Looked at dispassionatley we have a top keeper (with a decent back-up) and a pretty solid defence. We have one excellent striker to come in the Summer, one with success in the PL and the bonus of being an inspirational leader and we have a class winger and holding midfielder. I don't think that we are too far away from having a pretty decent first XI although I accept that the lack of depth of our squad is an issue. IF we can get hold of a midfielder capable of breaking play up and distributing accurately and a back-up CB good enough to push Turner/Bassong with maybe another wide man then we will have a lot of attacking options and allow CH to play the way he wants to with players capable of doing so. I think we will see plenty of activity in the Summer and CH will be judged on 13/14 when he has his own players in place. Unless of course we make a rick of things, go down and he is shown the door!
Actually Warky, I tend to agree with what you have said about Hughton, what I'm saying is that you should also be concerned about your league position. I would suggest that the football at The Portaloo isn't much better than what we've had to endure this season, am I right ?
So like JWM, you are totally ignoring his time at Newcastle where he had the players he wanted playing the style he wanted, scoring a record number of goals and collected a record number of points! All you can refer to is Birmingham who had to sell all their players and were not allowed to buy any more, in case you don't know what embargo means!
Well good to see you cast aside the olive branch. Previously you state: (a) you disagree that Tettey is technically better than Fox; and (b) you think my opinion of Lambert is hyperbole. I'll deal with (a) below. Re. (b) - hyperbole requires a statement to be an obvious exaggeration. E.g. - "the weather today is Baltic" - hyperbole because while it is cold, I obviously do not think it is as cold as the Baltic. Given that I made it quite clear that these were my honest opinions, they, by definition, cannot be hyperbolic. You've now brought in (c) the "assault"... Let's start with your delightfully dismissive "I'm sorry, but if you think Tettey is "technically better" than David Fox then we're clearly not to agree on much here." Charming. So you disagree with me on one point, ergo the whole of my argument must be disagreeable. I'll ask you again (given that you clearly didn't read it) - I assume on this basis that you disagree that Bassong, Turner and Snodgrass are technically better players than before? You followed up with the expertly pointless, unnecessarily goading and, as I have explained, frankly wrong "Once again I totally agree, and find that first paragraph of Rob's hyperbole of the very highest order." The irony of the statement, no doubt you missed, being that, of course, you were being hyperbolic by saying "of the very highest order"... Then the best of the lot: "So David Fox didn't play centre midfield last season then, the equivalent position to where Tettey plays? //And sorry, if you really think Tettey is a "damn sight better technically" than Fox then you clearly don't know what you're on about so I needn't bother wasting my time "working through" the rest of whatever bilge you put up Lovely. Hence, I very much doubt you read my posts, given you told me you needn't bother... Such a strong, convincing way of arguing - the deliberate misinterpretation "so David Fox didn't play centre midfield" also demonstrated your tactic. All you posted to this point looked like trolling - nothing of substance and ignoring my perfectly cordial debate on the same subject with YellowLittle. No attempt to engage with any of my points and all you really provided was a supercilious and dismissive attitude to my post. Do you see my frustration? Back to (a). Don't try the old straw man re. moving the goal posts. I made it quite clear that I think Tettey is technically better than Fox. My opinion. I never disagreed about the "POSITION". You may differ, but I have provided my reasoning (and my explanation for why it was difficult to compare, which is why I can understand differing opinions). You'll notice, and I've highlighted, that your best attempt is to simply contradict. You have not justified your point of view in any way. I appreciate my first post wasn't very clearly worded, but if you bothered to read my posts you would see a thorough discussion and explanation with YellowLittle re the difficulty in comparing the two players (their style). I maintain that Tettey is better technically. I also maintain that they are completely different types of player and therefore my point is hard to prove (or disprove, as you have so eloquently demonstrated). I apologise for the "**** fan" comment. It was unjustified. I f you think you've come across brilliantly here you're sadly mistaken, you've been completely dismissive of my opinion with no explanation, sarcastic, rude, juvenile (resorting to school-ground insults and still doing so I notice...) and generally unable to argue your point. I concede that the ability to change a game with a substitution is not unique to Lambert, but I hope you will do me the service (and not do Lambert the disservice) of accepting that he had a rare ability to get substitutions right far more often than not. How often did we score late on? How often did our substitutes score? How often did a substitution from Lambert change the balance of the game? It was one of his strongest attributes. Find me more than a couple of other managers in the world that could do the same and I'll be shocked. His ability was doubtless very rare, if not unique. As for whether he had a "system", I don't think you give him enough credit. He regularly repeated formations (think diamond, or the three at the back), he also often used similar substitutions. These weren't on a whim - they were carefully planned. It was not chaos. Lambert's system was to be highly flexible. Other managers have different systems - think Pulis, Wenger or Rodgers - they are very rigid. That is the contrast to Lambert. His flexibility and unpredictability, given that, to my mind, it came across as measured (certainly he has continued it with less success at Villa) is a system by itself. Which leads me nicely to... You know full well "it" meant the system. Also, don't tell me you don't know SAF has a system. It involves (broadly) being strong on the break and counter-attacking. Don't also straw man me again with your "most successful" comment - I specifically stated I thought SAF would probably have done better, (given that he is the most successful manager of all time). The point is obviously that SAF has found success in his system and would implement it on our team. He wouldn't do what Lambert did, because that was Lambert's way. That's right, I rate Lambert highly. My apologies for having another opinion. Yes, of course I write positively about this - it is my opinion. Given that it is almost unprovable (shy of SAF managing us, I wish...), it can't be anything other than opinion. So yes, it's there in black and white as you say. My honest opinion, not fact. I hope you can appreciate how offensive and condescending you have been (and continue to be - another stellar highlight from you). I was (as you would have seen) and remain perfectly happy to debate. Except, you haven't debated so far. All I know currently is that: (a) you don't seem to understand the word hyperbole; (b) you believe Fox is technically better than Tettey; and (c) you believe Lambert didn't have a system. All of those are points that are capable of cordial debate, but all you have done, is contradict, insult and then slaphead. Not exactly a gold-medal-worthy Question Time style "performance". I hope we can move on. A new, and genuinely interesting opinion. You've even backed it up with a reason. Coincidentally(!), I agree with you...
ILD, nothing annoyed me with what you wrote. I hope you didn't think I was getting aggressive with you. In fact, Munky made it quite clear with his "I'm not going to read your bilge" that apparently my opinions shouldn't be on this forum. I watched the Wigan game, it was atrocious. I won't be watching any more away matches... However, as I said above, Hughton has proved himself very capable in the transfer market. I'm holding out for the summer in the hope that when he has a team of his players who he demonstrates faith in, he will be a little more flexible. I'm not 100% convinced he will, but such is my only thread of hope... As for your last line - that is a close call! Will get back to you...
The big difference KIO is that Mick McCarthy inherited a ****e team that was at rock bottom and conceding goals like there was no tomorrow. He had to make do with what he inherited and he has done a fantastic job in getting us to 50 points with just a few more required This season has been all about survival and picking up as many points as we can. The vast majority of Ipswich fans are fully behind what Mick and Terry are doing and realise that the only priority is survival. Judging from what I have been reading on here can you honestly say hand on heart that the overwhelming majority of Norwich fans are fully behind what Hughton is trying to do?
Nail. Head. In my opinion. This is my problem, but also my source of hope (that, with players he trusts, he might be more aggressive and flexible).
So basically, we all agree the style of play sucks and that Hughton perhaps doesn't instil confidence in players like Lambert did. Lambert may have been more adaptive during games, but had a bench full of 'his own' players to pick from, something Hughton will probably have next season, and we'd be disappointed if he didn't utilise it more. On the other hand, Hughton's strengthened our back-line with excellent signings, and if he does the same job on our front-line this summer then we could be a force to be reckoned with going forward too next season? And then I think we all agree that if the playing style doesn't change next season, he's got until around Christmas before we start calling for his head?
Completely agree with everything except this. No need to wait until Christmas. If it isn't sorted by the end of September, I'll be vociferous in my criticism. That would give a new manager two months to get to know Hughton's players and really understand where they see the holes, a decent amount of time for us to get the "new manager bounce" before heading into the January transfer window with a clear picture of what's necessary. If we wait until December I think we could be (a) relegated or (b) in a situation where the new manager panic buys.
Dave you keep going on about his time at Newcastle but you forget to mention that the squad he inherited there was basically still a Premiership team that needed little tinkering! Feck me even Roy Keane could have taken them up with the quality they had in that side! At Birmingham he resorted to the same boring negative football that you are experiencing now.
Having calmed down from my recent vitriolic posting, I can't really disagree too much here. Mind you, I think a bad result on Saturday and there will be some calling for his head at the final whistle.
So what? I don't see what 'trust' that has to do with any thing! From what little I have seen of you this season mostly from MOTD highlights your Strikers are so often isolated from the midfield as they seem to be sitting too deep. Hoolahan who is technically the best and most creative player you have hardly gets a look in. It says something when you have Bassong a Centre Half amongst your leading goal scorers! Look I'm not really bothered what style (or lack of) you play with but I do feel sorry for the likes of ILD, KIO et al who pay good money to watch the dross you are seeing now. And before the expected retort Yes I have suffered many games like that at Portman Road but the big difference is that we are all behind what Mick is doing this season!
Another insightful, respectful and mature analysis, I see. My apologies, it is now obvious you were trolling all along and had no intention of responding to my arguments. Please make it more obvious in future. Otherwise, just **** off.
As my Mum used to say, "There are none so blind as those who will not see!" I'll let someone else explain! Hopefully they'll use words of only one syllable
