It's a recurring theme and question in the Premier League when the managerial merry-go-round is in full swing – when will young, British managers be given the chance to work at the top level?
Whether the sentiment is right or not is down to opinion, but the numbers do show that non-UK managers currently make up 70% of the top flight.
One man who is flying the flag for young, British managers though is Brighton & Hove Albion boss Graham Potter. Now in his third season at the Amex, Potter has established the Seagulls as one of the league’s most exciting teams to watch, with an emphasis on possession and moving the ball quickly through the team.
In an exclusive interview with UCFB as part of the LMA Insight Series, we asked Potter if he felt pressure as a flagbearer for young, British coaches in the Premier League?
“I’ve never really thought about that to be honest”, he said.
Potter went on: “I think the most important thing is that you realise that if you want to be a coach it’s about helping people, trying to improve them and trying to help the team.”
Potter made his name as a coach in Sweden, taking Ostersunds FK from the fourth tier of Swedish football to the top flight and winning the Swedish Cup in just seven years. Before moving to the south coast in 2019, Potter spent a year in the Championship with Swansea City.
As well as being one of the brightest coaches in the game today, he’s also very much a people person.
Potter said: “I think too often we refer to things as a result; we’re in a results business, of course we are, but we’re also in a people business, and I think understanding and managing people is really, really important. That has always been my focus and my foundation for how we work and try to improve.”
He finished: “I understand you have to get enough results and enough wins that keep you in a job, that’s the reality of it, but in terms of whether I provide any inspiration or am a flag bearer for anybody else, I’m not sure.”
