Hopefully we can all see the humour in that. Especially as we wave bye bye to Stoke from the giddy heights of 16th
Yes I remember that. Amazing footage - and quite scary! When things get really bad, we can always remember things could be worse. Even WHU arent that bad at the minute. Back to Saints, we all seem to be making wild assumption here based on a rumour that has not even been confirmed yet. IF it is Mark Hughes, there is no info that it will be a short or long term contract. IF it is a short term contract there is no info on who is driving that. Hughes himself may be thinking 'if they get relegated I don't want to hang around' or 'if they stay up I will be in demand elsewhere'. Alternatively WE may have our eyes on a manager that may miss out on promotion with another club.
Or he might just become the next "Firefighter Sam" You know, a "big sam" clone that saves a club from the abyss; then is (cruelly? ) dispensed with shortly afterwards.... What price loyalty, eh?
I think what fans forget is that footballers are used to having contracts at a club and then moving on. Fans cannot change their loyalty (or at least rarely do) whereas players and managers are used to moving on, meeting new team mates and developing new loyalties. Rather like a serial monogamist. I think that while at a club they do care and try their best....notably for their team mates and then for the fans (if any rapport has been built). Only rarely do you get complete dickheads. Our next manager will care whilst he is here....his money is guaranteed (apart from any bonuses)...but he will care for results and his reputation. Fine by me.
I'm not unhappy with Hughes...I'm basing this on the fact that the last bloke to do the job was rubbish and nearly anyone would be a better option. He did ok with Stoke for a while and while I don't see us pulling up trees for the next 9 games I'm expecting an improvement in form and to just squeak over the line to safety.
Anyone considered that the until the end of the season thing might be at Hughes insistence and not the board. If we go down he walks with no guilt attached. If we stay up he becomes a wanted commodity so could still walk for a better deal. He is holding all the cards here if he was our first aim.
Just reading through a Stoke forum go into meltdown at the news Pellegrino has been sacked, then all start celebrating and laughing that Hughes is going to take over . Football fans eh?
Whilst I don't disagree it is very easy to see the other side to it. There is no incentive for the players to impress their new boss as he will likely be gone at the end of the season (tbf so will majority of the players). If we go down Hughes' reputation isn't that badly damaged (look at how people still chat about Redknapp and how good a manager he is despite how **** he did here for far longer than Hughes will get). There is no long term stability for Hughes so no incentive to do well. Even if he keeps us up there probably won't be any PL level jobs he would be likely to get in the summer, so I don't think adding a "saved Saints who were 17th anyway" to his CV will help him all that much. I would be very surprised if there wasn't some sort of clause that his deal gets extended to end of next season if we survive.
Stoke fans pointing out that he wanted Redmond, Lemina, Gabbiadini and Cedric over there, so at least Manolo might get a couple of games. They also say he's a "notoriously slow starter" which is a concern!
Turned down by Mark Hughes. That's like asking the least attractive girl in the room for a dance, and she blows you out.
Dave Watson can go IMO. Any goal-keeping coach (exasperated by the fact he is the England keeping coach) who backs Fraser Forster for so long needs his head looking at.
