After a disappointing season, which almost led to the relegation of Brighton, the team decided to sack their coach Chris Hughton and replace him with Graham Potter, who they believe is the right man for the job.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s new manager Graham Potter during a press conference at The American Express Elite Football Performance Centre, Brighton. (Photo by Gareth Fuller/PA Images via Getty Images)
Graham Potter was announced as a new coach of Seagulls after they decided to sack Chris Hughton, who came close to finishing in the relegation zone, which would see Brighton fall into Championship after 2 years.
Graham Potter started his coaching career in 2010 when he joined the Swedish team Östersund, where he remained up until 2018. During his time at Östersund, Graham managed to keep a positive win % with a 127-60-62 record across 8 seasons. Not only did he manage a positive win rate, but he also helped his new team climb from the 4th tier of Swedish football up to the 1st tier, which is a huge achievement on its own. Proving his qualities, Graham was signed by Swansea in the summer of 2018, where he remained for only one season. While he did not manage to help his team out of the Championship, he did bring Swansea to a respectable 10th place with a 21-11-19 record. Proving once again he is an exceptional coach, Graham was spotted by Brighton, who were without a manager after they decided to sack Chris Hughton, who failed to live up to the expectations in the 2018/19 season.
Brighton chairman, Tony Bloom was convinced Graham is the right pick for his club and the coach who could realize the vision he has for Brighton. After the club announced Graham as their new coach, Bloom released a statement saying:
“We believe that Graham is an excellent fit for our club”
“We are delighted to have secured the services of one of the brightest young English coaches. Graham Potter has an excellent record of developing teams with an attractive playing style, fierce determination and a strong collective spirit.
“We are excited about our third successive season in the Premier League and we now wish to build on the solid foundations laid by Chris Hughton.”
Tony Bloom believes Graham Potter is the right man to realize the vision he has for his club. Proving his qualities in Sweden we cannot deny Graham Potter is a promising young coach that does have what it takes to build on a solid foundation Chris Hughton built in Brighton. Not only does he have the experience, but Potter also stated that he joined Brighton due to their vision and passion shown by Tony Bloom. When asked why he joined Brighton, Graham Potter said:
“I was sold by the long-term vision and passion shown by Tony Bloom, Paul Barber and Dan Ashworth”
“The ideas and plans they have for the future of this football club excited me; I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of it.
“This club has been on an incredible journey and my aim, along with Bjorn, Kyle and Billy, is to ensure the great work that has gone before us is built on, as we strive to cement our place in the Premier League for many years to come.
Will Graham Potter be the man to mold Brighton into a team that could compete for a mid-table finish in Premier League is yet to be seen, however, from what we have seen from this promising young coach, we can be sure the club and fans have a lot to be positive about going forward.
