Irrespective of his management, or some might say, mis-management when he was here with us, if there´s one person from our recent past who I´d like to see get another crack at the PL, it would have to be Chris Hughton. Although he was never as good as some of us hoped, neither was he as poor as many others professed. That´s been clearly shown this season, where he´s kept Brighton in and around the top three all year, you don´t do that without having a little bit of talent. He was a decent man and always maintained a dignity which even for the best, can be difficult to do, when you´re under pressure, and getting it in the neck every week. Also I thought his recruitment, for the most part, was as good as most, and better than some - players like Tettey, Bassong, Redmond, and Howson were his additions, I think - and I know Mr. Winkle and Kei Kamara were two less successful striking moves he made, but no-one gets it right every time. He´s certainly been a revelation down there on the south coast, and that despite having Colin Calderwood as his number two. Anyway whatever the outcome for Brighton this year, I´d say he´s probably earned a few credit points amongst even the most disgruntled of ´anti-Hughton´ City fans, and he would hopefully get a decent reception if he and Hove turned up at a Premier League Carrow Rd next season.
Hi skald bor, horses for courses come to mind, he was just the wrong horse for our course. At least he left without acrimony, if you get my gist !!! He deserves applause for his success at Brighton and warrants a warm welcome if they achieve promotion. Providing of course he doesn't mar the return by taking back those three points and we remain in the PL.
I couldnt care less about him getting promoted anymore than any of the others in the championship. He is water under the bridge a fading memory and not a great one at that. He is likely doing well with Brighton, because I believe championship is his level. If/when I attend a game where he is in the oposite dugout I could not give him any warmth any more than any manager whom I think has let the club down to an extent. That he had a decent first season (Or ten games in that first season) means I would not give him any great stick, but just as when we got him I thought he was a good manager and respected him as a professional I would still do so. I just don't think he has the ability to be particularly successful at PL level. He may over the fullness of his career prove me and other doubters wrong, but for now I reserve my right to non-warmth for a manager that played awful turgid football and basically got us relegated. And there for me is the point, why should Hughton get any real warmth when Lambert did so much more for us and I'd imagine you werent calling for Lambert to get a warm reception after leaving us? Irrespective of how he left, in 10-15 years it is Lambert who will be remembered, Hughton will join the also rans of Roeder, Rioch, Gunn, Adams more remembered for their failings than anything good. In the rodents case was there anything good to remember? Bah!
General bor, I have no time for Lambert. He left us with accusations that besmirched our club. It was his decision to leave purely to hopefully better himself, he put his interests before the club he was employed by. Fair enough, that was his prerogative. He did wonders for our club but spoilt it by the manner of his leaving. Hughton was not as successful as Lambert but he did leave with dignity. Lambert has returned back to Carrow Road and has been received cordially, hospitality to employees of other clubs demand that but that doesn't alter the manner of his departure. Managers in the past have left us for pastures new but he is the only one to my recollection to leave with acrimony. John Bond when he left was disliked but he didn't criticise our club after his departure. Mind you that turned out to be a blessing in disguise with the appointment of his successor. I don't think your lack of warmth will bother Hughton, he did his best for our club, just that it was not good enough.
IMO, Hughton took more flak than he deserved. He kept us up the first year and then was let down badly by his strikers in the second year. Yes, he recruited RvW, Elmander and Hooper, so has to take some blame for that, though as said above, much of his recruitment was good. The real failure that second year was the players, though of course the manager carries some blame for that as well as for the style of play. This year has shown just how difficult surviving in the PL is. If you get into a bad run, it's difficult to get out again, given the quality of the opposition. For me, it just didn't work out that year and he left with dignity, unlike Lambert, who left with spite and petty venom which spoiled his record of achievement for me. Lambert had years at Villa during which things got steadily worse and he hasn't exactly been pulling up trees at Blackburn. Managers can only do so much and their importance is often exaggerated, IMO.
Like NORKIE, I have no time for Lambert, Melchy, and as you feel about Hughton so I feel about Lambert., despite the success he had with us. Hughton I just happen to have great admiration for, as a person first and foremost. It takes enormous strength of character and self belief to bounce back after such an ignominious departure from Norwich, and after being publicly ridiculed by many sections of supporters for weeks and weeks before he was sacked. No doubt there´ll be plenty who can never forgive or forget the damage they profess that he caused the club, but I´m just delighted for him that he has so quickly managed to resurrect his career. Perhaps fate will have the same thing in store for him, as it did for us, a Wembley play-off final win, or more fateful still, if we do happen to go down ( perish the thought) he may just sail past us in the opposite direction - now that really would be ironic.
Spot on, General At least Lambert left a legacy for his successor to build on - that he (CH) failed so dismally at his second attempt hasn't and never will endear him to me, no matter how successful he is elsewhere. I wish him no malice and hope Brighton continue to thrive but old wounds take a long while to heal, I'm afraid.
But strangely, Cromer, as life does tend to throw up every now and again, despite Lambert leaving us on a high, and Hughton leaving us on a low, it´s Hughton´s career that seems to have taken off again, while Lambert has gone from disappointing at Villa to mediocre at Blackburn, be interesting to see if those directions continue.
Not being funny but how many of us has left a company to better ourselves (Get paid more!) you also have to ask why it was acrimonious? The clubs only would have received accusations that besmirched it if it had likely done something to besmirch it! As for dignity, I wonder which felt more dignified to Lambert; his exit from NCFC or that from AVFC? Hughton was sacked, there is not to much dignity in that with clappers bouncing off your head. That he didn't say anything to the press or complain more than a "I still believe I could have kept them up" is par for the course. Most managers will be sensible enough not to rant knowing it could hurt their next job application. Lambert even; The lads at Villa at that time gave us everything, there was never one time where I walked away and thought we had thrown the towel in," Lambert said. "We just found things hard towards the end. As I've said before, Villa is a great club, always has been and always will be, but I knew my time was up. "Some of the things that were going on were never right so when it [the sacking] did actually happen, I was delighted it was going to happen." I guess it's horses for courses though. I can forgive and forget Lamberts departure because his time at the helm was so good that I will continue to remember him fondly. I can forgive and forget Hughton, but mainly want to just forget as he was not particularly good when in charge of us. RBF not being funny but you say all of that about strength of charactor to come back from his sacking with us, but does this not then include every manager once sacked and who takes on another job? He is far from the first and he won't be the last to lose a fan base and get some stick. Lambert at Villa would be a great example. given time I'm sure he will have success again too. I agree with RER that managers can only do so much, but Lambert got a bum deal at Villa, the continued need to reduce the wage bill and sell the best players caught up with him and finally this season them. But I disagree that there importance is overstated. Players are never going to consistently win games without the right tactics, guidance and motivation. Success for any team is mostly on the manager. What success is, is defined by what he has to work with. i.e. For Neil this season staying up = success because his squad is likely to be one of the 3 weakest in the division. For Citeh and Pellegrini, missing out on Europe would constitute a disaster given his resources. And Cromer....let it go! We've bounced back, we have a talented bright young manager and are building again. Bah!
Very true. He did well prior to joining us at Newcastle and Birmingham, so it's a bit of an enigma why it was such a spectacular second-season failure at Norwich. I mean better managers than him have achieved promotion and suffered relegation, it's just to see the drive, passion and desire wilt from the team as the season wore on was a) unforgivable and b) reversible, if he'd had half a mind to devise any sort of 'plan B' (and not make like-for-like substitutions in the 88th minute every week!)
Absolutely agree, and one who´s potentially far better than either Lambert or Hughton. In fact I´m not quite sure why Lambert even crept on to this thread, he certainly wasn´t invited by me. Still think his perceived deficiencies were exaggerated by a lot of fans, which made his job more difficult and less tenable. Don´t expect you to agree, but nor will I change my opinion of him.
Hi bors, "Not being funny but how many of us has left a company to better ourselves (Get paid more!)" Nothing wrong with that, everybody has the right to better themselves. "you also have to ask why it was acrimonious? " Because Lambert tried to say our club construed dismissal when it was he who wanted to leave, our board made it plain they wished to retain his services. So his statement was just a smokescreen to justify his leaving and make out he had a reason to leave. At the time legal action was threatened, Don't you consider that acrimonious ? "The clubs only would have received accusations that besmirched it if it had likely done something to besmirch it!" Just because Lambert made the accusation didn't mean it was a fact. Both parties settled the dispute and moved on. I emphasised your word likely as you yourself are unsure if it was a fact.
Indeed "likely" was because of the uncertainty surrounding his departure to all but a very limited few within the club I would imagine. But neither he nor the club came up smelling of roses. but we move on. Still like and appreciate Lambert for one of the greatest spells to be a City fan and will always love the club as it is bigger than any manager and will hopefully go on from strength to strength casting a mighty shadow over those unfortunates 40 odd miles to the south! Bah!
True General bor, gone for good, we have definitely moved on. Like you say our country cousins have more to regret than us. Three more points this weekend or even one will be a further step in the right direction.
Did he? He was sacked in the lead up to the most vital games of the season, and the board thought we would be better off with a youth team manager. I liked the bloke, he just couldn't manage our club unfortunately.
Agree with Norkie Lambert got too big headed, and his attitude to my club was disgraceful. I think the fans left the club in no doubt and no option but to sack Houghton, I was at that game and hadn't experienced anything like that at Norwich for a very long time if ever. It was a fan revolt.
