A reason to be cheerful about the departure of Graham Potter

It felt entirely appropriate. The cancellation of Premier League games. The hushed tones of sports presenters. Concerns about people’s welfare in the wake of such shocking news. Even the removal of all those cheesy adverts on TalkSport.

The Lamptey-esque speed of Graham Potter’s exit to Chelsea clearly merited such unprecedented expressions of emotion. The scale of the managerial clear-out leaves us feeling lucky to still have a tea lady at the club.

And in the Argus comment threads and elsewhere, many fans have been slamming the ruthless disloyalty and naked greed that Potter and co – even beloved Bruno! – have displayed.

I’m gutted too. But as Potter repeatedly showed us throughout his 1,207-day reign, we need to keep this in perspective.

And for those now venting their anger, I would start by pointing out the many negative comments that were made about Potter during his time at Brighton.

Amid our long winless spells, many Brighton fans would have been quite happy to send him packing without a hint of guilt.

Interestingly, some seemed eternally irritated by his manner, equating calmness and eloquence with the twin crimes of “being dull” and lacking “the right stuff” to be a successful Premier League manager.

Was the fact that he has a Masters degree in leadership and emotional intelligence from Leeds Beckett University a further source of irritation?

Obviously such criticism is beyond parody given the quality of football Brighton have played under Potter. But it also makes a sudden demand for his undying loyalty look more than a little disingenuous, even without taking into account the other circumstances of his departure. But we should be open and honest about these too.

Firstly, throughout the Premier League era, the biggest clubs have shown a scandalous unwillingness to employ progressive young British managers (although David Moyes’ unhappy time at Manchester United didn’t help).

So when Potter was approached by Chelsea, how could he not view this offer in the context that the big clubs simply don’t ask managers like him to run their clubs?

He is a pioneer. How would it look if he turned them down – not just in terms of his own career, but for the prospects of all thoughtful, progressive British managers seeking to break this foreign-biased glass window?

I suspect there’s also a parallel with how blue-chip companies make their decisions about hiring CEOs. However Potter and co get on at Chelsea, their recruitment lifts them to a tier of global visibility that means they are guaranteed to be considered for other top-tier jobs in future. And you’d imagine this erudite, multicultural band will fit in well anywhere in Europe.

Then there’s the money. Chelsea have apparently offered Potter alone £12 million a year over his five-year contract.

For someone who was coaching the old Leeds Poly first team 11 years ago, that is a quite extraordinary amount of money – and (reportedly) six times what he was trousering at Brighton.

Annoying people in the business world say that salaries are not actually about the money, but rather an indication of how good you are. Let’s face it, though, a £10 million boost in your annual income is an awful lot of money to turn down.

Ironically, after all we have seen and heard of Potter at Brighton, we have probably been lulled into a false sense of security that he, of all people, would be willing to turn his back on such riches in favour of a happy and fulfilling job with a team of motivated players who are keen to learn and improve.

But that ignores the fact that no one is going to last five minutes in the brutal world of Premier League football without being utterly ruthless when it comes to making key decisions – however thoughtfully and calmly they speak in post-match interviews.

And it’s also why, ultimately, I think we should swallow our sadness and anger, and recognise that Potter’s departure represents an important moment for the future of the game we love.

For he is a coach who combines brilliance as a tactician and man-manager with an unusually clear-sighted understanding of society’s wider issues.

If anyone is going to help bring some sanity and perspective to this financially bloated league as the nation faces a winter of further hardship, it is Potter. Good luck to him.

Mike Herd