loosely speaking he's done what was asked, but the quality of football has been in the most part horrible to watch. I can see why some people are now saying give him the chance, but I still feel his first thought is always don't loose, rather than win. If he's given the chance to spend large sums this summer and by 10 games into next season its still the same we'll be in the same position as QPR were last year with Hughes, effectively season over! Its a tough business football and tough calls have to be made, it would be like shooting the family pet but still needs to be done.
As I've said before I'm all for stability and believe that CH can bring in attacking quality to join RVW. Also his target was to keep us up, he has, you don't fire someone when they make the target because it wan't pretty enough. You know, Unless your chelsea. that said his target for next year will be more than just survive and he will have to evolve the team and style of play to succeed.
Most of the second half of the season has been a bit like toothache - painful with the odd spot of relief. Finally, you go to the dentist (Carrow Road yesterday at 1645 hrs) the tooth is out and he toothache is gone. You feel ok again and start to look forward to eating nice food again. That's how I feel right now. Hughton has achieved the aim that was set to him - he has kept us up. Painful it may have been most of the time (see above) but we can now look forward to another season in the PL thanks to what Hughton has done. It was never going to be easy for him was it and if we change managers now we'll be in the same position as we were last season when Lambert left. Let's give him the close season to add to the squad with some quality signings (those he has made so far have been good - I include Becchio here), get some continuity in and approach the new season with confidence and pride.
I seem to remember feeling something similar to that last year, OCF. In the last 12 games City have had 3 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses. In the equivalent 12 games last season, it was 2 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses. It wasn't all rosy under PL.
Stick - this is about building a fortress not a wigwam, and he's got the methodology to do that. I must admit the fingernails scratching down the blackboard of my mind were occurring a few too many times this season, but I think the pointers are there - he's a decent honest bloke and I think the attitude of the players this season bears most of all on their adaptability to him, rather than the other way around. A squad who were told "not to ****ing lose" from the bi-line last season are not getting the same language. For most footballers that's the difference between English and *****lian. I think the players will adapt to the new gentleness, and just because he speaks a different press conference, doesn't make him any the less the manager of players. Let's give peace a chance
I have always said I dislike the way Norwich have got through too many managers. I was asked pre season who I wanted as manager by Supers and I said Chris Hughton. His record and demeanour said NCFC. I was shocked with our start to the season but that run of 10 games restored my belief. The last 5 months have reduced me to being a big critic of his style of play. The season is over and I do not want to see him sacked. But I hope those who believe his tactics will change with "his" squad, are right. Because if Prem football is all that matters, then he will be judged on that. But if he does want us to move on as he quoted WBA yesterday, I hope we don't return to this season's fare if it starts badly. We could get an awful start to the fixtures of course and have only a few points. Lets hope he keeps his nerve.
He has a point! The opportunity to chop and change opinion on the basis of bad game/good game should be taken into account. EG I still cannot really comprehend how abject WBA actually were
Never thought that the poll answer would be quite so emphatic! 38-2...wow! Anyway, majority of our problems stemmed from our strikers' form and Ruddy's injury. You could fairly say that we were overly defensive in the 2nd half of the season, but occasional tactical ineptitude on the part of Hughton, is not the root cause of our problems. We simply weren't clinical enough when presented with an opportunity of scoring...
I say get rid of him, the main reasons being I have seen no development over the season only regression I don't like what Hughton says post match, his attitude just stinks of "little norwich" I don't trust his instincts and what he plans to do with the team Its got nothing to do with the points tally, its entirely due to the style of play, long balls from wide areas to one central target and his dumb ass expectancy that we'd score goals I like his signings this season, I love Wolfswinkle (which definitely isn't "little Norwich"), I'll always endorse foreign players in the team as I spent about 9 months of last year harping on about it. but I just cannot shake from my head he's just going to try and play the same as this season, but with better players. That feeling just gets reinforced every time he talks and when I read articles about what he's said. I really do hope he changes his philosophy because we are getting a lot of money and I don't want us going down the Stoke route where you spend millions with nothing of decent to watch at the end of it.
Fair comments carrabuh, though I'm farily convinced CH will still be in charge next season - at least till Xmas. Totally agree with your last sentence!!!
The thing is, IF we had lost against West Brom, the vote would be most likely be reversed with most wanting him out. As far as I'm concerned, you can't just chop and change your opinion on the basis of one game. Fair enough if you have had faith with him all season, but I don't understand the back and forth nature of wanting him out and then all of a sudden he's a good manager because we are suddenly safe. We could have been relegated and he'd be no better or worse. Euphoria and relief doesn't change how good a manager he is.
No. We need stability and I can't see who else we can attract that would be better. Fed up of seeing managers sacked so hastily by clubs.
I think the question is too simplistic for the response to have much meaning. Do we sack him after the Man City game with no one else lined up and the possibility of ending up with Mark Hughes? Of course not. Do we replace him with someone we think on balance would be a more progressive appointment? For me, yes. I suspect the whole argument is academic in any case because the way the mood has swung suggests that CH will be in charge at the start of next season and as a club we will have to live with whatever that may bring. Personally I'm not optimistic because I've seen nothing to suggest that CH has any flexibility whatsoever and I'm pretty sure we are going to get more of the same. I genuinely hope I am completely wrong. On a side note, it's the end of Fox, which makes me very sad. I still think CH has got it completely wrong there. I also worry for Becchio, who seems to have done nothing wrong since arriving, but for some reason was behind Kamara in CH's pecking list. Jackson is also history, which may be the right move, but as a club we owe him a lot since his goals got us where we are now. No room for sentiment, I hear, and I understand that. Yet the argument that CH deserves more time because he is a nice man is also sentiment. I just hope that decision is correct.
All fair points. Re Fox, I just don't think he is strong enough all round unfortunately. To really cut it in the prem you have to have several strings to your bow. I'm sad to see him leave, but if we're going to be here long term I don't think he is the way forward. As for Becchio - the madness has been thoroughly discussed. He certainly looked tidy enough in his cameo and with the assist yesterday. The only thing I would say is we are likely to get 1.5-2m if we do sell him, so we will have barely lost out at all. I won't be worried if he goes or stays. I still think he is a better option than Morison from the bench. It is another example of what appears from the outside to be poor man management from Hughton though. Judging by the rumours in January, Jackson has got plenty of well deserved interest from the Championship and I see him having a solid career there. He'll always have the gratitude of Norwich fans.
Does Johnson has more than one string to his bow? I don't think so. He's been excellent this season and has done what he is good at, but if you are right and Fox is limited, so is Johnson. I guess I am being sentimental in this, but I really don't feel that people are being fair here. The people who seem willing to cut CH so much slack also seem happy to dump a player who helped take us from Div 1 to the Prem and keep us there simply because his current manager doesn't rate him. I think Fox came third in POTS last year which suggests that he CAN cope at this level. I accept he's as good as gone now because he just doesn't fit into the kind of system that CH wants. But I think that is as much a statement about the qualities of Hughton as it is about Fox.
