Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has praised the job done by Graham Potter at Brighton & Hove Albion since the Premier League restart. The Seagulls have collected seven points from a possible 12 since the Premier League came back, easing the relegation worries that were affecting them before lockdown. Klopp knows that his side, already Premier League champions, will be in for a tough evening when they visit the Amex Stadium tomorrow.
Jurgen Klopp Praises Graham Potter Ahead of Brighton Clash
Brighton’s Resurgence
Brighton’s last game before lockdown was a goalless draw away at Wolverhampton Wanderers that left them 15th in the table, just two points above the relegation zone. It extended their winless run to nine games in the league, and there was also an FA Cup exit to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in that run too.
It’s clear that Potter has worked on his side’s problems over the break, though. Their first game back was the 2-1 win over Arsenal in June, where Neal Maupay scored a last-minute winner. Not only did they look hungrier than Mikel Arteta’s side, but they looked hungrier than they had themselves before the three-month hiatus.
A 3-0 home loss to Manchester United aside, Brighton have collected a further four points with a goalless draw away at Leicester City and a 1-0 win at bottom side Norwich City. While it hasn’t actually moved them up the table, the form of those around them has not improved, so their prospects of staying in the top flight look a lot more promising.
They are now nine points clear of Aston Villa in 18th. With five games to go and form on their side, it’s no wonder Klopp is lauding Potter’s work over the recent matches.
‘A Really Good Job’
At his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Brighton tomorrow, Klopp told reporters: “He is doing a really good job there, my colleague. But now since the lockdown they changed their approach a bit, they went a bit more for results.
“You could see that against Norwich, maybe it’s not the perfect example, but I think Norwich had more possession in that game. We don’t know exactly what we will face.
“A team in a good run and pretty much full of confidence about the results they had since the lockdown. We need to be ready for that.”
Klopp might not have so much to worry about given that Brighton have not actually beaten Liverpool since an FA Cup match in 1984. However, Liverpool have not been at their best since returning. They laboured to a 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Sunday and could find this to be another case of a team in need of points frustrating them and trying to grind the game out.
Regardless of the result, though, Potter looks to have done enough to secure Brighton’s safety for another year, and it’s refreshing to see another manager take notice of that.
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