POTTER’S BIGGEST LOSS.. MUM & DAD
BRIGHTON manager Graham Potter faces the stress of one of his biggest games of the season against Watford tomorrow after a week which has put football relegation into perspective. Tragically, Potter (left) has lost both his parents this season after his dad Steve died last week just months after his mother also passed away.
He insists he wants to carry on as normal despite his personal tragedy.
But he is also aware of just how much stress he – and many other managers – are under.
Potter said: “I had to go and clear my dad’s house yesterday and there was some of my mum’s stuff there, too. “So that’s not very pleasant at a time when in the ideal world you’re trying to recover and recharge for Premier League duties. But life is like that. “Sometimes you have to face those challenges. The job itself is one where you’re always under scrutiny – your decisions are scrutinised and you are compared to others all the time.
“The challenge of mental health is often that we feel we’re not good enough or we feel that we’re judged, or we’re too harsh on ourselves.
“So I can relate to that as a Premier League coach.
“But the more we speak about it the more it helps other people.”
As he prepares for a six-pointer against Watford, Potter, 44, is pleased the match will be used to highlight the Heads Up charity, which aims to open up discussions around mental health.
He said: “People are becoming more aware of the issue. “And the more we can speak about things, the more we can help each other.”
Brighton could end up in the bottom three if things go wrong against Nigel Pearson’s men. But the good news is that Glenn Murray (left) has signed a new deal until June 2021 after scoring a vital late equaliser at West Ham.
Should the 36-year-old striker have been used more often?
“Quite possibly – that’s the beauty of hindsight,” said Potter.
“In my job you can’t be in denial, if you have made a mistake or you could have done something differently, then you need to be able to see that.
“Glenn can help us in a big way. As a team now we need to be resilient, we need to show character.”