Graham Potter to Chelsea: 'What chance do Brighton have of competing with the country's elite when they have been gutted in the blink of an eye?'

Just days ago, Brighton fans were giddy with excitement as their high-flying team brushed Leicester aside in a seven-goal thriller.

A lack of goals had always been an issue with the Seagulls. But now, finally, everything had clicked into place with a special, historic season potentially on the horizon.

'Things will only get better' read one tweet by a jubilant fan, who would have been among many dreaming of endless possibilities for a team full of talent and confidence – led by a manager adored by supporters and respected across the country.

Oh, how we have been given a hash reminder of how quickly things can change.

The 5-2 win at the Amex proved to be Graham Potter's swansong as Brighton's boss – with the 47-year-old packing his bags for Chelsea, replacing sacked Thomas Tuchel.

If this blow wasn't crushing enough, Potter has taken his whole staffing team with him to West London.

Billy Reid, first-team coaches Bjorn Hamberg and Bruno, goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts and assistant head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay all gone in an instant, along with all the excitement and optimism that had been built at the Amex.

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It makes you wonder where is the world of football going.

Is it becoming fixed?

Are teams like Brighton not allowed to succeed?

Looking at the table, it may appear they are mixing with the country's most elite clubs but, in reality, what chance do they have of staying in the top four when they have been gutted in the blink of an eye?

For Brighton fans, the feelings of elation and hope on Sunday have been replaced by sadness, anger and, in some cases, betrayal.

Many would not have hesitated in wishing Potter well as he takes the next, monumental, step in his promising managerial career.

After all, he led a team, which had been constantly threatened by relegation, to a club record season last term, doing so with an attractive brand of football that made the football world step up and take notice of ‘little’ old Brighton and Hove Albion.

But, in taking with him his whole team of staff that helped him do it, it feels the heart and soul has been ripped out of the club in an instant and, if social media is anything to go by, it seems Potter, and even club legend Bruno, may not get a warm reception when they return to the Amex.

It can be easy to forget in the madness of it all that this comes in a summer of unprecedented mass exoduses – which began with the loss of influential technical director Dan Ashworth to Newcastle - Brighton have so far coped superbly.

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Many feared the worst when star men Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella departed, quickly followed by top scorer Neal Maupay – but the unwavering footballing philosophy and unity in the squad rendered individuality irrelevant.

After Sunday’s morale-boosting win, those that had moved on were a distant memory.

These latest departures will not be as easy to recover from – not by a long shot.

A new manager will now bring with him a whole new team and new ideas. It will be interesting to see how the players adapt.

The club have plenty of time to find a replacement without having to immediately prepare for a match, with this weekend’s Premier League fixtures postponed following the very sad death of Queen Elizabeth II. Next week’s clash with arch rivals Crystal Palace currently also remains off, despite the cancellation of the train strikes.

As Tony Bloom said in his defiant statement, there is unprecedented interest in the job and what an opportunity it is to take charge of this brilliant group of players who will not have lost any of their talent after a turbulent week.

Hopefully they retain their confidence, as with the right man in charge, this can still be a season to remember.

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