking the Chelsea job he accepted that it was going to be hard and the pressure was greater and there would be a greater risk of getting sacked.

He was speaking to the Chelsea fans, saying trust me. We went through this at Brighton and it worked.

But in typical tabloid fashion, the Daily Mirror headline was,

Graham Potter makes jibe at Brighton as Chelsea manager explains "significant" challenge

The Daily Mail headline, (notice they added an explanation mark)

'If I wanted an easy life, I would've stayed at Brighton!'


And for those who think the players would have been hurt by his "disloyalty", this is what Alexis said before we played Chelsea in Potters first Chelsea defeat


“I hope the fans give him a warm welcome because he deserves it.

“Graham and his staff have been fantastic for us. They’ve been part of this team's progress and we think he was amazing for this club.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Chelsea and of course after the game we’ll wish them the best.

“I was surprised at the time when he left because it all happened very quickly. But I wasn’t disappointed because that’s football. It was an amazing opportunity for him and we must respect his decision.

“He’s in a big club now and you can see they’re already playing the way he wants and winning games. I’m happy for them and of course I wish him the best.”

“He was the first one who played me as a No6. It was a smart move from him because I enjoyed playing in that position and the way he wanted to play football. That was the most important thing.

"The first year wasn’t easy for me. I found it very hard coming from Argentina with a different language and different way to play football. I physically wasn’t as strong as I am today.

“I wanted to kill him… but that’s part of football. He was very helpful — improving my versatility and physically. I’m a much better player today because of it so I can thank him a lot.”

And this is the Sun headline to accompany that piece.
AL OVER THE PLACE Alexis Mac Allister wanted to KILL Potter for playing him out of position… now he aims to inflict first Chelsea defeat.

So maybe we should listen more to the players and less to the scummy tabloid press.

I agree with you that we should never listen to what’s written in the Sun, but we sure as hell don’t want Potter back,.

Despite your generous interpretation, his comments don’t come across any better in full. Thankfully it isn’t going to happen.

 

[sparkie]

I genuinely don't believe the board is so bereft of ideas as to take such a backwards step as to appoint Potter.

There is surely a decent alternative who is available and appointable.

 

[dwayne]

First:
Sorry if I'm being overly dramatic or provoking but I'm a big, big time licker of both Potter and Bloom as they both promote a world where 8-year-olds can have a realistic dream of playing in their local (or at youth adopted) team rather than being denied their dream by some £100m Rolls Royce-owning ****. I'm a big fat IN, IN, IN, IN, IN on owners saying "we're going with the kids" and managers saying "the kids are alright".

Anyway...

How come the people asking for this are the same ones defending the previous manager trashtalking our owner, policies and players for months and months while losing game after game and blaming it on the club as well as the "players lack of motivation"?
Bringing up internal issues at every press conference is integrity? Blaming others for your failures is honourable? Telling the world that our owner isn't as ambitious as he allegedly is is loyal? 33 points in 32 games and making Ansu Fati look like Billy Arce, that's ability?

The insane thing about the GP vs RDZ attitude isn't the dislike for GP. The insane thing is that people have been able to watch, up close and live, Roberto De Zerbi playing a game frightenly similar to that of a psychopath, creating a situation where Roberto De Zerbi was the main attraction and the main subject, while creating a rift between the owner and the fans through stating how much he'd like to give every fan a blowjob while at the same time blaming all his and everyone elses failures on the "lacking ambition" of our owner.

This demagogue has created the impression you can't do well if you don't sign lots and lots of expensive quality players and that a crazy narcissist on the sidelines is more important than the club. Through this demagouge the fans have decided Tony Bloom is to incompetent to pick the right manager, too cheap to give us the necessary tools, and too meeky to keep the narcissist cult leader around.

Fan power is now quite possibly playing an important role in our next, very important decision.
And I suppose thats good as long as people really are as clever as they think they are.

If Tony decides (against the odds) to go with Graham, and Graham (against the odds) decide to accept it, fans will have to make a decision if they want to go to war against the owner or not. And if they indeed decide that booing the owner, manager and team is the right way to go about it, they imho lose any right to complain about the potentially very severe consequences of "winning the war against Bloom".

He would not be the first or last fan owner to lose interest because of people always demanding more investment and more decisions aligned with the fans increasingly unrealistic expectations. I'd f***ing hate to see it, I'm shocked at what you're taking for granted.

Maybe I'm just a thick old dirt-pitch-with-the-buddies footy romantic. Or maybe sometimes the outside perspective is necessary to appreciate some things. Or maybe my history lesson was just more recent than yours

Good post!

RDZ played sexier football. But potty was definitely a better human.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

It is like an ex dumping you for a better looking fella with more money turned out he was a prick and then saying I will take you back and saying thats fine love. Fact is Potter dumped us and shat on us as well cannot believe the bloke is anywhere near the frame for this job again. We can do such much better than him, like integrity, honour, loyalty, ability

Let's try a different, but similar, analogy. You've got a daughter, kind, loving, talented, bright future ahead of her, but then she gets infatuated with some dodgy bloke who promises her fame and fortune, gets her into drink and drugs, you fall out with each other and they run off together to a dirty hovel in the city. You don't speak for ages, don't pick up the phone, you're disgusted with her choices and how she's thrown your nurturing love back in your face. But then one day she comes back, says she's sorry and realises what an arse the guy was, how he didn't give her the things he promised her, she's left him now and asks your forgiveness.

Do you not forgive and rebuild that special bond you had? Your loving daughter? You're not a cruel man are you?

 

[Marshy]

Way more chance of him rocking up at Leicester IMO

 

[sparkie]

Good post!

RDZ played sexier football. But potty was definitely a better human.

RdZ is a fantastic person - for example not leaving Ukraine until his players were safe.

Potter not so much - more of a snake.

 

[el punal]

So what if Graham Potter is re-appointed? Regardless of the manner of his leaving he is/was a bloody good coach. So if he returns and the Albion go a winning streak are those fans that are chuntering on about him being a traitor or a Judas going to carry on chuntering?

FFS! The bloke was made an offer that on the face of it was too good to turn down when he was headhunted by Chelsea. Okay the timing was definitely off and so were the promises, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing. If Tony Bloom and Paul Barber reckon Potter is the right choice then so be it, I’m not going to throw my toys out of the pram like some choose to do. A cautious welcome back and let him get on with the job is my opinion.

 

[dwayne]

RdZ is a fantastic person. Potter not so much.

Don't agree. RDZ is continually disrespectful to our owner. And you can bet your bottom dollar he would have been off to Chelsea if he had the same offer on the table. RDZ preaches that he's some honourable man , but I've seen no evidence of that. He also fell out with a fair few players.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

If he does come back who does he being back with him, the full band or some new faces?

Macauley, I can’t see coming back. Billy and Bjorn maybe, how about Bruno

 

[Marshy]

So what if Graham Potter is re-appointed? Regardless of the manner of his leaving he is/was a bloody good coach. So if he returns and the Albion go a winning streak are those fans that are chuntering on about him being a traitor or a Judas going to carry on chuntering?

FFS! The bloke was made an offer that on the face of it was too good to turn down when he was headhunted by Chelsea. Okay the timing was definitely off and so were the promises, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing. If Tony Bloom and Paul Barber reckon Potter is the right choice then so be it, I’m not going to throw my toys out of the pram like some choose to do. A cautious welcome back and let him get on with the job is my opinion.

Way too sensible... haha thankfully NSC represents a very small percentage of Albion Fan Base. Although noisy at times.

I for one think we have other options. Potter would be down the list for me. But IF he were to come back I would very much align with your view.

 

[el punal]

It's very unlikely to be Potter.

But if its Russell Martin, you're all going to be on your knees begging for Potter by November.

Russell Martin is not all that popular down here in Southampton with many Saints fans. Now that they sneaked promotion back to the PL I hardly think he’s going to up sticks to move sixty miles eastwards.

 

[sparkie]

Don't agree. RDZ is continually disrespectful to our owner. And you can bet your bottom dollar he would have been off to Chelsea if he had the same offer on the table. RDZ preaches that he's some honourable man , but I've seen no evidence of that.He also fell out with a fair few players.

The evidence I have seen is that he looked after his players when the Ukraine war started and didn't cut and run as fast as he could. One Ukrainian club owner even run for the Ukraine boarder with a suitcase full of cash !

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Let's try a different, but similar, analogy. You've got a daughter, kind, loving, talented, bright future ahead of her, but then she gets infatuated with some dodgy bloke who promises her fame and fortune, gets her into drink and drugs, you fall out with each other and they run off together to a dirty hovel in the city. You don't speak for ages, don't pick up the phone, you're disgusted with her choices and how she's thrown your nurturing love back in your face. But then one day she comes back, says she's sorry and realises what an arse the guy was, how he didn't give her the things he promised her, she's left him now and asks your forgiveness.

Do you not forgive and rebuild that special bond you had? Your loving daughter? You're not a cruel man are you?

I think if you want it to be directly analagous, you'd need to have been sleeping with your daughter. Maybe not such a good alternative analogy?

 

[Hugo Rune]

For all those who are convinced that Graham Potter slagged as off by saying the Brighton job was an easy life. He didn't.

Here are his quotes in full from that press conference. Try to make your own informed opinion without the aid of a big read tabloid headline to guide you.

'Football is emotion. It's about the results and so, therefore, that overrides everything but the coaching process is something that gets better with time because you go through the ups and downs and then you understand more about this person, who can come with us, who maybe we’re not on the right path together [with] how you can help them, how they can help you.’

If I wanted a nice, easy life, I could have quite easily stayed at Brighton in the Premier League, signed a new contract and been absolutely okay.

And I wouldn’t have had too many questions about myself, pressure, sackings or anything like that.’

The starting point at Brighton was we were a bottom three team in the Premier League and we're trying to change the playing style.

‘You can imagine you get all the narratives that say “you can't do that, you need to fight and need to do this” so you have to try and convince and you go through a process of convincing the players, working and developing the players, changing the players and over time, the team progresses, and then the team functions and everything is ok.

‘You have to go through it. There is discomfort and pain along the way. If you want to do something new, in my mind, you have to fail. It'd be wrong of me to say anything else. There’s no shortcut to it in my experience.'


So for the hard of thinking, what he actually said was he had been through the pain at Brighton and was beginning to reap the rewards. The hardest part of the job was done and it was getting easier, with less pressure and little chance of getting sacked. By taking the Chelsea job he accepted that it was going to be hard and the pressure was greater and there would be a greater risk of getting sacked.

He was speaking to the Chelsea fans, saying trust me. We went through this at Brighton and it worked.

But in typical tabloid fashion, the Daily Mirror headline was,

Graham Potter makes jibe at Brighton as Chelsea manager explains "significant" challenge

The Daily Mail headline, (notice they added an explanation mark)

'If I wanted an easy life, I would've stayed at Brighton!'


And for those who think the players would have been hurt by his "disloyalty", this is what Alexis said before we played Chelsea in Potters first Chelsea defeat


“I hope the fans give him a warm welcome because he deserves it.

“Graham and his staff have been fantastic for us. They’ve been part of this team's progress and we think he was amazing for this club.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Chelsea and of course after the game we’ll wish them the best.

“I was surprised at the time when he left because it all happened very quickly. But I wasn’t disappointed because that’s football. It was an amazing opportunity for him and we must respect his decision.

“He’s in a big club now and you can see they’re already playing the way he wants and winning games. I’m happy for them and of course I wish him the best.”

“He was the first one who played me as a No6. It was a smart move from him because I enjoyed playing in that position and the way he wanted to play football. That was the most important thing.

"The first year wasn’t easy for me. I found it very hard coming from Argentina with a different language and different way to play football. I physically wasn’t as strong as I am today.

“I wanted to kill him… but that’s part of football. He was very helpful — improving my versatility and physically. I’m a much better player today because of it so I can thank him a lot.”

And this is the Sun headline to accompany that piece.
AL OVER THE PLACE Alexis Mac Allister wanted to KILL Potter for playing him out of position… now he aims to inflict first Chelsea defeat.

So maybe we should listen more to the players and less to the scummy tabloid press.

Unfortunately, the sort of people who keep saying he slagged us off when he was Chelsea manager aren’t the sort of people to either read the entirety of your post or care about verbatim quotes or context.

HE SAID IT WOZ AN EASY LIFE HERE AND THAT IS THE END OF THAT!

When you hate someone with a passion, all objectivity, balance and judgement is left at the door.

 

[el punal]

The North Stand is going to need a new big flag whoever is appointed. For Potter perhaps it could be all beige, with the inspiring "it is what it is" slogan

Strange isn’t it? No one had that opinion when we stuffed Leicester 5-2 at home. All was love, sweetness and light which turned to rat shit a few days later.

 

[Nobby]

Let's try a different, but similar, analogy. You've got a daughter, kind, loving, talented, bright future ahead of her, but then she gets infatuated with some dodgy bloke who promises her fame and fortune, gets her into drink and drugs, you fall out with each other and they run off together to a dirty hovel in the city. You don't speak for ages, don't pick up the phone, you're disgusted with her choices and how she's thrown your nurturing love back in your face. But then one day she comes back, says she's sorry and realises what an arse the guy was, how he didn't give her the things he promised her, she's left him now and asks your forgiveness.

Do you not forgive and rebuild that special bond you had? Your loving daughter? You're not a cruel man are you?

Are you saying Potter is my daughter?
A bit confused to be honest.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think if you want it to be directly analagous, you'd need to have been sleeping with your daughter. Maybe not such a good alternative analogy?

I don't think Tony Bloom was sleeping with Graham Potter so pretty certain that your point isnt valid

 

[el punal]

If he does come back who does he being back with him, the full band or some new faces?

Macauley, I can’t see coming back. Billy and Bjorn maybe, how about Bruno

I hope you don’t mean Archie Macauley, he definitely won’t be coming back.