BottledDog

Thats knee jurk if ever isaw it, and who ever said he was top notch. Just enjoy it instead of getting your knickers in a twist The only people getting their knickers in a twist are those who can’t accept any opinion that diverges from the partyline. If you choose to swallow all the gumpf that’s been written about Hughton this season that’s your prerogative. I prefer to give him credit for what he’s done this season and wait until he’s proven himself in more testing circumstances before getting a stiffy. You are playng both sides of the fence here, bonny lad. You are prepared to give him credit (wow, this is big of you) but you would actually rather someone else as manager (hopefully Ashley isnt rading your opinions). Facts are this: He took over a depleted squad bewildered by the events of last season, Had no money to spend last summer. Worked on a week by week contract, as did Calderwood. Lost most of his star names, fortunately. Lost his most influential striker early Forced to play a kid on his own up front but still got results. Spent limited funds in January wisely continued to gain results and top of the league. gelled his squad together despite difficult periods of losing further influential players, Taylor, Barton, Colo, Enrique, Smith etc Improved the standard of football especially at hoime as season has gone on. ONLY LOST FOUR LEAGUE GAMES ALL SEASON Only lost once in thne last 26 league games. Despite losing quality defenders, has best defensive record in the division Has the only unbeaten home record in all divisions will be promoted with at least 5 games of the season left to play. Possibly smash 100 points record and 90 goals for season AND YOU GRUDGINGLY DEEM SOME CREDIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mate, you know jackshit about football and would be more suited to ready steady go or whatever those philistines 12 miles down the road are called. If you accept we probably started season with the best squad in the division then the key task at hand was to motivate them. Now as an unremarkable pre-season programme drew to an end the highly motivated and well organised team that Hughton was managing went to Leyton Orient, and got thrashed 6-1. This prompted the now legendary ‘you’re with us or not’ players meeting, where it would seem a group of senior players (Nolan, Butt and Smith?) decided to take matters into their own hands. We know this to be true as it’s been put forward as the catalyst for the superb team spirit by the players themselves on numerous occasions. Hughton can take credit for going with the flow, perhaps even spotting when he was onto a good thing and creating an environment where the players resolve didn’t waiver when we hit a long losing streak. However, anyone who knows jackshit about football knows it’s a very thin line between the players having a healthy input and the losing control. It’s worked this season and Hughton can take credit for this. He can also take credit for buying a right winger and moving Guthrie inside, as we all thought Guthrie’s best position was wide right and having two plodders in central midfield was the best thing since sliced bread did we not? Next season will be a totally different proposition. The players will think that wrongs have been righted, that they are back where they belong. The motivational spur they had this season will be gone. No doubt they’ll set a new target but when they lose a game it won’t be as easy to bounce back. Confidence will be eroded and taking the lads ten pin bowling won’t restore it. Hughton will have to motivate players who motivated themselves this season, he might be up to the job or he might not. There’s also the issue of bringing in new players – would he, for example, have the balls to replace Nolan and Smith, and will this season’s togetherness remain if two of its main protagonists find themselves out of the team for long stretches. Hughton has succeeded this season by being a pragmatist, which is obviously his natural way of doing things. What we don’t know is to what extent he shaped events and to what extent he was led by them. As I keep saying, he’s done enough to lead us into next season but question marks remain. Much of what you say about so called player power is absolute nonsense and heresay. Yes, you are probably right that there is a group of players who form a committee in motivation as well as many other facets of playing for the club, including tickets on matchdays, organiosing social turns etc etc etc. If you read Roy Keanes biography, you will see it happens at Manchester United as well as most other clubs. This is not to say that the players pick the team. What is happening at NUFC now is no different to what was happening several years ago under SBR with the likes of Shearer, Given, Speed etc dealing with certain matters as detailed above. The Orient event was well documented in the papers but do you believe everything you read? Are you saying the players themselves sorted the problems out? Absoluite rubbish. You seem to be basiing much of your opinion on the fact the Hughton is a mild mannered man, not subject to rants and ravings like many of his predessors in the job. It has been stated on several occasions by many players at the club this season, and in particular by Nolan, Smith and Harper, even young Ranger, that Hughton has a temper on him and uses it when it matters. As for the squad at the beginning of the season, just a reminder that the club lost Owen, Viduka, Martins, Beye, Edgar and several others without replacing them. Many people, including yourself, have been happy to slate the likes of Butt, Nolan, Smith and Ameobi on here, but this is what we were left with and on;y the likes of Lovenkrands coming in without a pre season behind him. The squad was thin, so thin that for the majority of the first few games, Ranger led the line and we had the likes of Lua Lua, Donaldson, Tozer and Vukic on the bench. Several of these kids actually played. So, yes, we had the strongest squad in the division, didnt we? Stronger than WBA for example!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. You might want to cast your mind back also to the injuries suffered by the likes of Colo, Taylor, Barton etc, further reducing the strength of the squad. Admittedly, we got Harewood and Khiz in but do you really believe they enhanced the quality? Furthermore, credit should be given to Hughton and Ashley for spending money on the 6 players they brought in when money was clearly tight. This has been the undoing of Forest. If they had done something similar, they might well be closer to us. Furthermore, do you honestly think a group of 4 would select the team and at the same time, keep total harmony throughout the club? It would be total anarchy and I cannot see Ashley or Hughton standing for it. I am a coach myself and have run many teams. There is nothing wrong with having trusted lieutenants out on the park, motivating and ensuring players perform to their best. Part of our problem last year was that we had an inept captain in Michael Owen and very few others stepped up to the plate. This year, we seem to have a hell of a lot of leaders out there, all answering the call to alms and leading by example. If we had this last year, we might not have got relegated. Oh, and getting back to my original point of squad strength, didnt we also lose Duff on transfer deadline day after he scored the equaliser at WBA and failed to replace him too. Decent points on both sides.

I'm absolutely staggered that you think that in most games the other team has 'looked more organised, coherent and motivated'. Seriously?

Such bitterness.

Zero chance of this happening for so many reasons. What? He's been texting Carrolls lass?

It's ridiculous. Suddenly he's our top player, and that being the case, he'll be of faster than Shells knickers.

"Even last summer when I said I wanted to stay, I meant it. I don’t lie. People will now believe and realise why I did it. ‘And Chris Hughton deserves the credit. He is the best manager I’ve ever had here in three seasons. He’s had one season and has grown into the job. ‘People who say he will not be as good in the Premier League are being unfair. Why not? The club want him to stay, he’s very keen to stay and the players want to work with Chris next season.’" ---> Read more

Jose - "And Chris Hughton deserves the credit. He is the best manager I’ve ever had here in three seasons. He’s had one season and has grown into the job. People who say he will not be as good in the Premier League are being unfair. Why not? The club want him to stay, he’s very keen to stay and the players want to work with Chris next season." --- > Read more /'Hughton Better Than Keegan shocker'

Do you think the team playing now could beat the team at this point last year?

Not a lot. You could just about come to the conclusion that without strengthening, in a league of two, we'd beat them to the top spot on goal difference? A league of two with three teams in it. Knew I should've stayed in school.

This.

Not a lot. You could just about come to the conclusion that without strengthening, in a league of two, we'd beat them to the top spot on goal difference?

George Caulkin on Hughton etc. Link - Hughton's trusted formula gives Newcastle hope for future. "The Premier League will be better with Newcastle in it and, with a bit of luck, Newcastle will be better for their year in the wilderness. There has been a value in simply going to the match and enjoying the uncomplicated buzz of victory, the squad has been weeded of malingerers and, by and large, the players who are there want to be there. The team may not be graceful, but it is just that: a team" Long, but worth it for the warm feeling you'll get.

He's been trying to get the thread closed for ages for some unknown reason, though to be fair, I do think it's been pretty much covered. The people who are definitely wrong are those who claim Ashley has so far done a grand job, he's done a shite job, however, he did the right things in January after 2 1/2 years of getting it hopelessly wrong. There is still a fair bit to go for him to show he's getting it right and wants to take the club forward. No one then. Quite. I can't remember ever coming across one of these mythical beasts. Agree with HTL though that there is still a fair way to go for Ashley, but it's good to see some softening of opinions on him. Try this Ummmm no, I'd think he's done a 'grand job so far' if he was this. That doesn't mean I need to forget there have been positives and that we seem to on the right track now hopefully. Not sure why you're arguing as I've also said there have been positives. Since January. Why I'm arguing? I agreed with your initial post, there was only one point of contention (resulting in that enjoyable memory test), where I questioned your belief that there actually people out there who 'claim Ashley has so far done a grand job'.

He's been trying to get the thread closed for ages for some unknown reason, though to be fair, I do think it's been pretty much covered. The people who are definitely wrong are those who claim Ashley has so far done a grand job, he's done a shite job, however, he did the right things in January after 2 1/2 years of getting it hopelessly wrong. There is still a fair bit to go for him to show he's getting it right and wants to take the club forward. No one then. Quite. I can't remember ever coming across one of these mythical beasts. Agree with HTL though that there is still a fair way to go for Ashley, but it's good to see some softening of opinions on him. Try this Ummmm no, I'd think he's done a 'grand job so far' if he was this. That doesn't mean I need to forget there have been positives and that we seem to on the right track now hopefully.

Drifting back up? Yes, that in particular is overly harsh. Alright manager? I think we'd be hard pressed to have found a better man to manage this team as well as it has been this season. Not forcing player sales and backing a team revamp that most managers in the division would be jealous of despite our position in the winter transfer window is also being proactive, not just stopping 'fucking around' imho. Whether these decisions are Asley's or Llambias' it's tough to simply dismiss them as luck. I just hope to God if that is the case, this good fortune continues.

He's been trying to get the thread closed for ages for some unknown reason, though to be fair, I do think it's been pretty much covered. The people who are definitely wrong are those who claim Ashley has so far done a grand job, he's done a shite job, however, he did the right things in January after 2 1/2 years of getting it hopelessly wrong. There is still a fair bit to go for him to show he's getting it right and wants to take the club forward. No one then. Quite. I can't remember ever coming across one of these mythical beasts. Agree with HTL though that there is still a fair way to go for Ashley, but it's good to see some softening of opinions on him.

wonder if he was still concerned about the recent injury ? Very possibly, worried about putting his foot through it and pulling something. Certainly didn't stop him on his right foot for his goal - Carroll would have checked back. He said in the post match interview on .co.uk that he had a bit of a scare before the game with his hamstring, but in the first 10 - 15 minutes all his muscles felt shot as he hadn't trained for a week.

Who knows. He was 'dropped', but it may be unfair to charge them with being inconsistant when it could be argued that he was just sidelined due to his own mental state considering the law was involoved.

Not sure how you can assume that; Lets give Hughton some credit and say that in the last window he stretched the finances to fill a number of holes in the squad. What's to say that if we had £15m and all we needed was a striker, Hughton would not go for a £15million pound striker? /or not, just seems a bit rough to make claims on Hughtons transfer philosophy after effectively one (pretty effective) window. I think you misundertand, i'm not being critical of Hughton. I don't think Hughton will be a big spender, nor do i want him to go down that route (unless a top player comes available). IMO Hughton will bide his time and wait until later in the window before securing bigger targets. If we had 15m i highly doubt Hughton would spend it on three players. You are entitled to disagree. I'm not really disagreeing, just pointing out that we don't know much other than maybe that he used a decent championship budget well and got in players to cover the problem areas in the team. If his budget increases, there is no reason to believe that he wouldn't do the same, use the full buget to fill in the weakspots, the less holes, the more he will spend on each player hopefully.

Not sure how you can assume that; Lets give Hughton some credit and say that in the last window he stretched the finances to fill a number of holes in the squad. What's to say that if we had £15m and all we needed was a striker, Hughton would not go for a £15million pound striker? /or not, just seems a bit rough to make claims on Hughtons transfer philosophy after effectively one (pretty effective) window.

Sorry, in no way was he party to that article.

Would be very happy with 10m plus anything from sales. Like Liam O, expect 5-8m.

to be fair they could see it as sweeping s*** under the carpet. in any other business/industry we'd say it stinks. I don't know many industries or businesses that will shoot themselves in the foot to please a few headline writers. no. i mean the journalist would see nufc keeping it in house as sweeping it under the carpet, like catholic churchmen molesting kids or chemical spills. if we keep quiet it may just be forgotten about. The same journalists will be tearing us to shreds if we don't get promotion. win win for the journo They do their jobs, the club have to do theirs. and we hopefully be honest with ourselves. do you think it would have been treat differently had taylor been playing and in form and we werent relying on caroll ? i do No, exactly the same. The clubs and Hughtons primary responsibility is to the success of the team, not be part of the story if avoidable, or to display a strong reaction for the the benefit of media or supporter curiosity. Let the internal investigation and any external investigations assess the facts and dictate the futures of the players involved. If the facts have not been establised, then let that run its course. If they have then the silence should be welcomed even more as it would suggest that all parties are willing to put it in the past. The people who tend to jump to to conclusions without being in full possession of the facts were always likely to wade in. If it were another club, yes the criticism I suppose would be even greater, and we'd probably take the opportunity to slag the 'offending' club off royaly as well (as we would for any little thing).