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Whilst I do understand options are extremely limited this late in the season, does anyone else find it slightly ironic that we have replaced Pellegrino with a manager who was sacked as his club have actually performed worse than us this season?

Hopefully we can all see the humour in that. Especially as we wave bye bye to Stoke from the giddy heights of 16th :emoticon-0128-hi:
 
I think we should simply remove all mention of QPR from this. Has nobody seen the documentary on how the club was run? Comedy gold I tell you.

So, QPR aside, Hughes has done a great job at his other clubs. I for one am very happy that he's agreed to come here and at least give us a good shot at staying up.
Yes I remember that. Amazing footage - and quite scary! When things get really bad, we can always remember things could be worse. Even WHU arent that bad at the minute.

Back to Saints, we all seem to be making wild assumption here based on a rumour that has not even been confirmed yet. IF it is Mark Hughes, there is no info that it will be a short or long term contract. IF it is a short term contract there is no info on who is driving that. Hughes himself may be thinking 'if they get relegated I don't want to hang around' or 'if they stay up I will be in demand elsewhere'. Alternatively WE may have our eyes on a manager that may miss out on promotion with another club.
 
Maybe:bandit:

I think an initial contract for this season is brilliant if that is what it is. His motivation to do well is strong....whether he stays or not. Hughes will put himself on the market with a gold star if he keeps us up or people will consider that it was an impossible task if we are relegated. What will do him harm is if no improvement is seen at all. Both parties are then free at the end of the season to make decisions. The worst scenario is to take a manager on a 3 year contract and it doesn't work out....that has happened to many teams. I cannot see how Hughes' motivation can be any better. I don't know how it will work out (some wins I hope), but, as a plan, a short contract is a very good option.
Or he might just become the next "Firefighter Sam":emoticon-0165-muscl
You know, a "big sam" clone that saves a club from the abyss; then is (cruelly? ) dispensed with shortly afterwards.... What price loyalty, eh?
 
I'm just a sad fan who wants the manager to actually care about my club, not just do it for a payday, bonkers I know.

I think what fans forget is that footballers are used to having contracts at a club and then moving on. Fans cannot change their loyalty (or at least rarely do) whereas players and managers are used to moving on, meeting new team mates and developing new loyalties. Rather like a serial monogamist. I think that while at a club they do care and try their best....notably for their team mates and then for the fans (if any rapport has been built). Only rarely do you get complete dickheads. Our next manager will care whilst he is here....his money is guaranteed (apart from any bonuses)...but he will care for results and his reputation. Fine by me.
 
Or he might just become the next "Firefighter Sam":emoticon-0165-muscl
You know, a "big sam" clone that saves a club from the abyss; then is (cruelly? ) dispensed with shortly afterwards.... What price loyalty, eh?
Bit like Pearson with us but then again we were skint
 
I'm not unhappy with Hughes...I'm basing this on the fact that the last bloke to do the job was rubbish and nearly anyone would be a better option. He did ok with Stoke for a while and while I don't see us pulling up trees for the next 9 games I'm expecting an improvement in form and to just squeak over the line to safety.
 
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Anyone considered that the until the end of the season thing might be at Hughes insistence and not the board.
If we go down he walks with no guilt attached.
If we stay up he becomes a wanted commodity so could still walk for a better deal.
He is holding all the cards here if he was our first aim.
 
Just reading through a Stoke forum go into meltdown at the news Pellegrino has been sacked, then all start celebrating and laughing that Hughes is going to take over :D. Football fans eh?
 
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Anyone considered that the until the end of the season thing might be at Hughes insistence and not the board.
If we go down he walks with no guilt attached.
If we stay up he becomes a wanted commodity so could still walk for a better deal.
He is holding all the cards here if he was our first aim.
yes ;-)
 
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Maybe:bandit:

I think an initial contract for this season is brilliant if that is what it is. His motivation to do well is strong....whether he stays or not. Hughes will put himself on the market with a gold star if he keeps us up or people will consider that it was an impossible task if we are relegated. What will do him harm is if no improvement is seen at all. Both parties are then free at the end of the season to make decisions. The worst scenario is to take a manager on a 3 year contract and it doesn't work out....that has happened to many teams. I cannot see how Hughes' motivation can be any better. I don't know how it will work out (some wins I hope), but, as a plan, a short contract is a very good option.

Whilst I don't disagree it is very easy to see the other side to it. There is no incentive for the players to impress their new boss as he will likely be gone at the end of the season (tbf so will majority of the players). If we go down Hughes' reputation isn't that badly damaged (look at how people still chat about Redknapp and how good a manager he is despite how **** he did here for far longer than Hughes will get). There is no long term stability for Hughes so no incentive to do well. Even if he keeps us up there probably won't be any PL level jobs he would be likely to get in the summer, so I don't think adding a "saved Saints who were 17th anyway" to his CV will help him all that much. I would be very surprised if there wasn't some sort of clause that his deal gets extended to end of next season if we survive.
 
Bigger question - Dave Watson? Isn’t Eddie wotshisname, the ex-Chelsea keeper a coach for Hughes too?

Dave Watson can go IMO. Any goal-keeping coach (exasperated by the fact he is the England keeping coach) who backs Fraser Forster for so long needs his head looking at.