Elliot Cook has featured on the latest episode of Sky Sports’ Pitch to Post podcast to discuss all things Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of their Saturday clash against Newcastle United.
The Seagulls go into their game on the weekend just one point ahead of the visitors, with Graham Potter’s side sitting in 16th place as their relegation battle begins to heat up.
Potter’s men ran out emphatic 3-0 victors at St. James’ Park earlier in the season. with Neal Maupay setting the tone early on through two goals inside the first seven minutes of the game.
Despite the Seagulls are flirting with relegation, Cook believes the club will keep Potter at the helm even if they do drop down into the Championship ahead of next season.
He said: “The way that they feel about Graham Potter is that they are 100% – more than that – behind him and backing him. And I would be absolutely amazed that, if Brighton went down, that Graham Potter wouldn’t be the manager next season.
“I think early on in his tenure at Brighton, he signed a new extended contract – though a lot of eyebrows raised at that because it happened so quickly. Even he, I think, was caught by surprise a little bit by that. But what Brighton are doing is a very long-term plan they have. They’re building for the future at a very early stage.
“If you look at how well the U18s are doing at the moment, if you look at the academy teams, the U23s, everything is really geared towards the future and they see Graham Potter as the man at the top. And I don’t think that’s going to change.”
Is Potter the right man for the job at Brighton?
Yes
No
After just six months in charge of Brighton, Potter was handed a six-year deal by the club which will see his expected stay on the south coast through until 2025.
In his 70 games in charge of the Seagulls, Potter has led his side to 20 wins, but Cook expects the 45-year-old to be in charge come next season regardless of what league they are playing in.
TIF Thoughts on Cook’s comments…
Brighton tied Potter down to a huge six-year deal which could prove costly for the club if they wanted to move on from the 45-year-old. However, Cook believes they view Potter as part of their long-term future no matter how their season ends, so we would not expect to see anyone different on their sideline come next season.
Brighton have been praised for playing attractive football, however, they find themselves in the middle of the relegation battle, which begs the question of whether they may benefit from a different approach or just needing some investment in the summer.
Indeed, how they invest and the approach they take will very much depend on results over the next few months.