I hope I'm proved wrong but I think you'll be on here all bloody season because you've still got nothing to discuss and nobody to do it with on the binners board! Bah!
But surely the changing constantly is also worthy of critisism, the team can't find any real cohesion or understanding, can't fashion a decent chance and he tears them apart and starts differently again next game. Say what you like about last season but it was only when he gave Hools a run and had a settled side that we got some results, we got foulnd out and he was then to scared to change anything again. Bah!
You'd think they would all be in hiding after Sunday!, it's going to be a long, long, long season for them
Nail head. Whilst I would like some stability to build at the club, its no good building on quicksand. May be he should have till 10 games in, maybe not. I think he should get at least the 10 to try to turn it round. But i do suspect it will just be giving him further rope to hang himself. Bah!
Well, he was using different tactics for different games, something people against CH have been advocating he never does. Whatever he does is wrong!! PL used different formations/team compositions and was applauded. Every team seems to use their squad and set up according to the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition
That's part of the problem now - whatever he does is wrong. We're very near the point of no return in my opinion. If he keeps the same side, he'll be called stubborn and unimaginative. If he changes it, he'll be accused of not knowing what he's doing. What is worse, unless he has nerves of steel, he will be second-guessing all his options. It's no longer just 'which side is the best option to play at Stoke?' but also 'what will be the reaction if I do X? Do Y? If I drop Z?' He's fighting for his job now and so decisions become complicated and self-conscious. But basically I think he only has himself to blame in many ways. Last season he had a lot of credit in the bank - both in terms of fan satisfaction and in terms of points in the bag. Then, when the results dried up after the ten match run, he just seemed like a rabbit in headlights, as if he couldn't make a decision to change anything and try something new. It just got worse and worse and worse, especially in terms of performances. Except for people like Carrabuh, who was always critical, that's when he first started losing the fans. I think a win at Stoke and a result against either chelsea or arsenal would save him for now. Otherwise I think he's had it.
this basically is my worry now and why i wrote the other thread. it seems he can do no right in some eyes and even if he is faultless in a game, he still gets blamed. its his team - the buck stops with the manager as it always has and always will, but as i keep maintaining, there are some serious over reactions from fans who are now jumping on anything they can, no matter how tiny or even relevant. i hope i'm wrong with my instinct but we've been here before - it shouldn't be the case but its now very difficult for hughton to win a reasonable percentage of the fans around now, no matter what he does and that means only one thing in the end...
You know I'm generally critical of Hughton, and that while I think you argued your case well in the 'Resigned' thread I think Carrabuh has the weight of evidence on his side, but I have to say Hughton didn't do anything wrong at the weekend in my opinion (except possibly he should have started with an extra midfielder and not included Elmander). But maybe even that decision was due to the pressure of knowing he would be slated if he began with an obvious 4-5-1 and then lost the game. I wouldn't even call it a terrible performance. Toothless, perhaps, but nowhere near as awful as e.g Newcastle at home last season. But again, once the pressure goes on, that's it.
i'd be worried if the manager is making decisions simply to keep a few moaning fans happy! judging from his recent comments, that's not the case. i too would have gone 5 in midfield (as indeed i almost always would) but then its easy with hindsight and actually, we dominated much of the game in the formation we played. i like elmander but he is a little lost in 'the hole'. i think that position on the pitch is better vacated as we don't really have a natural player to play there other than hoolahan who i suppose could come in. otherwise i'd get tettey in the holding role and let fer and howson, who looked a tidy partnership get on with driving forward. fer has already showed he has an eye for a pass and howson is a danger in and around the box. for me, that is our best way forward from here
He can't effing win then, can he? It's becoming a cliche, but football's a squad game now, clubs like ours have to adapt depending on who we play. You don't play the same 11 players in every bleeding game. Ridiculous point...
to be fair, i'd like to see a more settled side, even if its just for three games. the problem hughton has had is that he's never been able to pick from a fully fit squad! ok, that may always be the case with injuries a constant issue but he's certainly not been able to utilise two of his new signings hardly at all for fitness reasons. too many people are being influenced by last seasons poor run imo. this is a new season and although some may not see them, there have been signs that there has been a shift in the style which lets face it, was the main reason for some fans displeasure above all else, even when we were doing well and we were getting some great results. he's obviously worked on solving that and now its all about the results! as someone mentioned earlier, some said they'd 'rather play attacking football and lose'. well, we did that on saturday...
Sums up CH's current position perfectly for me: http://thepremierleagueowl.com/chris-hughton-looking-more-vulnerable-at-norwich/
But he only made two changes for the game against Villa? Had he made none, people would be lambasting him for not changing 'that awful team against Spurs'. Not to mention, that on the other thread, you said you wanted Tettey and Hooper to come in for Elmander and van Wolfswinkel for our next match? I don't quite understand...
I'm not suggesting he's doing that consciously. But, as I've said elsewhere, no matter how tough you are, or even how confident in your own ability, the decisions become complicated and start to generate multiple significance once the pressure really begins to bite. Two away wins this week would do a lot to take the heat off for the moment, and preferably two decent performances. The Stoke game, especially, looks crucial.
I'm afraid I completely agree with it. I personally think it was just an off-day, where too many individuals failed to show up, but I think he's bang on there.
our approach play was often good and we got the full backs into great positions but our final ball, decision making and defending for the goal were all really, really bad! we weren't disorganised but we did let villa look a better side than they are. in fact, on the evidence of saturday, i fully expect to finish above them for a third consecutive season
