Graham Potter probably never thought helping his dad in his allotment could help prepare him for the challenges of the Premier League.

But the Albion head coach drew an arguably analogy as he explained why his team might just be starting to Bloom.

The Seagulls aim to extend their six-game unbeaten run when they host Crystal Palace tomorrow.

Palace have become hardy perennials in the Prem since going up eight years ago.

Albion are also now putting down roots and Potter has given an inventive explanation as to why it will be a demanding and gradual process.

He said: “My dad was a keen gardener and had his allotment.

“He would always start off doing a lot of digging, a lot of heavy work, with not too much to show for it and a lot of back ache.

“Eventually, after a long period of time, he would start to see things coming through and he would have some vegetables. But it takes time. It’s like anything in life.

“We’ve had to try to change the playing style a little bit, we’ve introduced some younger players from the academy, taken some players that are adapting to life in the Premier League.

“To still get results in the Premier League is a huge challenge.

“Thankfully we’ve managed it quite well, but we have to keep going. The group is in a good place at the moment.

“We’ve taken some steps because of that struggle, that process you go through.

“We’ve managed to stay strong, to keep belief, to keep working.

“Hopefully we can see a few more green shoots, shall we say.”

Rather than the back ache his dad suffered, Potter and his players have had homesickness for long periods.

They would love to add a second win of the season at the Amex.

The test against Palace comes at an intriguing time with fans keen to see confirmation of the recent improvement in terms of results.

Potter said: “The exciting thing is there is a lot more to come. They are just green shoots at the moment.

“We’ve got a nice mix of players who are at the start of their careers who are really exciting that we need to help.

“At the moment, it’s just potential but there are exciting things there.

“We’ve also got some really good players that are in good moments in their careers that have good experience, like Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross.

“The mix is good. The group is in a good place.

“But in the Premier League, results determine everything. It wasn’t so long back that it was the disaster zone, almost.

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“Things haven’t significantly changed for us, it’s just we’ve managed to pick some results up and that helps everything.

“But we know results can quickly turn as well so you have to keep focused, keep humble, focus on the next game and fight for the points against Crystal Palace.”