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

[Guinness Boy]

I actually agree with a lot of what you say and agree about RDZ driving the club forward.

What I would counter with though is the run of form that had us fourth was a continuation from the previous season when we won away at Spurs, Arsenal, Wolves, spanked Man United etc. So there is evidence to say it MAY have continued, Could Potter get us sixth with that team I think he could. Could he with the current team, no, but then neither could RDZ.

Depends what you mean by 'current team'.

Is it the side that started the season where only one of Joao Pedro or Enciso could find a spot at 10 and the only fill in was Milner, or the team that finished the season:

Steele
Moder Webster Igor Barco
Baleba Gross
Adingra Lallana Pedro
Welbeck.

Only Gross, Pedro and Welbeck get in our best team as starters.

Whoever the new manager is, that's his start point.

 

[Clive Walker]

I'll still go to games. The excitement won't be there without RDZ passion and I feel that we will likely draw or lose games rather than go for the kill. My appetite will be less so and I can;t see me spending as much time at the Amex before and after matches. Take that into consideration PB.

The club will be in safe hands though, steady yet uninspiring.

I'd honestly be surprised if Potter returned but Im yet to see an alternative that really gets me feeling aroused.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I really don't think Potter would have inspired us to a 3-0 win directly after losing 5-1 to Everton. The motivation to get us out of a slump after losing 3-1 to Forest, and beat Wolves 6-0 and go on that run to the end of the season, would not have been forthcoming from Potter. He's not a motivator.

I agree that he wouldn't.

I'm also certain that no team set up by Potter would ever have got humiliated by Everton in the first place.

 

[jackalbion]

I agree that he wouldn't.

I'm also certain that no team set up by Potter would ever have got humiliated by Everton in the first place.

No but theres a high chance he would have lost, and once Potter went into a slump it was very hard to get out of it.

 

[Clive Walker]

No but theres a high chance he would have lost, and once Potter went into a slump it was very hard to get out of it.

last time he hit a slump, he needed lockdown to get us out of it. He is uninspiring and not motivational and I heard so much of this from within the dressing room.

 

[Guinness Boy]

last time he hit a slump, he needed lockdown to get us out of it. He is uninspiring and not motivational and I heard so much of this from within the dressing room.

Chelsea's players seemed bewildered by him. The bloke played Raheem Sterling at wingback!

 

[el punal]

I really don't think Potter would have inspired us to a 3-0 win directly after losing 5-1 to Everton. The motivation to get us out of a slump after losing 3-1 to Forest, and beat Wolves 6-0 and go on that run to the end of the season, would not have been forthcoming from Potter. He's not a motivator.

I will counter that with our 2-1 win at Arsenal the season before. We’d lost six of the previous seven games (one draw against Norwich 0-0) and only one goal scored. It was a superb performance which led us to finish the season with another four wins, two draws and only one defeat (Man City away). We then ended up in 9th position in the league our highest ever at the time.

So, my question is, where would that inspiration have come from?

 

[A1X]

Then how bad do you to have to be to be touted as the next England coach? Potter was also on the radar of many Premier League clubs as their next coach. Talking of “bloody good coaches” you do realise that Alex Ferguson was minutes away from being sacked by Man Utd. He‘d been with them for four years and they had won absolutely nothing. Next thing they scraped a win against Nottingham Forest in the F.A. Cup and then went on to win it - the rest as they say is history.

Going back to Potter, if you look back he was improving the team as time went on. The criticism that could be levelled against him was that the possession based style was not reflected in the number of goals that should have been scored. That was remedied by De Zerbi - who also had his faults.

I would take your points in order;

1. England have an absolutely terrible track record of coaching appointments, going back pretty much 30 years since Terry Venebles. Sven was the exception, and boring Southgate is hardly setting the world alight. Do you want him?

2. Graham Potter is not as good a manager as Alex Ferguson. Mad comparison.

3. Chris Hughton was also improving the team as time went on, I don't want him back either.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Just like our young players, Potter was learning as a manager whilst with us. He was constantly trying things, some worked, some didn't. But he's better for it.

Anyway at the end of the day the reason that vast majority of Potter-outers don't want him back is because they were badly hurt when he left because we were doing so well, and are understandably struggling to forgive. End of. Yes, there will be a few who never liked him or his style of play, but that will be a minority. The Potter-inners were also hurt by his departure but are prepared to forgive him his mistake and hope we go back to what was working so well before.

You never hear outraged Potter haters complain about the compensation we got. And how it all worked out pretty sweetly for us at the time.

 

[A1X]

True but who can say how it would have played out under Potter. The point is he’s clearly a good coach, to say otherwise is nonsense.

One home win in a calendar year says otherwise, actually.

 

[Reddleman]

last time he hit a slump, he needed lockdown to get us out of it. He is uninspiring and not motivational and I heard so much of this from within the dressing room.

No, last time he had a slump he changed the formation and we went on our longest ever unbeaten run in the PL.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I agree that he wouldn't.

I'm also certain that no team set up by Potter would ever have got humiliated by Everton in the first place.

They went one up very early thanks to an individual howler from Dunk who was way out of position and hung his leg out like an under 8. Our philosophy throughout his tenure was to try to win games and sometimes we got picked off on the break. The opposite was true against Palace where we won the ball high up and punished them in transition, being 3 up in no time at all. Both games are as a result of needing to change from Hughton's boring pragmatism, RDZ just took Potter ball and gave it systematic passing and wingers.

I'll fully accept that RDZ's tactics meant that individual errors were more likely to be punished, we saw that in a few games in 2024. He had to accept it wasn't working and I thought he had against Villa and Newcastle, when we were much more solid, but the errors returned against United.

Hence the conversation, do we need different tactics or better technical players. I suspect, having not agreed with RDZ on recruitment we'll be getting in a more conservative coach. I'll find it dull but if we win games and compete in the top half it will have been vindicated.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

You never hear outraged Potter haters complain about the compensation we got. And how it all worked out pretty sweetly for us at the time.

Yeah you do. In the aftermath of him leaving and RDZ taking over, this place and social media was full of it. Most of us knew that despite the timing, we were better off.

 

[Clive Walker]

You never hear outraged Potter haters complain about the compensation we got. And how it all worked out pretty sweetly for us at the time.

On the contrary I think potter bashers have banged on about what a refreshing change RDZ was. The compensation is irrelevant.

 

[Biscuit]

Chelsea's players seemed bewildered by him. The bloke played Raheem Sterling at wingback!

And he left Mitoma in the reserves...

 

[Guinness Boy]

On the contrary I think potter bashers have banged on about what a refreshing change RDZ was. The compensation is irrelevant.

Well it's not. It helped us win that massive trophy for finishing top of the making a profit league.

 

[Justice]

You never hear outraged Potter haters complain about the compensation we got. And how it all worked out pretty sweetly for us at the time.

What has compensation got to do with us? They also made record profits and still put the ticket prices up

 

[Kosh]

I actually agree with a lot of what you say and agree about RDZ driving the club forward.

What I would counter with though is the run of form that had us fourth was a continuation from the previous season when we won away at Spurs, Arsenal, Wolves, spanked Man United etc. So there is evidence to say it MAY have continued, Could Potter get us sixth with that team I think he could. Could he with the current team, no, but then neither could RDZ.

Fair enough… I’m still unconvinced it’s actually happening to be honest, but IF it does, what he can do with the current squad will be very interesting

It could be a bit toxic too, let’s be realistic… not sure I want that feeling hanging over the club as we move into the new season and after our first defeat or (God forbid) long winless run…

I await the club’s decision and I’ll support the team as I always have.

 

[kevo]

There's no doubt Potter's a good coach and did really well for us (although I don't welcome a return to having 90% possession and losing 1-0). But the way he left leaves an extremely bitter taste. He would really need to almost grovel to the fans and we'd also need to hit the ground running. Start the season with a losing streak and the whole fanbase would turn.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

We watched 3 years of slow, dull football, supplement by the odd great win, loads of draws and ridiculous runs of games without a win. And then, briefly, with a star- stuffed team it all clicked. And then he f***ed off.

I really haven't got the motivation to restart that project so soon after we were thinking about a 2nd European adventure, but blew it with a couple of duff transfer windows.

I can't think of a more underwhelming appointment right now.