I was in the company of some switched on Stoke City fans yesterday and to a man, they all are very pleased with Mark Hughes first season. After I had got over the surprise of this, they went on to tell me that they're now watching a much better standard of football; quote 'we nearly fell over when the 'keeper rolled the ball out rather than kicking long' at the beginning of last season. The overall impression they have formed is that Mark Hughes has something to prove, given his failure at QPR, and has brought in like minded players (citing the example of Stephen Ireland). Ironically, they see a much happier and harmonious dressing room! They reassured me that the QPR match (at their gaff) is going to be spicy and that they're just as aware of the ill feeling towards Mark Hughes. So much so that they're making sure I'm there too (in their corporate box) at the Britannia on Saturday 31 January. Looking forward to it already!
He's done a fantastic job there. Not only did he get them their best ever PL league position but he's totally transformed the way they play. Not an easy thing to do at a Club where a certain philosophy is deeply embedded. He's also done it all on the cheap, relatively speaking. That doesn't alter the fact that he was a total and unmitigated disaster for us.
Well he kept them up I suppose and it is all relative to what they were watching before. Ironically TP seems to have done a good job at Palace without the route one stuff.
I don't know how many tens of thousands (possibly millions) of words have been written about Hughes' tenure at QPR but it's no surprise he has done ok at Stoke. He was a part (albeit a significant one) of a complex organisation that was toxic at the core and, therefore, destined to fail. I'm over him. Let's look to the future.
Its all about money with Hughes failures. When he has had money to spend, he has completely cocked it up - wasted it on poor players, and those with poor attitudes. Not only at QPR, but at Man City. Look as some of the players he brought in there.
Mark Hughes is a QPR legend. He played a major part in giving 40000 QPR fans one of the best days in our history.
This. Looking forward to the pantomine villian stick he's going to get when we play Stoke but otherwise let's move on from the debacle of our last Premiership season. A lot of water (and a great deal of Wembley cheer) under the bridge since then.
He's already made more signings than that you plank. Credit must go to Stoke's chairman here. He's kept the leash on him and that's why its worked out. Hopefully Tony is doing likewise with Harry right now.
He also doesn't have his chief scout who was supposed to be amazing, working with him. Who also has to take a lot of the credit for a lot of our purchases.
After the Hughes era, I wouldn't trust any single manager with unfettered access to funds and a licence to sign whoever they like. That episode taught me that a good, solid Chairman with a vision is just as important as backing the Manager. A nice healthy balance is required and that goes for all Managers we'll ever have.
I don't know when it was, but I said something along the lines of I hope TF keeps Redknapp in check. I'll try and find it.
Can't work out how to link to the original thread, but this a copy and paste: Quote Originally Posted by Stroller View Post âItâs important that the right characters come to this football club now. This canât be a place where good footballers come to die anymore,â TF understands this now. Let's hope he keeps Redknapp in check with his signings Strolls, you're a top bloke but given your recent record of predicting how we'd flop, I'd keep schtum for a while if I was you. Barton talks about the incredible team spirit they have now, yet instead of praising Redknapp for what frankly has been an unbelievable turnaround from the no-hopers and toxic dressing room we had last season, you give him Jip and hope he won't be allowed bring in any more of his kind of players? Incredible. Thank Christ "The QPR way" is way way in the past and never to return
