Potter, a former defender at clubs such as Birmingham, Stoke and West Bromwich, first gained recognition as a coach after leading Swedish fourth-tier side Ostersunds to three promotions in five seasons. His seven-year spell also included a first major trophy with the Swedish Cup and a place in the Europa League, where they beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, but lost the tie in the round of 32 4-2 on aggregate.
It has been an unorthodox path for an English manager, but it took him to Swansea in 2018 and Brighton a year later, before joining Chelsea in 2022.
Amid links with Tottenham and Everton jobs in the past, Potter said he would never be seen as a ‘sexy’ manager, saying: ‘It’s hard to be a sexy name when you’re called Potter, especially if your first name is Graham.’ Then it gets more difficult, add to that the long face and the red beard and all the rest of it, and I have to commit to being a football coach and working with the players.
Often referred to as a compassionate and thoughtful coach, Potter has cemented himself as one of Brighton’s most exciting prospects – tasked with transforming the team from a constantly relegation-threatened club into a stable Premier League club with a more adventurous style. He plays.
Former Seagulls striker Glenn Murray played under him and said Potter was a “thought-provoking manager” who “meticulously studies every opponent”.
Murray added: “He knows exactly what he wants, but he wants feedback from the players. It’s a collective, not a dictatorship.”
“The one thing that really struck me about it, and maybe doesn’t get enough credit for, is that we were a team that was in survival mode in the Premier League.
“He succeeded in changing the culture and changing the style of play. This is not an easy thing to do while maintaining stability.”
Amid the focus on tactically dogmatic coaches such as Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim, Murray said Potter’s style was “fluid” and he was not averse to making changes to formation or tactics during the match.
“When I was playing under him, we would change the formation two or three times in the afternoon, which is a great skill to be able to make your players understand everything you want from them and be able to change within the game,” he admitted. .
While Brighton have gone on to achieve greater things since Potter left the Amex – playing in Europe under Roberto De Zerbi after finishing sixth in the Premier League – sources at the Seagulls have indicated that the Italian coach has benefited hugely from the work Potter has done during his stint. .
Off the field, Brighton sources said Potter was a “deep thinker” and a “very intelligent man” who cared about the world. He once spent a night on the streets to raise awareness about homelessness and earned a master’s degree in leadership.