Hughes pointed out that Stoke's board have selective memory...he gave them some of their best seasons. And remember that sacking him didn't produce a massive improvement. I'd settle for a few years success and deal with the stagnation when it comes. He also remarked that when he looked round the training field we had 5 players that he had tried to sign and one Stoke fan tweeted that there was nothing amazing about a manager doing well if you give him the players he wanted (as at Southampton). My opinion: Hughes did what was wanted....rallied the troops and churned out important results, but he was helped by Swansea sinking badly. He only had 8 games and it took a few for the team to start to improve...I would have liked better performances, but he did what he was paid a million for. He can only really be judged by what he achieves when not under the cosh. Performances will be different when some risks can be taken and hopefully we might get some of our form back.
Fair point. I don’t think Stoke are as well organised as us - particularly on the academy side. However, my Stoke friend tells me his biggest weakness was spending too much money on average signings so the investment was certainly there. He did not use youth players much but hopefully that was because there was not much there to use.
To be fair, these days a two year contract for a manager isn't actually short. And that includes for us - I think Nigel is our manager to be in charge for more than two years since Burley!
He won't get anywhere near the freedom he does with signings here though. One good thing about having a transfer committee.
Teams with a worse squad than us are much higher up the table because they are a team and have leaders on and off the field. This year we have had none of that...and that's why we are in the position we are in. Hughes has been on the receiving end of the football we were playing until last year, and knows how hard that is to play against. He will want to get back to that - and I think he will do. He was visibly struck by the quality of the squad when he joined - if he joins on a longer contract it will be with the agreement that we strengthen the squad. Regardless of the incompetence of the board, they are clearly in it for the money...and came very close to dropping out of the premier league with all the financial implications that entails. For that reason alone, they won't want to be in that position again....and will undoubtedly strengthen over the summer. A couple of the Stoke squad are extremely good and would fit in well, and they like Hughes. He stands a good chance of grabbing them now that they have been relegated. So, I think Hughes will get the job....and I am very optimistic (and excited) about next year. Now that we have rid ourselves of someone who was so sadly out of his depth as a manager, I think we will kick on and have some fun again. Well, that's what I think anyway. You boys will probably think otherwise...
I'm looking forward to next season too....mainly because it won't be this season!! The new owner has been shown what can happen....lesson learned, we hope. There are plans in place for a tour of China....good that we won't just have been relegated #fingerscrossed. As Jenny said, most people agreed that we had a better squad than some others teams and were surprised at our position....in fact most thought we'd escape....showing more faith than us fans. However, our escape is only partly due to us....we needed Swansea to be very poor. Roll on the summer....no need to be scared before August.
Give Him a 3 year contract he has shown that he is competent what happens next year is reliant on what our new owner wants, if he's happy with just being in the premiership and trading on that then I can see minimal investment which may force Hughes to use academy lads, if though he wants to be competing for Europe spots and cup finals then we might some some cash thrown at the squad to strengthen it. Whatever happens I really like us to not be Liverpool's breakfast buffet this summer.
I do hope you're right. For the sake of a the club, you need to be right. But for me, we've needed to strengthen for the past four transfer windows. And we didn't. Even the January window of this season, where relegation was a real, live, possibility, we didn't. Never did I expect us to just, effectively, bank that Virgil money away. So now, I'm not making any assumptions. I simply don't trust our board any money. I hope and pray that they strengthen, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Yeah, the squad's not great really. It needs major surgery, and I hope the club recognise that or we will be in trouble again next season. We have narrowly escaped paying a very high price for a business model that is now proven to be bust. Hopefully, this summer we will be actively strengthening the squad, and not just trying to plug the holes created by what we have lost.
Alternatively they've seen that there was no need to have spent £20m in January as we have barely used Carillo and he hasn't scored any goals. Didn't need to strengthen after all and we could be £20m + wages better off right now.
Yeah I mean, if lessons haven't been learnt after this calamitous season...then theres only one direction we're heading.
My optimism stems from the fact that these are money men - money is literally all they are interested in. We came perilously close to getting relegated, and that represents losing a LOT of money. For that reason alone I think the squad will be strengthened so this doesn't happen again. For a couple of years at least.
Give him a 1 year contract, with payment terms for the following season already set out and to include his following seasons salary based on the previous season performance. Include huge bonus for Cup win or a lesser one for reaching a final.
The media will spin that. Maybe Mark won't appreciate the lack of faith either. I'd sooner show him the money, but sack him if **** goes sideways. No disrespect.
