Graham Potter nominated for March PL Manager of the Month Award
Brighton & Hove Albion boss Graham Potter has been nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month Award for March 2022.
The Seagulls head coach joins Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and Spurs manager Antonio Conte on the four man shortlist.
Both Klopp and Tuchel led their respective sides to three wins out of three. The rampant form of the Reds has prevented what had looked in January like being another procession for Manchester City towards a fourth championship in five seasons.
Liverpool are now just one point behind the Citizens, setting up an intriguing title race over the remaining two months of the season. The sides meet at Anfield on Sunday 10th April in a mouth-watering clash.
Chelsea’s 100 percent record came despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of the club. Roman Abramovich put the Blues up for sale as the oligarch was hit with sanctions in response to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.
As well as keeping his side focussed on football, Tuchel has spoken with honesty and clarity about the situation. The German has cut an impressive figure, not really in keeping with those Chelsea fans who sung Abramovich’s name through applause for Ukraine when the Blues won 4-0 at Burnley at the start of the month.
Spurs won three and lost one of their four March matches. Conte delivered no shortage of entertainment, Tottenham scoring 12 times on their way to overcoming Everton, West Ham and the Albion to reignite their hopes of a top four finish.
Potter joins the high-flying trio on the Manager of the Month shortlist after overseeing defeats to Newcastle United, Liverpool and Spurs.
A Premier League spokesman said: “Brighton lost three games out of three, managed one shot on target at the Amex in 180 minutes and are in the midst of a history-making, club-record sequence of six successive top flight defeats.”
“However, they recorded really high possession stats in March from passing the ball side-to-side. And Guardiola once said Potter was the best English manager in the world after City had won three games in a row against Brighton, scoring 10 and conceding zero. And Klopp likes him too. And does anyone actually care about results anymore, anyway?”
Potter’s place on the shortlist represents a growing strength in feeling at the Premier League that old-fashioned measures of success such as wins and draws are outdated in the 21st century.
Talks are set to continue about the introduction of a bonus points system, whereby an extra 0.25 points are awarded every time a pundit says a club plays nice football.
It is the third time this season that Potter has been nominated for Manager of the Month. He was also up for the award in January and September.
Chris Hughton remains the only Brighton boss to have won a Premier League Manager of the Month award. The Albion’s promotion winning manager was given the accolade in February 2018 after the Seagulls defeated West Ham United and Swansea City and drew at Stoke City.
To vote for Potter as March 2022 Manager of the Month, please head on over to the official Premier League website.
