GRAHAM POTTER has a unique way to cope with the stresses of Premier League management â watching gory Viking TV dramas.
The Chelsea boss was in a >taking charge of the Blues.
The 47-year-old spoke about the mental health demands on those in top-flight dugouts and the enormous pressures they face.
And for a change, he let down his guard and gave an insight into his home life which involves âblood and gutsâ violence on TV.
Potter, who used to coach in Sweden, said: âI have friends but I donât really socialise that much to be honest.
âI donât go out of my house, I just come here, do my work, and go home. Then I see my family. Itâs a boring life!
âMy kids⦠Iâve seven-year-old twins and a 12-year-old and theyâre fun. They give you perspective.
âYou have got these problems and then you speak to a seven-year-old and everything becomes a little bit simpler.
âMy young family, they give me energy, they give me perspective.
âI like to go for a walk and get an occasional bit of exercise â though looking at me you wouldnât think that.
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âA little bit of reading now and again but not too much. A podcast here and there and sometimes a brain dump watching a Netflix series.
âThe last thing I watched was Vikings: Valhalla. My missus went mad because it was just blood and guts!â
Few may lack sympathies for Premier League chiefs given their big wages but it would be wrong to say that they do not face their own challenges.
Potter reflects back to the six-month period where he lost his mum Val â who had dementia â in the summer of 2019 and dad Steve suddenly to cancer in early 2020.
Those terrible personal losses have given him perspective during any testing professional times.
The ex-West Brom and Stoke left-back said: âI donât want to go down the route of 24/7 as that is not helpful at all to anybody. People think you are the manager so you should be first-in and last-out. But balance is key.
âOtherwise itâs too intense and you canât see the wood from the trees.
âWe are part of a sport where we create pressure.
âSomebody has to be under pressure, whatever it is, and it will be one after the other.
âItâs difficult in the world we are living in to feel sorry for a Premier League manager.
âBut mental health doesnât really discriminate with your status or how much money you earn either, Iâd say.â
Despite leading them to a record ninth-place last season, Potter accepts he may get a mixed reception from Seagulls fans as he jumped ship for Chelsea last month when Thomas Tuchel was axed.
Nine matches unbeaten so far, he is looking to become the first English boss in Chelseaâs history to be undefeated in his first 10 matches in all competitions.
