Club news

Albion's application pleases Potter

Albion head coach Graham Potter was satisfied with the overall performance of his side in the 4-0 win over Birmingham City this afternoon.

By Alex Stedman • 27 January 2019

By Paul Hazlewood
Graham Potter at St Andrew's

The boss was pleased with what he saw from his men, as first-half goals from Glenn Murray and Jurgen Locadia, alongside Shane Duffy's brace, secured an impressive win.

He said, “It was a good exercise for us against a well-organised side, we attacked well and looked solid at the back.”

“I was really pleased with the application of the team and in the first half, we took both of our goals very well.

“We looked dangerous, we still need to take care of the ball and we could have done better in some areas, but that’s where we are and how we’re adjusting.

“We got into it eventually after the restart and it’s a good performance, but of course there are also things which we can improve.”

By Paul Hazlewood
Graham Potter thanks the travelling fans at St Andrew's

The Seagulls took to the field with a three-man defence against the Blues, flanked by Martin Montoya and Solly March respectively.

In attack, the trio of Murray, Locadia and summer arrival Leandro Trossard rotated effectively, and Potter spoke about the fluidity that was on display in the Midlands.

“You use this time to try and be flexible for when the season starts and to also work out which systems best fit the players at your disposal,” he continued.

“The concept in terms of how we want to play stays the same, but the number within the systems may alter because of the players.

“In open play, I thought we were solid, and defensively we had a good understanding. The attitude and desire was really good.

“We made blocks when we had to and made sure we remained organised, while improving our build-up play and chance creation.”

By Paul Hazlewood
Graham Potter and his backroom team

The final pre-season contest comes on Friday evening when the side host La Liga side Valencia at the Amex Stadium, and the head coach admitted he can’t wait to soak up his first match on home soil.

“I’m really looking forward to experiencing it on Friday evening, and I have to say that the support which we’ve had so far in pre-season has been great.

“The fans have been brilliant and of course, it will be nice to play in a good game against quality opposition.

“It will be a nice night for Bruno too. But we need a good period of training before that. The players still have a chance to impress, and there’s still a lot of time to go before the season begins.

“The lads who didn’t play this afternoon will have some 11 v 11 time this week to show what they can do too, but we can only choose 11. It doesn’t mean the door is shut by any means though.”