Chris Hughton - Promotion Specialist

The next Bristol City manager: What makes early favourite Chris Hughton such a promotion specialist?
The former Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United manager is the overwhelming fans' favourite for the job

Lee Johnson’s departure from Ashton Gate last week means that Bristol City’s hierarchy will be searching for a new boss for the first time since 2016.

A run of poor results in the league left the Robins without a realistic chance of making the play-offs and finally ending their long-awaited promotion to the Premier League after considerable financial spending.

Former Newcastle and Brighton boss Chris Hughton remains bookmakers favourite to take the job on a permanent basis, and remains the overwhelming choice of supporters.

Hughton would represent an exciting appointment for a number of reasons. Ultimately, City’s aim as a club is to gain promotion to the Premier League. It has been four years since Johnson said that the club have ambitions of playing in the Europa League within five seasons.

While that remains highly unlikely, there are several structures in place at the club to suggest that promotion to the top flight under a coach of Hughton's calibre would be a realistic aim.

Therefore, the 61-year-old’s experience at getting teams out of the Championship will be something that impresses City’s hierarchy having achieved it previously with Newcastle (2010) and Brighton & Hove Albion (2017).

Promotion specialist
Aside from the astonishing points total, Hughton demonstrated his know-how of the league and ability to manage high expectations. Newcastle’s relegation to the Championship was somewhat of a blip in their history, and earning promotion in such comprehensive fashion said a lot about Hughton’s strengths as a manager.

Hughton's ability to win the Championship by 11 points amid a season of fan unrest, ownership trouble and a non-existent transfer budget just goes to show where his focus lies and with Bristol City's solid hierarchy, the job is only going to be be made easier.

A whopping 102 points was enough to send his Newcastle side up, despite having to sell some of his best players at the start of the season. The likes of Obafemi Martins, Damien Duff and Mark Viduka all left St James' Park, showing the Hughton knows what it is like to sell your best players.

Being able to manage expectations would most likely be something he’d have to do at Ashton Gate. City have dreamed of promotion to the Premier League for a number of years and continued development of the club’s structure highlights their ambitious plans.

Hughton’s ascension to the Premier League with Brighton during the 2016/17 season presented a different task to the one at St James’ Park but one that might be more in line with what he would face on BS3.

The Seagulls had only been in the second tier of English football since promotion from League One in 2011 but Hughton’s measured style of management saw them promoted again with Glenn Murray firing on all cylinders in attack.

Hughton would need that goalscoring striker at his disposal (Nahki Wells?) but having taken a team to their first season in the Premier League before, there's no reason why he couldn't do it again, once again with measured spending a solid spine in his side.

Style of play
During his time at Newcastle, Hughton adopted somewhat of a pragmatic approach considering that he was originally given the job on a temporary basis. However, amassing a total of 102 points showed how the manager got the very best out of his team in a challenging league.

Both Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll scored 17 goals apiece in what was a physically and aerially-dominant Newcastle side. Yet there also proved to be an even spread of goals with Peter Lovenkrands (13) and Shola Ameboi (10) also hitting double figures in the league.

While Hughton has enjoyed success in the Championship, a record-breaking season with Newcastle was based on a simple 4-4-2 system that allowed the likes of Nolan and Carroll to perform well in tandem.

A total of 40 goals conceded in 46 games again highlights how Hughton is a manager adept at setting up teams defensively and allowing a number of attackers the freedom to score goals at the other end.

The same could be said for his Brighton side, with Murray, Sam Baldock, Tomar Hemed and Anthony Knockaert all hitting double figures. The side conceded just 40 that season, highlighting once again how Chris Hughton builds his team on a solid back four and several potent attacking threats.

Hughton likes a consistent pair of centre-backs who can get him through the season, with Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy still in Brighton's Premier League side to this day.

Recruitment strategy
For all of Hughton’s success at Newcastle, he had little involvement in recruitment given that he originally took the job as a caretaker manager. However, his time at Brighton could indicate that City fans should feel optimistic about increased success in the transfer market.

The likes of Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Steve Sidwell all arrived in the summer of 2016 to help the club gain promotion to the Championship with their experience of the second tier and proven quality.

All three players went on to represent the club in the Premier League and help them to safety the following season and it is that type of long-term recruitment that City will hope for if they appoint Hughton.

But it's not just experience that Hughton brings in. Oliver Norwood came through the doors of the Amex for the promotion season and was a regular before signing for Sheffield United, with the midfielder now a consistent starter in the Premier League for the Blades.

He also has an eye for the loan market, bringing in Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori at the start of the season. A blend of experienced signings and youth in the loan market is exactly the blend City will be looking for.

He had no choice but to explore the loan market and free transfers at Newcastle as this was the only form of transfers he was able to partake in at first, and with the current financial climate meaning free transfers will be aplenty this season, Hughton is no stranger to this.

If City do go with Hughton, they are going with the luxury of a man who has had both difficulty in navigating the transfer market at Newcastle and more freedom to bring players in at Brighton. With City not afraid to spend money, but this window looking tight for clubs across the EFL, the candidate is equipped to deal with all possibilities.

The 61-year-old presents an interesting option given that he is neither a young experimental manager like Johnson nor is he a purely results-based manager like Tony Pulis or Neil Warnock. Instead, he has an interesting blend between the two and his pragmatic style of play combined with effective recruitment certainly typifies that.

Management style - what has been said about Hughton?
You only have to look as far as Lewis Dunk to realise the type of impact that the manager can have on his players. The Brighton centre back has been captain of the side for a number of years and spoke highly of Hughton at the end of 2018.

He told the club’s official website: “I've had a few managers at this club, and he's definitely up there with the best I've had in my career.

"It's massive to have him at the club. He's been massive for my development. I think I've come on leaps and bounds since he's been in charge.

"I've become more and more consistent and he's calmed me down as a player. A few years ago I was getting a lot of bookings and I've calmed down recently.

"That's probably down to talking to and learning off him, because he was a defender too."

Hughton’s calming influence on his sides is undoubtedly something that helps his sides towards promotion and coming to City could solve a number of internal issues highlighted under Johnson this season.

Like Brighton in 2016, the project at Ashton Gate has seen significant financial backing from the owners with on-field investment as well as a renovated stadium. That type of financial support brings with an expectation to deliver and Hughton’s calm persona suggests he could be the right man for the job.

With a total of nine Manager of the Month awards in the Championship, it stands to reason that he would be an impressive appointment for City and one that would signal a huge sign of intent.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/next-bristol-city-manager-what-4312345

 

2 teams promoted to the Premier League, 2010, 2017, 102 points achieved in 1 season, 11 points clear for promotion, 9 manager of the month awards, good goals against and for record plus all of the other listed qualities, what a step up this guy could be.