GRAHAM SPOTTER
Seagulls boss: Teams must suss out their identity to join Prem elite
BRIGHTON v WOLVES
GRAHAM POTTER says the door to the Premier League’s elite group is finally opening up – but only to teams which have a true identity.
The Brighton boss has spotted an opportunity to move Albion up the table in a season in which the likes of today’s opponents Wolves, along with Leicester, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace are already breaking the mold.
All those teams have one thing in common – a real identity to the way they play and an understanding of what the club is about.
Clarity
“The key thing is you’ve got to have clarity and everything aligned in what you are trying to do,” said Potter, who has a new six-year deal from Brighton just 13 games into the job.
“My previous experience, in Sweden with Ostersunds, was we achieved some amazing things because of it. Now other clubs are finding that’s the trick.
“You see clubs who don’t know what they want and don’t know what they are trying to do
– and then they go through a process where they struggle.
“But the ones that have an identity, the ones that are clear and know what they’re working towards, do well. They have a chance of improving – often more than you would think.”
He won’t say it, of course, but there’s a temptation to think that Arsenal and Manchester United fall into the category of clubs that have lost their identity and left themselves open to the chasing pack.
Perhaps even Spurs, who risk their ‘to do is to dare’ philosophy after appointing Jose Mourinho, and Everton who spent big without truly settling on an identity before doing so.
Potter knows Wolves fall into that category, however, with the stunning way they have handled life in the top flight – thanks to a well-defined style of play under a long-term manager.
And he believes that is the key to taking advantage of a new era in the Premier League in which bridging the gap is no longer an impossible dream, as clubs such as Burnley and even Bournemouth have also proved.
“The competition gets fiercer every year as even the lesser teams have the financial capability to do stuff,” Potter said. “You have got top players in every team.
“Every team could hurt you. So you only need a little bit of instability and you can get punished, no matter who you are. It is unforgiving for everybody, whether you’ve just come up, are in the top four, top six or are in transition”
Deal
No wonder Brighton chairman Tony Bloom was so keen to hand Potter a long-term deal. And Brighton defender Adam Webster reckons his team’s victory at the Emirates proves that the Gunners could learn a thing or two from the way Albion do things.
“It’s so important that you have an identity and structure these days, that’s what helps you win games,” he said.
“We know what we are. We like to dominate the ball and build through the thirds – and we’re good at it.
“Our style is about keeping the ball and hurting teams when in possession.
“Arsenal have definitely lost their identity. They used to play such flowing football when I was growing up.”