[Albion] Savvy Potter has mastered precise time to move up

[warmleyseagull]

So says James Gheerbrant in Times; I was looking forward to his objective and considered view especially after his interview with GP published a month ago in Times.

To avoid paywall issues, here is precis and quotes from his Times article:

"Perhaps naively, I wondered whether Potter might wrestle with and perhaps even rebuff Chelsea’s approach. But I was probably underestimating his savviness....."

..."one of the defining themes of Potter’s career so far, as well as his obviously transformative coaching ability and emotional intelligence, has been his sense of mobility and timing. He knew when he had taken Ostersunds as far as he could and he may now have made the same calculation about Brighton & Hove Albion. So far, he has adroitly navigated a career in which his stock has only risen and he has made each move at the perfect moment."

JG compares GP's timing favourably with that of Ten Hag and Nagelsmann, likewise constrained by the seeming impossibility of competing with the Super League clubs. He notes that the dynasties created by 'imperial figures' of football - Shankly, Clough, Ferguson, Wenger - are no longer. He concludes: "The modern manager must, first and foremost, be the pilot of their own career." Those who stay too long - he cites Rodgers and Pochettino as examples - are doomed to have their CV darkened as a result.

"Knowing when to walk away is one of the most important skills in modern football management, but also one of the most difficult. The decision can be clouded by a sense of loyalty, an emotional bond with players and fans, a desire to avenge a near miss or see a project through, even the seductive thought of forging a dynasty."

The only long serving manager (>10 years) in Europe's top 5 leagues (other than Freiburg's manager) is Simeone. But, argues Gheerbrant: "Five years ago, he was one of the hottest properties in coaching, on everyone’s dream shortlist. But if he were to leave Atletico at the end of this season, and another of the big club jobs were to be open, would he be an obvious candidate? I’m not sure that he would: at this stage, he is so immersed in Atletico that it has become almost impossible to imagine him outside it."

Conclusion:

"In the present landscape, not even a club with the intelligence of Brighton, the history and romance of Ajax, or the commercial cutting edge of Hoffenheim or Leipzig, can expect to tie down the next great manager for long. I don’t fault Potter in the slightest for taking his chance. "

 

[B-right-on]

Yea but the tw@t didn't have to take every single first team coaching staff and leave us in the shit.

Blokes a w@nker imo. A journalist agreeing with his actions is not an endorsement btw.

 

[Swansman]

While the writer has some points I think there's a lot of bollocks as well. Simeone would easily get the job in x number of big clubs, no doubt. And the two best clubs in the PL also got the two longest serving managers in the league.

 

[Stato]

Of course Shankly, Clough and to some extent Ferguson, had something, now unfashionable, that may have kept them in one community: A belief in socialism.

 

[Baldseagull]

He has a point, when it was all up in the air, I had the thought that if he turned this one down, then their interest would have been good for us, as it would stop all the conjecture every time a PL club looked like changing a manager might be on the cards. That of course would be excellent for us, but it would also have limited his future options.
As much as I hate it I don't blame him or anyone that went with him for taking the opportunity, but I do hope it doesn't work out as well as Todd wants it too and he pumps him within 18 months, mostly because I don't want Chelsea to succeed, Potter I hope ends up back at Swansea and gets them promoted.

 

[Swansman]

He has a point, when it was all up in the air, I had the thought that if he turned this one down, then their interest would have been good for us, as it would stop all the conjecture every time a PL club looked like changing a manager might be on the cards. That of course would be excellent for us, but it would also have limited his future options.
As much as I hate it I don't blame him or anyone that went with him for taking the opportunity, but I do hope it doesn't work out as well as Todd wants it too and he pumps him within 18 months, mostly because I don't want Chelsea to succeed, Potter I hope ends up back at Swansea and gets them promoted.

Do people with £60m in the bank really take their family and move to Swansea? Not that I'd mind, it is a cute club, but it just kind of feels unlikely even if things would go bad in Chelsea.

 

[Wozza]

He notes that the dynasties created by 'imperial figures' of football - Shankly, Clough, Ferguson, Wenger - are no longer.

They were exceptional though - not the norm then, let alone now.

Also, changing job every few years doesn't make someone a bad manager. Ancelotti's stock is still very high, for example (alebit bouncing around top clubs).

 

[Swansman]

The main reason manager tenures in football are quite short is because clubs sack them, not that they're leaving for better opportunities. Sir Alex Ferguson would have been sacked like five times today if United performed the way they did in his early days.

 

[Baldseagull]

Do people with £60m in the bank really take their family and move to Swansea? Not that I'd mind, it is a cute club, but it just kind of feels unlikely even if things would go bad in Chelsea.

I can hope for it, however unlikely it might be. But if he loses the Chelsea job, and he ain't coming back to Brighton, there are not many options that wouldn't involve moving somewhere. No, stop it, don't even think of which clubs he could commute to from Brighton.
I hope Swansea because they are the club that took a proper punt on him, and had we not gone in for him, I think he would have got them promoted that season.

 

[herecomesaregular]

Not really rocket science, Potter chose to move on at the time his stock is at an all time high. Clever boy.

But it wouldn't surprise me at all if his 4th with us is his peak and it's all down hill from now. I would be amazed if he succeeds with a squad of ego maniacs like Sterling and Aubameyang. If he does then well done old chap.

 

[Seasider78]

Not really rocket science, Potter chose to move on at the time his stock is at an all time high. Clever boy.

But it wouldn't surprise me at all if his 4th with us is his peak and it's all down hill from now. I would be amazed if he succeeds with a squad of ego maniacs like Sterling and Aubameyang. If he does then well done old chap.

Also very few top clubs would pay a £16m release clause on a manger with no significant trophies or any CL a experience on his CV and Potter will know that

 

[Guinness Boy]

While the writer has some points I think there's a lot of bollocks as well. Simeone would easily get the job in x number of big clubs, no doubt. And the two best clubs in the PL also got the two longest serving managers in the league.

The one thing we should be grateful of is that long serving managers are impossible to replace. The break up of the Liverpool bootroom saw their relative decline, Arsenal are probably only looking good this season after Wenger and Man U still haven't replaced Fergie, who looms over the whole place like some disapproving granddad. Potter went at the wrong time in a classless fashion but at least we haven't made him director of football or named a stand after him.

Of course Shankly, Clough and to some extent Ferguson, had something, now unfashionable, that may have kept them in one community: A belief in socialism.

Politics aside so many great managers of that era were from solid working class areas, an extraordinary proportion from Glasgow. So what they had was a sense of community, something Potter thinks you get by drinking coffee in Rockwater.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I’d had hoped that we were going to get another season, or the best part of that with him, but we all knew this was always going to happen. Whilst I’m still extremely disappointed I don’t think you can begrudge him leaving so don’t get the vitriol. This was an offer he couldn’t turn down. Roberts and Bruno, hitherto thought of as “Albion men,” is harder to accept but sadly the money and let us not forget, the opportunity to be part of a big club with Champions League football, is a very attractive combination which sadly Albion can’t compete with.
I also think it’s a mistake to think he won’t succeed at Stamford Bridge. They’ve given him a long term contract, and already public declarations that he doesn’t have to get them into the top 4 so may well get more time than previous incumbents. Of course that will be driven by results but make no mistake, Graham Potter is the real deal, a world class coach. That’s what’s so gutting. He is that good and he was ours. I expect he’ll be a big success at Chelsea for many years.
It’s been a terrible week but we have Tony Bloom, a very clever and fiercely determined owner, who has an excellent record in appointing coaches. Let’s see who he comes up with.

 

[BN41Albion]

Not really rocket science, Potter chose to move on at the time his stock is at an all time high. Clever boy.

But it wouldn't surprise me at all if his 4th with us is his peak and it's all down hill from now. I would be amazed if he succeeds with a squad of ego maniacs like Sterling and Aubameyang. If he does then well done old chap.

Yep - way too much being made into all this. Chelsea sacked their manager, wanted potter, offered him loadsamoney plus a chance to truly challenge for trophies including the champions league, he said yes as long as I can bring my coaching staff with me, or something like that.

Is he a wanker for it? No, why would he be - it's not like he was born here or has spent his entire life at our club. Even then he'd still be building his career. Most of us would have done the same and we're about to do it to another club and their fans

 

[Grizz]

You can't begrudge him the move, but as been said in many other posts it's just the timing that's a real kick in the knackers. Let's face it we've watched some beautiful football develop under his tutelage, but there's also been some frustrating times as well. I know this season's start mirrored last season, but this year it felt different, it finally felt that everything had come together and we were going to see something special. We might still do with the new manager, but with Potter, we'll never know now and it just leaves that question unanswered. You can't begrudge Ben or Bruno the move either for reasons stated above, but again I think a lot of the vitriol is just venting and that's fair enough.

 

[Javeaseagull]

Chelsea want to be like us! Think about that for a minute. They say the sincerest form of flattery is imitation. Bloody irritating all the same.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Wonder if it’s the same journalist who wrote about “ Graham Potter & his all-passing, no-scoring performance art project” not very long ago.

 

[Wozza]

Wonder if it’s the same journalist who wrote about “ Graham Potter & his all-passing, no-scoring performance art project” not very long ago.

Not unless he moved from The Guardian. Was a classic line, in fairness.

 

[Swansman]

The one thing we should be grateful of is that long serving managers are impossible to replace. The break up of the Liverpool bootroom saw their relative decline, Arsenal are probably only looking good this season after Wenger and Man U still haven't replaced Fergie, who looms over the whole place like some disapproving granddad. Potter went at the wrong time in a classless fashion but at least we haven't made him director of football or named a stand after him.



Politics aside so many great managers of that era were from solid working class areas, an extraordinary proportion from Glasgow. So what they had was a sense of community, something Potter thinks you get by drinking coffee in Rockwater.

Yup. There is long and too long I believe. Sure, too long is nice when it is all going fine but it also comes with a cost that is double those years. Alex Fergusons United peaked probably around 2007/8 when they won the second CL title... if he had left then, they would have missed a few titles but they might also have recuperated quicker. At least it would have left his successor with a better squad to work with rather than the aging, wonky bunch Moyes had to deal with.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Not really rocket science, Potter chose to move on at the time his stock is at an all time high. Clever boy.

But it wouldn't surprise me at all if his 4th with us is his peak and it's all down hill from now. I would be amazed if he succeeds with a squad of ego maniacs like Sterling and Aubameyang. If he does then well done old chap.

Sterling? Can’t think of many players at that kind of level, with less ego, tbh. Potter will love him. Probably play him all over the place!

Also very few top clubs would pay a £16m release clause on a manger with no significant trophies or any CL a experience on his CV and Potter will know that

This is a really good point. Potter’s long contract here had the possibility of tying him here longer than he might have liked. Paying close to £20m to buy him out is an incredible show of confidence in him, on Chelsea’s part. (Remember it cost them another £20m to get rid of Tuchel and his staff, too. The total cost of this decision is enormous )