Potter has no Brighton regrets but a few ‘what ifs?’

Brighton and Hove Albion’s growth over the last decade has been a well discussed topic in the wider world of football, and many would consider us to be one of the prime examples of how to actually run a football club in the modern age, as with the riches available they come with incredible costs and expenses as well.

We have managed to traverse that financial gap both in the transfer market with a keen eye for talent that we have then sold on for incredible fees that have been reinvested in an already successful first team group, but maybe just as importantly, we have balanced the managerial merry-go-round just as successfully so we have continued to take steps towards our long term aim despite gaffers moving on when they have been poached.

One such man was former manager Graham Potter and the 49 year old recently reflected on his spell with us and he was clearly full of praise for the chance that Tony Bloom took on him.

Potter told the Seaman Says podcast, sponsored by Betway, that he knew his record at Swansea had not been great, but our owner had been able to look past that.

He explained that Bloom had simply looked through the available analytics and ultimately decided that he would be a good fit for the group of players that we had, and that it enabled him to look beyond the struggles he had had at the Liberty Stadium.

Moreover, in doing his research and having struck up a ‘reciprocal relationship’ from the beginning in their discussions, there had been an alignment on how the club needed to change to grow further.

It began with consolidating our Premier League position, and better utilising the transfer market for on pitch success as well as future profit, right down to adding a youth pathway to the first team having already invested £6 million a year in the Academy.

Ultimately he feels he met his job remit and that we are now continuing to benefit from the structures and processes that he helped put in place, but that of course did mean that in September 2022 he was then tempted by the bright lights of Stamford Bridge in what ultimately became a less than successful spell with Chelsea.

Potter revealed that he had turned down an earlier approach from them for his services, but at the point he felt that there was still work to do at the Amex.

However, leaving us when he did with a squad of Leandro Trossard, Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, Robert Sanchez, Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross and punching above our weight in fourth spot at the early stage of the season, although it was still an incredibly difficult decision to make as he wanted to see it through, he also felt freer to entertain a new challenge and opportunity – and ultimately that was the decision that he took.

Despite his Chelsea spell ending just 31 games after it began, he does not regret his decision but it does mean he has ‘what ifs’ at Brighton and Chelsea as his own journey could now be wildly different.

Ultimately though, he states ‘Brighton certainly haven’t suffered’ from him moving on, and that seems to be a big plus for him – it certainly has been a big thing for us fans.