Lawrenson gave the Seagulls a respectable ‘seven out of ten’ with roughly a third of the season played so far, and commented on a wise decision to tie the former Swansea boss down to a new deal.
He said, “Where they are in the table is about right, and their performances have been good. If you were a school teacher marking the books a third of the way through the season, you’d give a seven out of 10 for Brighton.
“They are one of nine to 10 teams which will be in the bottom half of the table, and if you finish top of that, then Brighton could feasibly finish halfway up the league.
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“This is in Potter’s first season too, and he’ll be learning every week. It’s important that you look after a good coach when you get one, and Brighton have done that in giving him a new contract.
“He’s part of a group of English coaches, alongside the likes of, [Steve] Bruce, [Chris] Wilder and Eddie Howe, that are all doing well. Other clubs may now do what Brighton have done and look at British managers in the top half of the Championship, and give them a chance in the Premier League.”
Saturday will see Albion pit their wits against another one of Lawrenson’s former clubs in Liverpool, and he anticipates a testing afternoon for Potter’s men at Anfield.
“Playing Liverpool away as opposed to playing Liverpool at home is just the same, as they do not change and are just a relentless machine. If you make a mistake, they will pounce on it," he continued.
“If Brighton do get something there, it would arguably be their best result of the season so far. Potter will be aware of trying to stop Liverpool playing to their strengths, but will also want his team to play a bit themselves.
“Saying that, I don’t think they will be too open or expansive, because what you don’t want to do is give anything to Liverpool. They will still have to be compact without the ball and not get pulled out of position, which is normal against any of the top teams.”
The Reds have kept just two clean sheets in the Premier League this season, and the legendary former defender says that will give Albion confidence heading into the contest.
“Liverpool have only kept two clean sheets, which sounds great for the opposition, but they’ve still virtually won every other game. It’s encouraging for an opposing team, and they’re not quite as good defensively this year, but they are still picking up results.
“They will always score goals against any team in the league, and Brighton will need to guard against that.”