including Pellegrino. He's not THAT incompetent ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Please back that up with evidence or retract.
I get what you're saying. But I feel that the experience they have/are going through together gives Hughes, the players and the fans a special bond - carried forward to next year it could be interesting.
I wasn't that impressed by the quality of football served under Hughes. And his point total is not something impressive. What he managed to do is be a bit better than Pellegrino and drag us over the finishing line in the nick of time. I'm grateful for that, but the only reason i would possibly leave Hughes is because he knows the team a possibly now has an idea who's useless, and who's useful. I couldn't stand another manager who would come in, take his 10 matches to asses the squad and in the meantime make the same mistakes regarding squad selection and tactics that are obvious to every fan for years now.
Tbf, anything that's "obvious to every fan", is probably wrong. Football fans are pretty clueless, for the most part. That's one thing regular conversations at football grounds has convinced me of. That said, Saints fans en-masse seem to have warmed to Hughes, and I'd be inclined to trust them as a body on that one.
It could be, but right now there is a lot of emotion. The bond is there now and down to the special circumstances of an end of season relegation fight with a new face. There have been some poor displays, including parts of last night. Job done though.
This is the flip side and I agree. It’s a tough one to call, but right now I’m delighted with where we are, considering where we were.
No, I'm talking about how the owner of Stoke City FC spoke about a manager they sacked. That is clearly different to fans yapping on the internet,.
Exactly this. You can pick the bones out of Hughes's record, and you can analyse and project about his tactical ability til the cows come home, but you'd have to be pretty lacking in emotional savvy to miss the fact that the manager, the players, and the fans have clicked. It would be sheer madness to throw that overboard.
I think that's a good summary. The job he's done here in the last couple of months isn't necessarily the same job that needs doing in the future. Pretty much the same applies to Darren Moore at WBA. I suspect he'll get the job (if he isn't offered it after what he's done so far the press coverage and the outrage from the Merson and Ian Wright type pundits will be incredible to see) and, like you, I won't be upset if he gets it but won't be overjoyed either. These two posts sum up why I'm unsure. I think our transfer dealings this summer will be key and if we make a change then I can see the scenario SFCroatia describes playing out but if we keep Hughes then he will undoubtedly be involved in player recruitment, because most of our managers have been to some extent. Off the top of my head I can instantly think of Carrillo, Pied, Boufal, Pelle, Tadic, Martina, Clasie, Alderweireld and Osvaldo that seem likely to have had at least some input from the manager.
I understand what you are saying, which is why I said I would give him a chance because he has got us playing with some passion. But, looking on the bright side, it’s good to play some poor football and get two wins and two draws, rather than play poor football and get nothing. I think we also have to consider that he was setting the side up to get a result, more than to entertain. Time may tell.
I don't disagree that there have been poor displays but overall there has been improvements. His first league game away to west ham was very poor and he learnt from it. When he came in we all knew how tough the remaining fixtures were. Pelligrino s last game away to Newcastle he said the players had given up the fight. Hughes got us fighting again. Draws away to Leicester and Everton were good results, narrow defeats to Chelsea and arsenal showed promise and wins against Bournemouth and Swansea when no other result would do showed great character. We are not at the quality level we were at a few seasons ago but a good pre season and transfer window could mean a much different season next year. Not jumping up and down but optimistic that Hughes can get the performances and results.
I can see there is some clicking, I’m Just saying it isn’t all looking really rosey and I’m not getting carried away. No lacking in emotional savvy here, but maybe the emotions are making things seem better than they have been. Any way, no big deal for me whichever way we go, I’m only sitting a little cautiously.
I agree there have been improvements. Up until 30 minutes ago, drawing at Leicester and the performance in the game wasn’t necessarily good.
Had we appointed Mark Hughes after the dismissal of Claude Puel, I , like many Saints fans, would probably have been disappointed. There is a lot of truth that Hughes seems good simply because he has followed on from Pellegrino who was inept. I accept that argument. In addition, I would also have to say that I have never been impressed by the teams Hughes has managed. Stoke have always been a by-word for boring football and his tenure at QPR is alleged to have left a maelstrom of chaos which ultimately also served to undo Harry Redknapp. There was a review on Radio 5 several years ago the crux of which went along the lines that Hughes had an excellent agent who was capable of securing him appointments beyond his ability and that he was fast reaching a point where any "credibility" he had as a coach was entirely dissipated. I am sure it was Alan Green who made these comments and I can recall thinking that there seemed to be a degree of truth in this assessment no matter how opinionated. However, I would also have to add that Hughes inherited a train wreck and has galvanised a pretty poor squad, riddled with injured players and suspensions as well as high value signings who have not turned up all season. He has created a team spirit and salvaged a situation where the best part of ten years work was about to be squandered. I think he has earned enough to warrant a chance and even if football has declined to the state where the moral answer is not always the one that will be chosen, I would be worried if the board took another punt of a foreign coach akin to Puel or Pellegrino. Given that managers seldom have a shelf life of moe than two seasons, I don't feel pessimistic about Mark Hughes being given a shot at managing Saints next season.
Hopefully Hughes and his backroom team can get more consistency from players. Redmond looked a world beater against Everton but looked a pale shadow against Swansea.
Yes, that's exactly how I feel about it. I would hope that next year we do not have many of the same players, and that we are not facing a desperate attempt at survival. So from a hiring standpoint, it somewhat negates what Hughes accomplished albeit through no fault of his own. I think the major reason I am more pessimistic than it seems most here are is not because of my lack of faith in Hughes but my lack of faith in the board and club at large. I get why people don't want another manager who has to come in and suss out the team. It's not a great situation. But for me, it's a sunk cost. The manager will have to do that anyway because I think the team and the club at large need major changes. While this too would not be Hughes's fault, I'm a little nervous that the club is talking about hiring Hughes instead of firing Reed. The same people in charge of hiring decisions hiring the same people they already hired seems like a recipe for another lousy season. I would much rather have us facing a lot of uncertainty because of big changes, than us feeling relatively certain that we can finish 15th or 16th only without as much drama as this year.
