Potter has been comforted by the fact his squad has spent plenty of time together during pre-season and that there has been very little interruption with injuries.
Graham Potter said: “We’re stronger now because we’ve been together for another year. People make a lot about transfers, with the media and the clock ticking down to the transfer deadline day. So everyone seems to think that it’s about what you get and the external solution. But ultimately, it’s about how you develop your team and the club. We’re quite calm and happy with what we’ve done. There’s a lot of players that can play a few more minutes than they played last year, the likes of [Enock] Mwepu, [Moises] Caicedo, even [Alexis] Mac Allister can. Danny Welbeck didn’t play that much last year, so there’s guys that have taken steps. Last year we went periods without Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster, so the squad’s now as strong as it’s been in my time here. There’s a combination of really good, experienced players and some exciting ambitious young ones – and ambitious older ones as well! We’re quite happy with everything. Of course the window’s open and you have to keep looking. But my job fundamentally as a head coach is to improve the guys that are here.”
Potter does have one conundrum as he hopes to replace Yves Bissouma, who joined Tottenham Hotspur, with an internal solution.
Graham Potter added: “Midfield is a strong area for us. Hopefully the players we have can take the space that Yves has left. We know the quality of Yves and we wish him well with his new chapter in his life and his career, but that’s football – life goes on. We’ve also got some good young players and a nice mix of people in that area. So we’re looking forward to seeing how that manifests itself.”
