Brighton manager Graham Potter has taken an unusual route into managing in the Premier League, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

What has Barclay said about Potter?

Prior to taking over at Brighton, Potter had never managed in England's top-flight. His previous two roles had been at Ostersunds in Sweden, and Swansea in the Championship, who he guided to a 10th place finish in his sole season in charge. However, he then got his big move to the Premier League.

Barclay admits that this could be regarded as somewhat of a surprise, as British managers often only get their first chance in the Premier League once they get a side promoted, which was not the case with Potter.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Potter actually got a move to the Premier League off the back of a mid-table finish in the Championship, albeit Swansea have so many problems financially. That is a really rare thing.

“I remember doing an interview with Gary Rowett years ago and he was saying basically it feels like the only way a British manager gets to the Premier League who hasn’t managed there before is get promoted. And that generally has been the trend. But Graham Potter was the exception.”

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Has Tony Bloom's gamble on Potter paid off?

Replacing an experienced manager like Chris Hughton with a Premier League rookie in Potter could be considered a gamble by the club's owner Tony Bloom, but it has paid off handsomely thus far.

In his two full seasons at the club, Potter has managed to keep his team comfortably above the relegation zone, as they finished seven points clear of the drop in 2019/20, and then 13 points above the bottom three last term.

Brighton have now made a flying start to this season, winning four of their opening five league matches, which included away victories at Burnley and Brentford, plus a home triumph over Leicester. 

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How far can Potter take Brighton?

The club appear to be going from strength to strength under Potter, and their fans have every reason to be excited after the start they've made to the current campaign.

It should be noted that Brighton do have a tricky October coming up on paper, as they are set to host Arsenal and Manchester City before travelling to Liverpool at the end of the month. Any points from these games would be a bonus, and it would not be a surprise to see them slip down the table over the next few weeks.

Still, they look to be a well-organised team playing an attractive brand of football with Potter at the helm, and their performances so far this season suggest that there is no reason why they can't challenge for a top-half finish this year.