I think one of the things that really rankles me about Hughton is the little comments about the strikers for the lack of goals. I find this quite irritable given what he is giving them in return. Everyone knows about the defensive set up so I won't bang on about that as it is clear to all. What I don't understand is how they are set up to create these so called chances. Yesterday we had Kamara on his own who is apparently quick etc, however why oh why was he constantly fed these long crosses for him to header, he had nothing to run onto on the floor, he didn't pull wide to make space for others, he was just stuck there on his own with no-one around him. He was played solely as an aerial threat, restricted to where he could move. To back this nonsense up Snodgrass said after the game he was told to get as many balls into the box as possible. This is really just a percentage set up, Snodgrass didn't talk about being told to work the ball to good crossing positions, Hughton wanted the numbers. Quantity not quality. In addition, playing percentages I find it quite astounding that he then reduces the chance significantly by playing Hoolahan as the furthest forward back up, who is not there to pick up percentage balls or flick ons etc, He's not built for it or has the mindset to do such things. The basis of Hughtons attack was Kamara scoring direct from a cross, and that's it. This is from un-worked crosses, from far away. That's his big idea of generating goals. Long cross, to one man. This was made worse by the fact only Snodgrass was the one supplying the crosses. Long cross, from one man, to one man. He is just using a target man for his heading ability and when you have one upfront is just never going to work, that's not a lone strikers job, they have to be given more than that. He's trying to play percentage football and then putting all the cards in the the oppositions favour. He's playing percentage football and quite amazingly cannot even generate a shot on target which is the whole purpose of playing that way, you generate chances (just not good ones). The midfield is not only generating no chances, but when they do arrive they are of such poor quality. Our only real chance of scoring in games is from dead balls as its the only time the percentages are more in our favour. It is the manager who is incompetent, not his strike force, they score from the free kicks because that is the only time they have a chance. Hughton has killed stone dead the chance to score from open play (I have no idea when we last scored this way). His tactics just do battle with each other as far as I'm concerned, there is just no consistent philosophy with what he's saying and what he's doing This man is no tactical genius, you can tell by his post match interview. He needs to be sent packing back to the 1990's where stupid British managers were all the rage.
I have tried to stay away from the boards for the last few weeks/months as I know I will just get worked up and annoyed at how poorly we have played at times. I have been saying for a very long time that we have not looked like scoring from open play and having someone like RVP up front would have done little to increase our chances of scoring if there is no service in the first place. The reason we HAVE to play Hollahoops at the moment is that he is the only person that passes and then moves (and shock horror - not always in a forwards straight line). Without that limited movement we would have no movement at all. The players are so positionally disciplined that you can see the look of worry etched on their faces if they start to stray out of their area of the pitch! If you were on the opposing team, how easy would it be to watch a few videos and think to yourself - this is going to be pretty straightforwards to stop this team from playing? The answer, as has been proved many times over this season, is very easy. On your point about Hughton - I am willing to forgive and forget this season IF he achieves objective number one which was to keep us up as long as I see meaningful improvements in the standard of football we play next year. He has proved, with Ewen Chester, that they can make signings which have proved to be vital to making a difference in terms of individual playing standards (Bassong, Bunn, Snodgrass, Garrido). If he can revamp the attacking flair next year with the same aplomb as he has sorted out the defence then we have the potential to make year on year improvements. I would hate us to end up like Stoke year in year out. If we did, I will not renew my season ticket to watch football of that quality. I just cannot justify it, not with a young family to consider too. What does make me chuckle in all of this is something that Warky harped on about last year when we were all discussing the possibility of signing Hughton. He made it quite clear the sort of football that would be dished up and we all derided him. It must have been one of those rare times where the planets aligned causing Warky, for the first time ever, to speak some sense!!!
I really am finding it hard to make sense of what he's trying to achieve as an attacking sense, its like its intentionally designed not to work.
He was a defender and he seems to think like a defender. He mistrusts skill. Skill means someone made a mistake somewhere.
His assistant was a defender as well, and as a manager of Florist he tried to play Holty on the right wing the season after he'd been their top scoring striker. Coincidence?
I have thought about Calderwoods influence on Holty a florist mate said he really screwed him up there
I don't think Holts been affected by any man management issues or being played out of position, its far more to do with the style of play of the team. He's just getting no chances to score.
He buys Turner, Bassong, Garrido, Whittiker to improve the defence. He then bolts on two defensive midfielders in front of them. He's got one of the wingers defending more than attacking AND then he takes away a further striker. It is a scandalous approach to playing a football match. Nothing geared towards scoring a goal apart from long crossing. That is what this simpleton brings to our team. He has done nothing interesting, nothing new, nothing intelligent, always the most basic thing at every decision he makes. Regardless of what division we are in next season, he has to go. I don't care how nice he is.
There's no fence to sit on anymore, Hughtons knocked it down. I don't think there are many out there who is appreciating what he's doing. I think everyone understands what he's doing and could forgive whilst we had a few points. Now he's running out of things to support his argument. There's really nothing to like about the bloke, his attitude, dull persona, tactics, intelligence. Unfortunately it's too late to sack him now. I think the thing that really does show him up is that no-one is really complaining about the players, I can't look at them and pick out individuals really as being terrible. The players have done exactly whats been asked. Everyone can see that.
I'm pulling a reverse carrabuh guys Instead of wait till something negative happens then popping up for a moan I'm going to wait till something good happens and have a celebration. If we win against Swansea carrabuh will be nowhere to be seen. Only pops up to spread a bit of failure about "In Defeat: Defiance"~Winston Churchill
You can't throw that at me Beef, I have been saying pretty much the same thing all season, even during the unbeaten run. I don't pick and chose my moments Beef.
Thing is mate if we beat Swansea it will be down to a lucky goal or the opposition having a poor game. Nothing inspiring from players or staff on our wage bill, unfortunately.
You need to write in bold capitals Irdan. Beef has got too much sand around his head to read it properly, the rose lenses in his glasses don't help either.
MON is out of a job... No Robert Chase around these days to screw things up and as they say stranger things have happened
