I put this idea forward on another thread and a resounding 2 people thought it would be good. So in keeping with the opposite theme, I'm posting it anyway. This thread is for opposite views only, those who are for Hughton must only write argumenents against*, those who are against Hughton (the sensible ones ahem) must only write positive views and why he should stay. Facts only, nothing made up for the sake of it please and only genuine thoughts which you would maybe keep to yourself ordinarily (exaggerate them maybe, this is a discussion board after all). Those that sit on the fence can bugger off and be boring elsewhere, or just pick a side which feels unnatural. The meaning of all this, perhaps to look at things a little differently and admit to flaws in our arguments. I'll start with a passage (gritted teeth). May I begin by saying how lucky we are to have bright young manager in Chris Hughton. He talks succinctly and intelligently about our opponents and understands how to adapt the side to there traits. To be a successful side you need to change your dynamic and ideals to suit the situation and develop throughout the game. Some may say we are notoriously defensive, but we have shown to take full advantage of the situations when they arise, the sign of a good team and management. We have absorbed and dealt with the vast majority of attacking threat against those teams we are expected to and scored when needed to. Stoic resistance with clean sheets in important games and goals when most needed. We've had one game where we have lost against a poorer team at home in Villa, yet beaten those on a par with us away in Stoke, WBA. The only teams who have scored more than two against us are in the top 4 and 4 out of 5 have been away games which virtually all will lose anyway. In addition the football is most certainly better than last year, Pilkington has developed from the previous regime and Redmond is improving as the games go by. The passing interchange between Fer, Howson and Tettey/Johnson is better than any we've had for a long long time in the centre when up against Premiership opposition. There is a very strong relationship developing between those three/four with differing characteristics suited to the league. The quickest way to establish a team is the easiest, build a generic Premiership team which we now have, and let the other promoted sides try and catch up and those established that try and be clever, mess up and get relegated. Well that's my starter, please add and react with each other. I'm off to be sick and shower repeatedly. *Beef is excluded as I do not wish put the boy into a mental asylum. Dave, you are not excluded however, your age makes you akin to an ocean liner and I fear the thread will be long closed before you are able to contemplate a change in direction of opinion.
While Hughton is clearly a good speaker and an intelligent gentleman, he feels too passive a lot of the time. I obviously have no idea what he is like on the training ground and in the dressing room but he doesn't strike me as a blood and thunder type of leader. I think he'd benefit from losing that "Nice guy" Image a little. His approach to away games can be incredibly frustrating. I don't expect to go to Man City or Liverpool and get points but I'd rather see us getting in the oppositions faces and at least worrying them a little rather than sitting back and taking it. I think his management of the players that aren't regulars in the first 11 leaves a lot to be desired. I don't expect sweeping changes every game but a few of our squad players seem to be left out with no hope of return unless there are injuries. Players like Wes and Becchio need to be given more chances than a few minutes here or there and the odd cup tie. This also leads me into the substitutions. Hughton seems to see them more as a way of using a few seconds at the end of a game rather than ways to change the game in our favour. I see little point in bringing a player on in the 88th minute when we are losing. Do it earlier or not at all. Well that's my go. I was going to back your idea on the other thread but this was here before I had a chance!
Cracking Devil's Advocate going on here. Good job I'm back on the fence, so feel somewhat unable to play
Ranting and raving, so British and about 20 years out of date. Give me quiet contemplation and analysis to respect any day of the week. Whilst the tactic away against the big side failed, the tactic worked against those with less ability. If we went into Mcity's faces AND WBA AND Stoke we may have lost all three. The fact of the matter is against the lesser sides we show more attacking threat in better positions whilst keeping opposition attacks pretty much in our pockets. I've always thought substitutions to be overrated, its better to become better and work at your Plan A than keep reverting to Plan B and C alll the time when you find it difficult, its what the Spanish did. If Becchio is not good enough then there is no point in playing him.
Right, let's have a crack at this (from a Hughton-in(ish)-er) What's the point sticking with a bang-average manager who isn't taking us anywhere? We're not developing as a footballing side, we're not further up the table, and we're frequently last on MOTD. Whilst people say there's no decent managers available, few of us watch the less glamorous leagues around Europe, so there's bound to be plenty of young prospects out there looking to cut their teeth in the Premier League. It's up to the board to deliver that man. Ok, recruitment is a risk that might not always work out, but now is the ideal time to take that risk. We've got a run of the easiest fixtures we've got all season, and the new manager bounce should be enough to take an already decent squad to several victories. If we can get 3 or maybe even 4 wins before mid-January, we'll have nearly all the points we need for the rest of the season. Has Hughton done well in the transfer market? Or have the recruitment team behind the scenes been responsible? McNally isn't going to sanction big spending without the word of people he trusts, and the new manager won't be trusted right away without a second opinion. So I think our excellent recruitment record of late is only going to continue. So after picking up most of the points we need for the season by the end of January, the new manager can then start to mould our squad to play the way he wants, which will hopefully be a more attractive style. He'll have a couple of choice recruits in January to aid this process, and then in the summer he can assess who is and isn't capable of playing the way he wants. We sort the squad then, and we move forward next season. Hughton out. Easy.
CH is solid and reliable, and we are likely to pick up enough points under him to avoid relegation. He seems hard-working and to genuinely care about the players under his charge. He also seems to be a very good judge of a footballer and his signings have generally been excellent. He usually has a very clear plan of what he wants and expects from his players. This season he has been very unlucky with injuries.
Why on earth would you care when we're on MOTD, its rubbish anyway. Just listen to TalkSport its a much more reasoned commentary and analysis, particularly that Darren Gough (my self loathing is now out of control) I'm sure Hughton sets the brief for what he wants in the players scouted, they don't just watch any old game for any old player.
Do you really think the manager has the time to do much in the recruitment department? I bet all he does is shortlist a few positions, highlight an attribute or two, and leave it to our excellent scouts. They're the ones who put the time and effort in scouring Europe, and it's up to the likes of McNally to sort out the contract details. All Hughton has to do is turn up to meet the player, play the nice guy ('cos that's difficult...) and promise to play the player however he likes.
You're better at this than most of the Hughton outers! I'd add to that that while the players signed have generally been of a high quality he never addressed the real issue which is our lack of creativity in the middle of the pitch.
This is a good thread, Carrabuh. (I know you hate to be liked, but that doesn't change the fact it was a good idea).
Thats pretty naive, there will be lengthy discussions and reports, analysis of the current staff, shortfalls and a firm direction in how the team is to develop. Thats pretty clear with the players signed. The Premiership is power orientated and we have mostly signed players to match.
Exactly, so why didn't we sign a powerful striker? 4-5-1 is clearly the way to go in the league, nearly everyone plays that way, so we need a striker capable of holding the ball up, getting on the end of crosses and receiving long balls. Hooper is short, RvW a fragile stick, and Becchio just plain awful. Elmander was a good start, but why we weren't interested in players of the calibre of Carroll, or even the vastly under-rated Akinfenwa? Swansea clearly realised this truth of the Premier League when they signed Bony, another player we should have chased.
RVW is not at all fragile and with Hooper you have power, power is not related to height, its speed combined with strength, he's burly and not easily pushed around, plus he thinks about what he's doing and moves.
How else do you explain RvW being out injured for months because someone stepped on his toes? Awh Diddums. [I do hope he never reads this...love ya Wolfy] And now he's going to cost us millions to buy out of his contract as he'll never be the player he was. Surely Hootun should have realised he needed tough players for the physicality of the Prem. Movement's over-rated up front anyway, Morison had the turning circle of a cruise ship and still scored plenty under Lambert. Now there's a man who knew how to manage in this league.
There is no doubt it is time for a change if we actually want to be a prem club! CH is so defensive, instructing the team to sit really deep and invite pressure, no wonder we concede so many against the good teams. The players he has bought in are just not capable of playing this way yet he persists and refuses to ever press the opposition. Some people claim he has made some good signings, but are they not just down to others in the club not CH. He spends a record amount and we are no better off, just becoming a lower Liverpool of 2 seasons ago spending lots of money on overrated championship standard players. His man management leaves little to be desired. What have Fox, Becchio and Surman done to piss him off? Players with excellent records, experience and technical ability yet he does not give them a look in and perceives with slow untalented donkeys like Johnson. Its madness! Our record signing is stuck up top with no service what so ever, no wonder he looked dejected when he player, added to that he has reportedly fallen out with CH. CH has of course tried to cover this up with an"injury" but we all know it is just because he will get rid in January. Poor Murphy gets put on when losing 4-0 to Man city, what a great way to boost a youngsters confidence! Also have you ever seen more boring football? Long balls, no passing, get it wide and hoof it in the box for no one. And that is only on the rare occasion he allows the team to move out of their half. Is he trying to bore the other teams into mistakes? To top it all the man just praises the opposition and has all the charisma of cardboard.
Theres only one man who knows how to manage in this league and we have him in charge. RVW is 6'2" I believe and suffered injury as many players do, look at your vaunted Andy Carroll, (not a wise choice to bring into the argument), cost twice as much, probably 4 x the wages and he hasn't even played. That could of been us if we were stupid and had Allardyce in charge. You don't know when you have something good.
Long ball is all the rage, even the Brazillians have adopted it (and tonked the Spanish with it) Why do you need the defense to run around after the ball? Its what stupid players do. Just wait for it to come to you, don't get pulled out of shape and allow space.
