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Lampard's success no surprise to Potter

Graham Potter says that the plaudits Frank Lampard has earned from his managerial career so far do not surprise him.

By Alex Stedman • 27 September 2019

By Paul Hazlewood
Graham Potter speaks to the media ahead of the game with Chelsea.

The Albion boss takes his side to face Lampard’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon looking to pick up their second win of the season on the road, and Potter praised the exploits of the former England midfielder’s time in the dugout to date. 

He said, “He’s done really well, and I’m not surprised, I came across him last season and was really impressed.

“He’s got so much experience and his career speaks for itself, he has the potential to be a top manager. He’s both articulate and intelligent after being at the highest level. 

“He’s come into a challenging situation at Chelsea for a number of reasons, but he’s done really well, and from afar, I have a lot of respect for him.”

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Potter's Chelsea press conference

The Seagulls notched three times on the opening day against Watford at Vicarage Road in their last league success away from home, and the boss spoke about the importance of finding the back of the net again against the Blues this weekend.

“It’s an area where we need to improve, but in that time we’ve played away to Manchester City and we’ve also played 60 minutes with ten men,” he continued.

“The stat on its own is quite simple but you have to look deeper, then there are perhaps reasons for it – the performance levels have got us into areas to score, especially compared to the opposition we’ve been facing. 

“We created more than Burnley and Newcastle, but it’s about making the most of those openings. That’s the challenge and it’s the hardest bit of the game, but I’m confident that with the quality we have it will turn around.”

By Rex/Shutterstock
Frank Lampard.

Potter came up against some of this weekend’s young players with his former employers Swansea City last term, and spoke about the talents of three of Lampard’s individuals in particular.

“They’ve all done really well – both Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori were really important for Derby, and you could tell that with the right pathway that they could go on and play in the Premier League. 

“It’s the same with Tammy Abraham, he was someone who had scored goals in the second tier, and again it’s about getting that opportunity at the top level. 

“Frank knows them well which helps, and they have a good togetherness at the club. Sometimes you can use what some people see as a tough spell to your advantage.

“He’s been in the game long enough and will know about both the group and the team. I have no doubt they’ll continue to do well.”