I had a disagreement with Carrabuh earlier in the season about euro v brit players but I can't find any fault in his reasoning at all. Perhaps I would argue that the players could ignore CH in certain situations and go for it. They are supposed to be fairly intelligent about football and I can't believe that they don't take more responsibility around the last third. But that doesn't detract from the main argument which is the style and standard of football that is deliberately served up. I had high hopes that we had assembled a backroom staff that would continue the attacking and progressive style of football we have been used to over many decades. Newcastle appeared to have taken that route and having seen Bristol Rovers, I knew that Trollope liked to play good football. And despite the apparent eccentricities I believed Calderwood had come from footballing backgrounds. At first we thought the new style had emerged from an awful start to the season. But on reflection, we were never ambitious then, but we didn't have Bassong and Tettey was the only difference. I don't want to see us continually changing managers, it doesn't work. The Binners bless 'em have had only 14 managers since they came into the league and they have hit the jackpot in terms of the highest value domestic trophy and we never will now. And I would never ever not watch, follow, discuss and support NCFC. But the current management team and style is spoiling my involvement with the club. I know many posters feel it is disloyal to criticise. But Lambert was seen as our best manager ever by some until he had the temerity to leave us but now he was just a gung ho chancer who would probably have relegated us this season. I understand the loyalty to CH. I really hope he changes and continues to progress this club. But when he turns out the dire stuff he has recently, I can't bring myself to say well done when it doesn't deserve it.
Carrabuh knows his football, when it comes to team/formation/ tactics analysis this guy's got it right.
Assuming we scrape over the line, I do worry about next season, and like others sat can't see at the moment a change of tactics forthcoming. If we finish the season on poor form it could easily roll into next season Seriously unsure if ch is the right man for us right now
Judging by what Hughton has said post match he has no intention of changing he just wants better strikers to score more goals on the scraps he feeds them.
My comment wasn't suggesting he's being played out of position (though how many times has he actually been in the box in a goal scoring position all season?), rather he is being asked to do more defensive work for the team instead of being let off the leash to do what he is the best in our club at - sticking the ball in the net. What did Holt get booked for on Saturday by the way? I literally turned off after they'd scored and only saw that he'd been booked in the post-match write up. For all the tub-thumping interviews, saying how happy he is the club he's been giving lately I bet he's seriously pissed off with the way things are going - and who could blame1 him? He didn't looked particularly happy when coming on against Sunderland, in fact I'd even go as far as to say he looked massively ****ed off and completely disinterested in the instructions Hootun was giving him. But of course as Beef will no doubt tell me I'm completely wrong about that.
I think with the benefit of hindsight we'd have even been better off with Steve Bruce after all, at least he has a bit of passion about him.
Oh no. There are limits, TMC. Bruce would have been as awful in terms of tactics plus he would have brought in a lot of very crap players. At least Hughton's left us with some good footballers if he goes.
Absolutely right. If we go down, which is starting to look likely in my opinion, it's the manager - period. Perhaps our one hope is that the players start to take things into their own hands. It happens sometimes when a manager tries to programme them like robots.
Best post on this thread I have been criticised for backing our past managers to the very last as like every fan you want to see things work out, and changing managers often disrupts stability and creates more upheaval and more transition, but often you need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and although I think Hootun is clearly one of football's 'nice guys' serious questions have to be asked at the end of the season. I think after Lambert he was always in for a tough job and has done well in his time with you but clearly something is a miss and his limitations are beginning to catch up with him. But it's up to him to prove he should still have a contract after the summer in the final few matches left this season.
What I think, hope and pray is that the enormous cash prize for staying up this year has made him turn to trying not to lose, rather than trying to win! As others have said, on here and elswhere, we'll know by Christmas, if we are low in the table by then, it will be time for a rethink!
Even I am starting to lose a bit of faith tbh. The performances are beginning to look like watching the England team - a few flashes of promise followed by endless slow, boring and unimaginative displays, ultimately ending in failure. I'm not one for constantly changing manager in pursuit of short term success as I believe that strong teams need to be built slowly with gradual improvement, but we just don't seem to be showing the appetite for attacking teams anymore. I don't pretend to understand the complexities of football management and tactics but we do just seem far too fearfull of losing matches at present when we should be focussed on winning them. Not gung ho, 'full speed ahead and to hell with the torpedoes' stuff, but movement and space when attacking and players getting up quickly to support attacks. Safety first, sitting back and absorbing opponents attack after attack obviously isn't working and I can't quite get why CH isn't trying something else. Like others have said it's obvious to most of us, so why can't CH who after all IS a professional fully trained, time served and professionally qualified football manager operating at the highest levels see this and do something about it instead of setting us up in the same way week after week? Lambert had his faults, but he did change things when they weren't working, not always succesfully, but at LEAST HE TRIED! I'd hate to see us go down without trying something different to get that win we all desperately want.
I like some others have refrained from talking about CH but I must admit its now time to get some stuff off my chest. Now we all know he had one job to do and it looks like he will probably do it,but my God is has been a long,dull season hasnt it?I look back to the home games West Ham,QPR,Newcastle and Fulham.All four teams that were there for the taking but we fell flat on our arses. Unbelievably as well to myself,wife and friends I have suggested the thought of giving up my season ticket as I have become a tad disillusioned with the Prem,the one one place we all strive to be.Do get me wrong its been great watching the best players in the world and all that but the attitude towards the cups has really pissed me off.Its all about the bloody Prem and staying there at whatever cost.The price being dull defensive football,and the only person I can blame for that is CH,not his fault I know but he is the man at the helm.Now the chances of me giving up my season ticket are low,but for it to even enter my brain has got to me. I do now wonder how long CH has got.Mr McNally is no mug and must be thinking the same as a lot of us are.If we stay up then its all about the first 10-15 games next season in my view.Im hoping very much that he concentrates on the scoring side of things,because I like a lot of us dont want to be Stoke.My mind would then be made up and its bye bye season ticket. Its all abit like a trip to the dentist at the mo.We hate going there but deep down we know its for the best.
At least the dentist only lasts half an hour and the pain is gone within another hour, and you usually only have to go every 6 months.
I'm in two minds about CH. Half of me thinks he should stay on till the end of season and then go, and the other half thinks he should feck off now:
