(Not) A Tad Churlish.

[Guest Phil K]

Churlish, yes.

Before Barnsley got their first equalizer, Hughton had the subs up and was shouting at the players on the pitch. He knew what was coming.

[Delima]

It is a catch 22 situation.

 

If Hughton get us promoted it would be so unfair, cruel/crass/callous for us to despatch him after we are in the Premiership.

 

On the other hand too many will say it is all about business and getting the best possible manager to manage us.

 

I say, unless we can get a top class manager (Hitzfeld etc) to manage us - I would rather stick with Hughton then going for say the likes of Curbishley.

[GM]

It is a catch 22 situation.

 

If Hughton get us promoted it would be so unfair, cruel/crass/callous for us to despatch him after we are in the Premiership.

 

On the other hand too many will say it is all about business and getting the best possible manager to manage us.

 

I say, unless we can get a top class manager (Hitzfeld etc) to manage us - I would rather stick with Hughton then going for say the likes of Curbishley.

 

I've often wondered why you and HTT hardly ever post at the same time in the same threads.

[Cajun]

Out of interest, who do you consider a top flight manager?

 

Alex Ferguson.

[Mick]

 

Alex Ferguson.

 

You should be safe with that one.

[Cajun]

 

Alex Ferguson.

 

You should be safe with that one.

 

It was a bold choice but I think I am probably right.

[Mick]

 

It was a bold choice but I think I am probably right.

 

It was a clear case of thinking outside the box and an inspirational choice.  Others will be thinking “why didn’t I think of that.”

[Tooj]

At various times on this board, there's been the prospect of Moyes, O'Neill, Redknapp and Hughes becoming the manager, and many people have dismissed them as second-rate and not up to the job. We're far too critical of managers and I often think we won't be satisfied until Mourinho, Wenger or Ferguson is installed.

 

Or Keegan or Shearer of course, but that's another story.

 

No it's not. Most people would have been more than happy with the names mentioned above, the only one that caused a bit of dismay when mentioned was Redknapp. But this was due to the trouble that was mentioned a few months before hand.

[Guest Phil K]

Actually, I don't recall any amount of support on here or elsewhere for KK to make a return, yet the papers would have you believe there was.

 

I say, unless we can get a top class manager (Hitzfeld etc) to manage us - I would rather stick with Hughton then going for say the likes of Curbishley.

 

Agree 1000% - but whatever happened to Hitzfeld by the way ?

[Cajun]

Actually, I don't recall any amount of support on here or elsewhere for KK to make a return, yet the papers would have you believe there was.

 

I say, unless we can get a top class manager (Hitzfeld etc) to manage us - I would rather stick with Hughton then going for say the likes of Curbishley.

 

Agree 1000% - but whatever happened to Hitzfeld by the way ?

 

HTT has him locked up in the shark room.

[colinmk]

Disgusting as this sounds, I suspect that with the players we have at our disposal and let's say that Ashley is still here if were back up next season someone like Megson or the Stoke manager whose name escapes me would be the best we can hope for that could keep us up. Obviously this is a horrible thought but I would certainly have more faith in someone like that doing it than Hughton.

[Ketsbaia]

Actually, I don't recall any amount of support on here or elsewhere for KK to make a return, yet the papers would have you believe there was.

 

I say, unless we can get a top class manager (Hitzfeld etc) to manage us - I would rather stick with Hughton then going for say the likes of Curbishley.

 

Agree 1000% - but whatever happened to Hitzfeld by the way ?

 

In charge of Switzerland

[Neil]

Disgusting as this sounds, I suspect that with the players we have at our disposal and let's say that Ashley is still here if were back up next season someone like Megson or the Stoke manager whose name escapes me would be the best we can hope for that could keep us up. Obviously this is a horrible thought but I would certainly have more faith in someone like that doing it than Hughton.

 

Horrible? Pulis is a very good manager imo.

[JH]

This thread is very churlish.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

The though of Pulis-ball at my club is sickening, tbh.

[Pilko]

Disgusting as this sounds, I suspect that with the players we have at our disposal and let's say that Ashley is still here if were back up next season someone like Megson or the Stoke manager whose name escapes me would be the best we can hope for that could keep us up. Obviously this is a horrible thought but I would certainly have more faith in someone like that doing it than Hughton.

 

Horrible? Pulis is a very good manager imo.

 

Agree.

[Neil]

The though of Pulis-ball at my club is sickening, tbh.

 

"Taye you bloody arse, what you doing getting forward? Get that ball and 'oof it, bloody hell."

[ohmelads]

Couldn't care - I think your current squad would survive, if you keep the momentum you have from going up.

 

All teams who go up have momentum, because they have just pissed on their own league. And most of them go straight back down.

 

There is a big gulf in class between the Premier League and the Championship. Nolan and Ameobi looked piss poor in the Premier League and dominate here, that tells its own story. We may be top and winning plenty of games but we are scraping a lot of wins against poor opposition. We were relegated with the same squad plus 40m of players. We haven't signed anyone bar Pancrate and loans so it's a much weaker squad than the one which went down.

 

Take out the loan signings and the squad is threadbare again. We need to improve the first team and we need backup - in short we need to invest to stay up. We would struggle to beat the likes of Hull and Wolves with this squad, we'd certainly struggle to rack up 40 points.

[Darth Crooks]

The likes of our midfielders would get roundly raped in the prem as it did last year. I am absolutely astounded at the gulf between the two leagues and are scraping wins at the top in spite of our midfield rather than it being because of it. Houghton's starting midfield is nowhere near surefire prem survival quality.

[GM]

Couldn't care - I think your current squad would survive, if you keep the momentum you have from going up.

 

All teams who go up have momentum, because they have just pissed on their own league. And most of them go straight back down.

 

There is a big gulf in class between the Premier League and the Championship. Nolan and Ameobi looked piss poor in the Premier League and dominate here, that tells its own story. We may be top and winning plenty of games but we are scraping a lot of wins against poor opposition. We were relegated with the same squad plus 40m of players. We haven't signed anyone bar Pancrate and loans so it's a much weaker squad than the one which went down.

 

Take out the loan signings and the squad is threadbare again. We need to improve the first team and we need backup - in short we need to invest to stay up. We would struggle to beat the likes of Hull and Wolves with this squad, we'd certainly struggle to rack up 40 points.

 

Sums it up in a nutshell for me. If we don't invest in January, we may as well prepare for a season of struggle next year, regardless of which league we playing in come August 2010.

[BottledDog]

Couldn't care - I think your current squad would survive, if you keep the momentum you have from going up.

 

All teams who go up have momentum, because they have just pissed on their own league. And most of them go straight back down.

 

There is a big gulf in class between the Premier League and the Championship. Nolan and Ameobi looked piss poor in the Premier League and dominate here, that tells its own story. We may be top and winning plenty of games but we are scraping a lot of wins against poor opposition. We were relegated with the same squad plus 40m of players. We haven't signed anyone bar Pancrate and loans so it's a much weaker squad than the one which went down.

 

Take out the loan signings and the squad is threadbare again. We need to improve the first team and we need backup - in short we need to invest to stay up. We would struggle to beat the likes of Hull and Wolves with this squad, we'd certainly struggle to rack up 40 points.

 

Sums it up in a nutshell for me. If we don't invest in January, we may as well prepare for a season of struggle next year, regardless of which league we playing in come August 2010.

 

Just don't see it. Not because of Ashley or Hughtons reticence in the market, It'd just be surprising if anyone half decent would take a punt on us going up, and tbh, I'd be suspicious of any older/establised player willing to take that risk.

 

Players like Kilgannon may prove good business, but If we can keep the core we have and do a similar job as the summer in terms of incomings I'll be happy enough. That should see us up and in a position to actually offer the finances and league to attract players better than the Butts of the world.

[TRon]

At various times on this board, there's been the prospect of Moyes, O'Neill, Redknapp and Hughes becoming the manager, and many people have dismissed them as second-rate and not up to the job. We're far too critical of managers and I often think we won't be satisfied until Mourinho, Wenger or Ferguson is installed.

 

Or Keegan or Shearer of course, but that's another story.

 

In all fairness we had a lot more delusions of grandeur when that lot were put forward as managers, we are a different club now with far lower expectations. As an aside though, Hughes is thought of as a big name but what has he achieved in reality other than wear impressive suits and look thoughtful? Like lots of managers the hype is far greater than the results.

[Dave]

Couldn't care - I think your current squad would survive, if you keep the momentum you have from going up.

 

All teams who go up have momentum, because they have just pissed on their own league. And most of them go straight back down.

 

There is a big gulf in class between the Premier League and the Championship. Nolan and Ameobi looked piss poor in the Premier League and dominate here, that tells its own story. We may be top and winning plenty of games but we are scraping a lot of wins against poor opposition. We were relegated with the same squad plus 40m of players. We haven't signed anyone bar Pancrate and loans so it's a much weaker squad than the one which went down.

 

Take out the loan signings and the squad is threadbare again. We need to improve the first team and we need backup - in short we need to invest to stay up. We would struggle to beat the likes of Hull and Wolves with this squad, we'd certainly struggle to rack up 40 points.

 

Sums it up in a nutshell for me. If we don't invest in January, we may as well prepare for a season of struggle next year, regardless of which league we playing in come August 2010.

 

The squad is dogshit in terms of Premier League quality and quantity, but why does the investment need to be made in January rather than the summer? Regardless of whether or not we go up, we'll know then what we have to spend (pfft) and what we need to allow for.

[Delima]

Horrible? Pulis is a very good manager imo.

Agree.

 

Tony Pulis very good ? I guess it all boils down to semantic.

 

Personally, when I look at the premiership table :

 

Carlo Ancelotti, Alex Ferguson, Rafael Benitez, Arsene Wenger - excellent

 

Martin O'Neill, Mark Hughes, David Moyes, Harry Redknappe, Sam Allardyce, Roy Hodgson - Very good

 

Steve Bruce, Alan Curbishley - Good

 

Tony Pulis, Owen Coyle, Roberto Martinez - unproven but seems good

 

Phil Brown, Mick McCarthy,  - not so good

 

Gary Megson - Rubbish

 

Gianfranco Zola, Amvan Grant - not sure

[GM]

Couldn't care - I think your current squad would survive, if you keep the momentum you have from going up.

 

All teams who go up have momentum, because they have just pissed on their own league. And most of them go straight back down.

 

There is a big gulf in class between the Premier League and the Championship. Nolan and Ameobi looked piss poor in the Premier League and dominate here, that tells its own story. We may be top and winning plenty of games but we are scraping a lot of wins against poor opposition. We were relegated with the same squad plus 40m of players. We haven't signed anyone bar Pancrate and loans so it's a much weaker squad than the one which went down.

 

Take out the loan signings and the squad is threadbare again. We need to improve the first team and we need backup - in short we need to invest to stay up. We would struggle to beat the likes of Hull and Wolves with this squad, we'd certainly struggle to rack up 40 points.

 

Sums it up in a nutshell for me. If we don't invest in January, we may as well prepare for a season of struggle next year, regardless of which league we playing in come August 2010.

 

The squad is dogshit in terms of Premier League quality and quantity, but why does the investment need to be made in January rather than the summer? Regardless of whether or not we go up, we'll know then what we have to spend (pfft) and what we need to allow for.

 

My thinking (and it may be flawed, I dunno) is that we need to start investing in January (on the assumption that we're still top of the league, in pole position to win the Championship), because with the tiny squad we have just now, so the risk of injuries in the winter months causing the wheels to come off our push for promotion needs to be dealt with or we could end up tumbling back down the league.

 

So it's partly just simply about needing greater strength in depth, but also a bit about in players who are good enough to help push us back up, but also keep us up. I dread to think what will happen to us if we don't make it back at the first time of trying.