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[Albion] Graham Potter joins on four-year deal





Whitechapel

Famous Last Words
Jul 19, 2014
4,056
Not in Whitechapel
With Ashworth already in place, and Potter incoming, there seems to be a clear strategy from Bloom. Alongside the training faculties and marvellous work being done at youth levels, we are going to prioritise youth and attempt to get ahead of the HGP curve. That’s where the money is going to be, either developing in house or buying in from the lower leagues young British players whom we can take a gamble on but bigger clubs can’t and turning over a healthy profit, hopefully staying in the PL in the meantime and having a system in place to quickly replace the players which move on.

If this was the long-term plan, I know it might sound crazy, but I wouldn’t be adverse to dropping down a level short term, if it helped in the long term sustainability wise. Hopefully Potter has enough tactical nous about him to achieve the former whilst staying in the PL. The problem with Hughton wasn’t the results, staying up was an achievement for sure, the negative football was a problem however, especially combined with the fact he refused to give youth a chance and always played the safe old guard with no outlook for the future. That’s why he went imo, and that’s why Potter is the replacement.

Agreed.

It’s remarkable that whilst we were struggling to score throughout the season we had a 20 year old who had already scored at international level and an 18 year old who was scoring every week in the youth team just sat there twiddling their thumbs.

Now I’m not saying that Gyökeres and Connolly would have stepped up and bagged 10 goals each in the Prem. That’s obviously never going to happen. However, Connolly getting 1 minute in the EFL Cup, and Gyökeres getting less than 200 minutes across both the EFL & FA Cup is an absolute travesty. It must be demoralising; not only for them, but for everyone in the youth team. No matter what you do, you won’t play for the first team in any proper capacity.

It also must make youth recruitment much harder. We’re showing a 16 year old who has been tearing it up for Stevenage at youth level around the training ground and he asks about progression from the youth team to the first team. “Well... you see that guy over there? He scored 16 goals in 18 games, including a hat trick against a L2 first team. He got a 30 second runout in the Carling Cup. Oh, and the guy next time? He’s scored for Sweden’s first team. He started an FA Cup game! Oh you’re leaving? Okay, well we hope to hear from you soon”

The reluctance to give young players a proper chance is just as bad as the dreadful football, IMO.
 


Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ

Hove / Παρος
Apr 7, 2006
6,522
Hove / Παρος
I think both sides of the Hughton argument will agree that in the latter stages of the last season. it was the player's fear and lost confidence that was one of the biggest worries.

I will be interested to see how Potter fares with this.
One of the fascinating pieces of the documentary about Ostersund, was his methods for making the team braver.

Where can one watch the documentary please?
 








Bwian

Kiss my (_!_)
Jul 14, 2003
15,898
Agreed.

It’s remarkable that whilst we were struggling to score throughout the season we had a 20 year old who had already scored at international level and an 18 year old who was scoring every week in the youth team just sat there twiddling their thumbs.

Now I’m not saying that Gyökeres and Connolly would have stepped up and bagged 10 goals each in the Prem. That’s obviously never going to happen. However, Connolly getting 1 minute in the EFL Cup, and Gyökeres getting less than 200 minutes across both the EFL & FA Cup is an absolute travesty. It must be demoralising; not only for them, but for everyone in the youth team. No matter what you do, you won’t play for the first team in any proper capacity.

It also must make youth recruitment much harder. We’re showing a 16 year old who has been tearing it up for Stevenage at youth level around the training ground and he asks about progression from the youth team to the first team. “Well... you see that guy over there? He scored 16 goals in 18 games, including a hat trick against a L2 first team. He got a 30 second runout in the Carling Cup. Oh, and the guy next time? He’s scored for Sweden’s first team. He started an FA Cup game! Oh you’re leaving? Okay, well we hope to hear from you soon”

The reluctance to give young players a proper chance is just as bad as the dreadful football, IMO.
Hughton's reluctance to use some of the highly regarded U23 players was a constant source of annoyance for me and many others. Other teams all seemed to manage to give their young players a chance. We had a seemingly stubborn manager who was too scared to try something new. As the saying goes: If they're good enough, they're old enough. When our squad was only 23 players why not add 2 of them-especially those who were scoring goals.

That's all behind us at the moment and if Potter does join us I'm hopeful of seeing some players escape the Lancing Black Hole and push for first team places.

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk
 


Cheshire Cat

The most curious thing..
I just hope we aren't about to appoint a manager with "small club" syndrome who brings in all his mates from a lower league, doesn't have the contacts to attract premier league quaity players, who promptly looses the plot and several games.

Which is why I am currently in the profoundly unimpressed camp, unless and until he proves me wrong.

I just can't see anything in his record that is a marked improvement on Hughton.
 


Cheshire Cat

The most curious thing..
Hughton's reluctance to use some of the highly regarded U23 players was a constant source of annoyance for me and many others. Other teams all seemed to manage to give their young players a chance. We had a seemingly stubborn manager who was too scared to try something new. As the saying goes: If they're good enough, they're old enough. When our squad was only 23 players why not add 2 of them-especially those who were scoring goals.

That's all behind us at the moment and if Potter does join us I'm hopeful of seeing some players escape the Lancing Black Hole and push for first team places.

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk

Because they aren't good enough? Possibly?

Somewhere several months ago there was an interview that explained Hughton's methodology for promoting from the Under 23's which involved identified players shadowing the first team until he thought they were ready. I can only assume he thought none of the were ready.

Similaly Hughton clearly didn't rate our most expensive purchases as he didn't play them - preferring a 35 year old striker with the pace and turning circle of an oil tanker (albeit an eye for goal if and when he eventually got in range).
 






Justice

Dangerous Idiot
Jun 21, 2012
18,249
Born In Shoreham
I just hope we aren't about to appoint a manager with "small club" syndrome who brings in all his mates from a lower league, doesn't have the contacts to attract premier league quaity players, who promptly looses the plot and several games.

Which is why I am currently in the profoundly unimpressed camp, unless and until he proves me wrong.

I just can't see anything in his record that is a marked improvement on Hughton.
Blooms not an idiot don’t you think he would of asked all these questions and more?
 










Nobby

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2007
2,581
Hughton's reluctance to use some of the highly regarded U23 players was a constant source of annoyance for me and many others. Other teams all seemed to manage to give their young players a chance. We had a seemingly stubborn manager who was too scared to try something new. As the saying goes: If they're good enough, they're old enough. When our squad was only 23 players why not add 2 of them-especially those who were scoring goals.

That's all behind us at the moment and if Potter does join us I'm hopeful of seeing some players escape the Lancing Black Hole and push for first team places.

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk

I don’t think that many others like us, gave their young players a chance?
Southampton maybe?
 




BLOCK F

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
6,318
I just hope we aren't about to appoint a manager with "small club" syndrome who brings in all his mates from a lower league, doesn't have the contacts to attract premier league quaity players, who promptly looses the plot and several games.

Which is why I am currently in the profoundly unimpressed camp, unless and until he proves me wrong.

I just can't see anything in his record that is a marked improvement on Hughton.

Blimey, you're a Cheerful Charlie, aren't you!
I think that Mr.Ashworth may have some influence over what players sign for the club, don't you?
Graham Potter has a completely different 'record' to CH and it is probably the difference that has impressed the likes of Tony Bloom and Dan Ashworth. It appears clear that they haven't just plucked a name out of the blue. I would reckon considerable research will have gone into this appointment; it is rather important after all.
The football and management style of CH had become pretty turgid and predictable and I really think a fresh start is the correct move.
Cheer up Cheshire Cat; you never know, curious things may happen that will have you grinning like your namesake, before too long!::lolol::thumbsup:
 















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