good post munky. re the highlighted part, we can't just rely on results against these teams, as it won't be enough in the long term to stay up. hopefully we'll continue this good record and pick up some other results, e.g Southampton at home. out of those teams around us, we've WBA, Sunderland and Fulham all coming up before the end of the month.
It's been a while since I posted on here but last night has finally made me realise that Hughton has lost the plot. Some of the tactical decisions he has made over the last three or four games have been ridiculous. First half against West Ham, we were shocking, second half, he changed tactics and we won. Did he stick with that successful formula against Newcastle? No he returned to his 4-5-1 formation that he claims is a 4-3-3 and we lost. Palace come to Carrow Road and while it wasn't the best game in the world we won. Despite this, he still failed to realise what everyone else in the ground and the media had seen and that was that we were more attacking with the right footed Redmond on the right and the left footed Hoolahan on the left. So we go to Anfield and what does he do? Drop the inform Hooper and stick Hoolahan on the right and Redmond on the left. I don't want to see anyone lose there job, but Hughton's insistence on playing a 4-5-1 that he thinks is a 4-3-3, the use of 'inverted' wingers, even though we looked better playing regular wingers, playing people out of position and dropping in form players is convincing me the man has lost the plot.
I keep seeing the argument that its our style of play as the main reason they want CH out. That if we played nice attacking football but still lost, at least playing nice football would be some consolation. I'm sorry i've seen norwich play bad and win and i've seen them play out their skin and lose, i know which i prefer walking home! CH is trying to keep his job. He can only do this by winning games and having enough points to avoid relegation. Until he stop doing either of those things i for one believe he should stay.
Which teams are worse than us? Considering everything, squad, manager potential etc I come up with 2, maybe 3 that are worse- it's going to be very difficult to avoid relegating but that was always going to be the case
I have absolutely no confidence in our ability to beat West Brom away, and sadly the same could be said of Hughton...
I finally did what I should have done ages ago! I told him his father must be horrified by his lack of respect and I've unfollowed him! Ed Butterworth that is!
A scouser at the gym today reckoned that they were good rather than we were bad.Rather Suarez was good and also had a bit of luck with his shooting.Worse teams than us.Palace,Sunderland,Fulham,West Ham,Cardiff,Stoke.
I think that this is very much a situation in balance. It's natural to react emotionally to a bad defeat, but this was nothing like the ManCity result. The players were fighting throughout. Much as I hate to say it, Suarez had a blinder that was almost beyond belief. Coutinho might have got an 8, but the rest of the team were good (7), but not world beating. I don't feel a lot of people realise the effect of injuries. Redmond, Hoolahan and Murphy look ok going forward, but they don't track back like Snods and Pilks do. That showed big time last night. It's not their fault, but it's a huge learning curve. I still don't know how all of this will play out in the end, but for me, it's too early to throw in the towell.
Do people realise that the whole standing off thing is a characteristic of Hughtons since he's been here. Its deliberate, they are told to do it. It maintains shape.
I think that is pretty obvious! He sets his team out to be disciplined and hold their shape rather then press the ball. You can play that way successful if implemented properly. Although as I said elsewhere I think it is and will become an increasingly less successful way of playing. Personally prefer a pressing game.
I'm not as convinced about that as you are about that Carrabuh. But then perhaps I lack your psychic powers. I think it can depend on the skills of the players you're playing against.
I don't think you can watch us and really say anything otherwise. Your talking more about whether its successful, it may well be why we are dismal against the better movement of the better sides. I don't think our team has a great deal of self expression about them.
'Self expression'? Go wash your mouth out with soap, young man. We don't like those fancy ideas around here.
There is a lot of similarities with Pulis here.He kept a team up for several seasons through sheer doggedness.It's not pretty to watch and I don't pretend to know the answer to those who want pretty..My guess is that ultimately Hughton's tactics will get us more points than three other sides.Don't discount one of those being Stoke and one of them not being Palace.it is written in the wind isn't it?
I say give Chris hughton the time he needs. How long that is I am unsure. What I do know is that 18 months is not long enough for anyone to have a proper influence. We've tried the chopping and changing approach and proved that doesn't work, remember? He is a good manager, if not still a bit naive in his tactical decisions from time to time. It's easy for us to make the decisions for him, as we're all top rare managers ourselves. The difference is doing it under the pressure of potentially losing your company 80 million quid if it goes tits up, under severe scrutiny from the 24 hour media who watch and judge your every move. Think I'll stay in the stands.
