When this interview was conducted in one of the Swedish Football Association's many meeting rooms, his attitude was calm in the face of what was about to happen.
But a controlled eagerness is not hard to detect. He wants to meet the players, start working: to instruct, talk on several levels, and gain a deeper understanding of each member of the 26-man squad who has been entrusted to accompany him west.
He is interested in people, especially the players he is tasked with managing.
I appreciate the challenge of helping players. It tests you psychologically, it tests your thinking skills, it tests you emotionally. I like to think that the longer you're in a place, where you build trust and understanding, the more you know, the better you can help.
Repair, prepare, perform
As you know, he hasn't been in his position for long.
During the first meeting with the national team – the World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia in November – Potter, roughly speaking, focused on two things: repairing damaged self-confidence and preparing the players for the playoffs.
In the second chance, against Ukraine and Poland, it was all about performing, winning at all costs, no matter what it looked like.
"The job was to get us to the World Cup. I don't think our fans care that Poland was probably the better team that night," Potter said.
Barely three weeks had passed. He hadn't spent more time with the players when the national team went from qualifying tragedy to euphoria.
Laid a foundation
"We didn't win the games by chance. We won because we talked about how to attack, how to defend and so on. All credit to the players who did the job," Potter said.
So how important a factor is time in the process? Obviously not necessarily decisive, but of course significant.
The World Cup opener against Tunisia in Monterrey is just under three weeks away. For the first time, Potter and his team will have relatively ample time to work on structures and details.
The finished product is still a bit away.
I think we have laid a foundation, created a community. The mentality we have been given, that we need to win, is extremely important. On the pitch we can do better and that is where the time together helps. We need to be clearer in what we do, create frameworks that allow the players to be themselves on the pitch and get the best out of the players.
Winning makes everything easier, says Potter, returning to the 3-2 victory against Poland.
The subject is not complicated nuclear physics, but the essence of a team game: working with and for each other at all times.
The players were shown what can be achieved together when you help each other and are a good teammate. If the team works, there is a good chance that you will also succeed as an individual.
Born: May 20, 1975 in Solihull, England.
Occupation: Football coach.
Coaching career: Östersund 2011–18, Swansea 2018–19. Brighton 2019–22, Chelsea 2022–23, West Ham 2025, Sweden 2025–.
Playing career: Birmingham 1992–93, Wycombe 1993 (loan), Stoke 1993–96, Southampton 1996–97, West Bromwich 1997–2000, Northampton 1997–98 (loan), Reading 1999 (loan), York 2000–03, Boston 2003–04, Shrewsbury 2003 (loan), Macclesfield 2004–05.
Current: Gathering the World Cup squad in Stockholm on Wednesday.
May 27–31: Camp in Stockholm with training at Bosön and Strawberry Arena.
1 June: International match against Norway in Oslo (19:00).
June 2–3: Camp in Stockholm.
June 4: Rehearsal against Greece at the national arena in Solna (7:00 p.m.).
June 6: Departure to Dallas where the national team is based at Toyota Stadium in Frisco.
June 15: World Cup opener against Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico (4:00 a.m.).
June 20: Netherlands-Sweden in Houston (7:00 p.m.)
June 26: Japan–Sweden in Dallas (1:00).
Footnote: The first and second place teams in the twelve groups will advance to the round of 16, as will eight of the twelve top three teams in the group. The World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
