The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[Parky]

UV suggests that we are top because of the "balls pumped down the middle" strategy as if we'd mastered that tactic. But we're actually shit at it.

 

I was simply parroting Parky's assessment of our tactics there tbh.

 

I have absolutely no problem with well argued critiques like you give yourself, it just seemed like this thread had descended into a match thread type slag fest with no thought whatsoever going into the criticisms.

 

It goes without saying that the defending has set us apart in this league and is the main reason we are top. However if we blamed the midfield for poor defending last year you can't just ignore it as part of the improvement this season, and part of that is the coaching and tactics. We also have the 4th highest number of goals for. That has to come from somewhere and it can't just be from Nolan, Shola & Guthrie creating goals out of nothing and being lethal in front of goal, they're not the players you would have said that about before the season started. In fact a lot of the criticism Hughton is getting is from playing Nolan at all and from having Guthrie on the wing where he is getting his assists and goals.

 

The team we have CAN play good football and we've seen it on occasion, however I think the main problem is that they just don't have the stamina to sustain it for much of the game, especially the central midfielders which are the key to it. I suppose you could blame Hughton for the fitness of the players, but generally I think it's just an inherent failing in those players and there's not a lot you can do about it.

 

FWIW I have my doubts about Hughton myself, but I'm more concerned about his potential ability to motivate the players when things aren't going so well than his tactics. I'd be much happier if he was the assistant manager.

 

Fair enough. I also agree about motivation, though that's not been too much of a problem this season. Morale looks high and, at the very least, Hughton's not done anything stupid of the Souness or Allardyce variety such as alienate players or descend into petty rivalries with them.

 

Not sure what all this means really.

[Parky]

We have been comprehensively outplayed at least a dozen times this season. Agree with jpd that is esentially the defence that has kept us top. The rest of it is a shambles.

 

Out of all the teams in the chamionship, we have been least outplayed.

 

Rubbish. Nearly every game we're consistently under pressure. I bet you can't name more than 2/3 games we've dominated or created loads of chances. Good luck.

 

It seems to me that a team which is outplayed constantly wouldn't be top of the league. I don't give a fuck how much pressure we are under, i care about results.

 

We can have one shot on target in every game all season if it means we are top of the league.

 

in a large percentage of the games i've watched this season that we've won the score could have been a hell of a lot different if the team took their chances. while we may be able to get away with letting teams have good chances in this league we will be murdered for it in the premiership.

 

I agree with you but i will discuss that problem when/if we go up.

 

By the way, there are plenty of team's who play a similar style in the premiership, not that our fans will except it.

 

Is that what you do in real life, deal with problems at the last minute?? Christ.

 

We are talking about Newcastle United who are not in the premiership, we are top of the chamionship. I'm talking about hughtons performances now. I will talk about that when there is something to talk about, keep up.

 

What is the title of the thread?

[STM]

UV suggests that we are top because of the "balls pumped down the middle" strategy as if we'd mastered that tactic. But we're actually shit at it.

 

I was simply parroting Parky's assessment of our tactics there tbh.

 

I have absolutely no problem with well argued critiques like you give yourself, it just seemed like this thread had descended into a match thread type slag fest with no thought whatsoever going into the criticisms.

 

It goes without saying that the defending has set us apart in this league and is the main reason we are top. However if we blamed the midfield for poor defending last year you can't just ignore it as part of the improvement this season, and part of that is the coaching and tactics. We also have the 4th highest number of goals for. That has to come from somewhere and it can't just be from Nolan, Shola & Guthrie creating goals out of nothing and being lethal in front of goal, they're not the players you would have said that about before the season started. In fact a lot of the criticism Hughton is getting is from playing Nolan at all and from having Guthrie on the wing where he is getting his assists and goals.

 

The team we have CAN play good football and we've seen it on occasion, however I think the main problem is that they just don't have the stamina to sustain it for much of the game, especially the central midfielders which are the key to it. I suppose you could blame Hughton for the fitness of the players, but generally I think it's just an inherent failing in those players and there's not a lot you can do about it.

 

FWIW I have my doubts about Hughton myself, but I'm more concerned about his potential ability to motivate the players when things aren't going so well than his tactics. I'd be much happier if h

 

e was the assistant manager.

 

Why not just post the last para and save the essays? Nobody will read all of that. You're concerned about his "potential ability to motivate the players"....!!! Wake the fuck up. He'll be out on his ear after 12 games the most in the PL.

 

We are not in the premiership.

 

If I'm following you....You want to wait till CH fucks up in the PL....Why?

 

I'd review the situation at the end of the season. But not halfway through the current one like you clearly would.

[Parky]

UV suggests that we are top because of the "balls pumped down the middle" strategy as if we'd mastered that tactic. But we're actually shit at it.

 

I was simply parroting Parky's assessment of our tactics there tbh.

 

I have absolutely no problem with well argued critiques like you give yourself, it just seemed like this thread had descended into a match thread type slag fest with no thought whatsoever going into the criticisms.

 

It goes without saying that the defending has set us apart in this league and is the main reason we are top. However if we blamed the midfield for poor defending last year you can't just ignore it as part of the improvement this season, and part of that is the coaching and tactics. We also have the 4th highest number of goals for. That has to come from somewhere and it can't just be from Nolan, Shola & Guthrie creating goals out of nothing and being lethal in front of goal, they're not the players you would have said that about before the season started. In fact a lot of the criticism Hughton is getting is from playing Nolan at all and from having Guthrie on the wing where he is getting his assists and goals.

 

The team we have CAN play good football and we've seen it on occasion, however I think the main problem is that they just don't have the stamina to sustain it for much of the game, especially the central midfielders which are the key to it. I suppose you could blame Hughton for the fitness of the players, but generally I think it's just an inherent failing in those players and there's not a lot you can do about it.

 

FWIW I have my doubts about Hughton myself, but I'm more concerned about his potential ability to motivate the players when things aren't going so well than his tactics. I'd be much happier if h

 

e was the assistant manager.

 

Why not just post the last para and save the essays? Nobody will read all of that. You're concerned about his "potential ability to motivate the players"....!!! Wake the fuck up. He'll be out on his ear after 12 games the most in the PL.

 

We are not in the premiership.

 

If I'm following you....You want to wait till CH fucks up in the PL....Why?

 

I'd review the situation at the end of the season. But not halfway through the current one like you clearly would.

 

It's a point o discussion. I don't run the club.

[STM]

We have been comprehensively outplayed at least a dozen times this season. Agree with jpd that is esentially the defence that has kept us top. The rest of it is a shambles.

 

Out of all the teams in the chamionship, we have been least outplayed.

 

Rubbish. Nearly every game we're consistently under pressure. I bet you can't name more than 2/3 games we've dominated or created loads of chances. Good luck.

 

It seems to me that a team which is outplayed constantly wouldn't be top of the league. I don't give a fuck how much pressure we are under, i care about results.

 

We can have one shot on target in every game all season if it means we are top of the league.

 

in a large percentage of the games i've watched this season that we've won the score could have been a hell of a lot different if the team took their chances. while we may be able to get away with letting teams have good chances in this league we will be murdered for it in the premiership.

 

I agree with you but i will discuss that problem when/if we go up.

 

By the way, there are plenty of team's who play a similar style in the premiership, not that our fans will except it.

 

Is that what you do in real life, deal with problems at the last minute?? Christ.

 

We are talking about Newcastle United who are not in the premiership, we are top of the chamionship. I'm talking about hughtons performances now. I will talk about that when there is something to talk about, keep up.

 

What is the title of the thread?

 

It's about Hughton, can you not read like?

 

The difference is, i'm talking about him now, without the aid of your time machine or crystal ball.

[UV]

UV suggests that we are top because of the "balls pumped down the middle" strategy as if we'd mastered that tactic. But we're actually shit at it.

 

I was simply parroting Parky's assessment of our tactics there tbh.

 

I have absolutely no problem with well argued critiques like you give yourself, it just seemed like this thread had descended into a match thread type slag fest with no thought whatsoever going into the criticisms.

 

It goes without saying that the defending has set us apart in this league and is the main reason we are top. However if we blamed the midfield for poor defending last year you can't just ignore it as part of the improvement this season, and part of that is the coaching and tactics. We also have the 4th highest number of goals for. That has to come from somewhere and it can't just be from Nolan, Shola & Guthrie creating goals out of nothing and being lethal in front of goal, they're not the players you would have said that about before the season started. In fact a lot of the criticism Hughton is getting is from playing Nolan at all and from having Guthrie on the wing where he is getting his assists and goals.

 

The team we have CAN play good football and we've seen it on occasion, however I think the main problem is that they just don't have the stamina to sustain it for much of the game, especially the central midfielders which are the key to it. I suppose you could blame Hughton for the fitness of the players, but generally I think it's just an inherent failing in those players and there's not a lot you can do about it.

 

FWIW I have my doubts about Hughton myself, but I'm more concerned about his potential ability to motivate the players when things aren't going so well than his tactics. I'd be much happier if h

 

e was the assistant manager.

 

Why not just post the last para and save the essays? Nobody will read all of that. You're concerned about his "potential ability to motivate the players"....!!! Wake the fuck up. He'll be out on his ear after 12 games the most in the PL.

 

Cool. Then we can pick up Benitez after Liverpool sack him, and the following year get Wenger once we finish above Arsenal.

[Parky]

UV suggests that we are top because of the "balls pumped down the middle" strategy as if we'd mastered that tactic. But we're actually shit at it.

 

I was simply parroting Parky's assessment of our tactics there tbh.

 

I have absolutely no problem with well argued critiques like you give yourself, it just seemed like this thread had descended into a match thread type slag fest with no thought whatsoever going into the criticisms.

 

It goes without saying that the defending has set us apart in this league and is the main reason we are top. However if we blamed the midfield for poor defending last year you can't just ignore it as part of the improvement this season, and part of that is the coaching and tactics. We also have the 4th highest number of goals for. That has to come from somewhere and it can't just be from Nolan, Shola & Guthrie creating goals out of nothing and being lethal in front of goal, they're not the players you would have said that about before the season started. In fact a lot of the criticism Hughton is getting is from playing Nolan at all and from having Guthrie on the wing where he is getting his assists and goals.

 

The team we have CAN play good football and we've seen it on occasion, however I think the main problem is that they just don't have the stamina to sustain it for much of the game, especially the central midfielders which are the key to it. I suppose you could blame Hughton for the fitness of the players, but generally I think it's just an inherent failing in those players and there's not a lot you can do about it.

 

FWIW I have my doubts about Hughton myself, but I'm more concerned about his potential ability to motivate the players when things aren't going so well than his tactics. I'd be much happier if h

 

e was the assistant manager.

 

Why not just post the last para and save the essays? Nobody will read all of that. You're concerned about his "potential ability to motivate the players"....!!! Wake the fuck up. He'll be out on his ear after 12 games the most in the PL.

 

Cool. Then we can pick up Benitez after Liverpool sack him, and the following year get Wenger once we finish above Arsenal.

 

Hilarious.

[Parky]

We have been comprehensively outplayed at least a dozen times this season. Agree with jpd that is esentially the defence that has kept us top. The rest of it is a shambles.

 

Out of all the teams in the chamionship, we have been least outplayed.

 

Rubbish. Nearly every game we're consistently under pressure. I bet you can't name more than 2/3 games we've dominated or created loads of chances. Good luck.

 

It seems to me that a team which is outplayed constantly wouldn't be top of the league. I don't give a fuck how much pressure we are under, i care about results.

 

We can have one shot on target in every game all season if it means we are top of the league.

 

in a large percentage of the games i've watched this season that we've won the score could have been a hell of a lot different if the team took their chances. while we may be able to get away with letting teams have good chances in this league we will be murdered for it in the premiership.

 

I agree with you but i will discuss that problem when/if we go up.

 

By the way, there are plenty of team's who play a similar style in the premiership, not that our fans will except it.

 

Is that what you do in real life, deal with problems at the last minute?? Christ.

 

We are talking about Newcastle United who are not in the premiership, we are top of the chamionship. I'm talking about hughtons performances now. I will talk about that when there is something to talk about, keep up.

 

What is the title of the thread?

 

It's about Hughton, can you not read like?

 

The difference is, i'm talking about him now, without the aid of your time machine or crystal ball.

 

Can you read?

[STM]

We have been comprehensively outplayed at least a dozen times this season. Agree with jpd that is esentially the defence that has kept us top. The rest of it is a shambles.

 

Out of all the teams in the chamionship, we have been least outplayed.

 

Rubbish. Nearly every game we're consistently under pressure. I bet you can't name more than 2/3 games we've dominated or created loads of chances. Good luck.

 

It seems to me that a team which is outplayed constantly wouldn't be top of the league. I don't give a fuck how much pressure we are under, i care about results.

 

We can have one shot on target in every game all season if it means we are top of the league.

 

in a large percentage of the games i've watched this season that we've won the score could have been a hell of a lot different if the team took their chances. while we may be able to get away with letting teams have good chances in this league we will be murdered for it in the premiership.

 

I agree with you but i will discuss that problem when/if we go up.

 

By the way, there are plenty of team's who play a similar style in the premiership, not that our fans will except it.

 

Is that what you do in real life, deal with problems at the last minute?? Christ.

 

We are talking about Newcastle United who are not in the premiership, we are top of the chamionship. I'm talking about hughtons performances now. I will talk about that when there is something to talk about, keep up.

 

What is the title of the thread?

 

It's about Hughton, can you not read like?

 

The difference is, i'm talking about him now, without the aid of your time machine or crystal ball.

 

Can you read?

 

Can you?

[Parky]

We have been comprehensively outplayed at least a dozen times this season. Agree with jpd that is esentially the defence that has kept us top. The rest of it is a shambles.

 

Out of all the teams in the chamionship, we have been least outplayed.

 

Rubbish. Nearly every game we're consistently under pressure. I bet you can't name more than 2/3 games we've dominated or created loads of chances. Good luck.

 

It seems to me that a team which is outplayed constantly wouldn't be top of the league. I don't give a fuck how much pressure we are under, i care about results.

 

We can have one shot on target in every game all season if it means we are top of the league.

 

in a large percentage of the games i've watched this season that we've won the score could have been a hell of a lot different if the team took their chances. while we may be able to get away with letting teams have good chances in this league we will be murdered for it in the premiership.

 

I agree with you but i will discuss that problem when/if we go up.

 

By the way, there are plenty of team's who play a similar style in the premiership, not that our fans will except it.

 

Is that what you do in real life, deal with problems at the last minute?? Christ.

 

We are talking about Newcastle United who are not in the premiership, we are top of the chamionship. I'm talking about hughtons performances now. I will talk about that when there is something to talk about, keep up.

 

What is the title of the thread?

 

It's about Hughton, can you not read like?

 

The difference is, i'm talking about him now, without the aid of your time machine or crystal ball.

 

Can you read?

 

Can you?

 

[Jayson]

'perfect' - I'd take average right now man.

 

You get the idea.

 

People are far more ready to use a poor situation to create a negative perception of that persons entire ability, rather than accept that people dont always perform at their best/make the right decisions consistantly. Hughton made very bad choices for our last game for me & ill criticize him all day long for that specific situation. Dont think its sensible to then use that one game as a reason he'd then be a useless manager, even if its happened once or twice before. Ive seen positive & negative signs this season, probably more positive.

 

As has been discussed a lot recently though. Peoples expectations increase as a situation improves. Id rather have a go when someone does something wrong & still have faith that they'll improve in the long run than write them off completely because of it. People are writing off Hughtons involvement in our current level of success due to guessing games for the most part of what he's responsible for. Its not based on anything solid really, mainly just disagreeing strongly with certain decisions he's made and using that annoyance to bias your opinion against his ability as a manager overall.

[TheGuv]

 

But it hasn't just been the odd game. Most games we have been appaling and havn't deserved to win. Yet we do so. The idea of having a commitee of players to help him pick squads just cannot work. A manager can't be equal with the players. Otherwise he won't drop players like Butt, Smith and Nolan if they underperform, which they all have been recently.

 

He consistently takes too long to make subs. He never plays the same strike force more than 3 times in a row. He is a poor manager in a poor league with average players. It will spell for disaster come next season IF we get promoted, which recently looks doubtful since Barnsley 2 months ago...

[Parky]

 

But it hasn't just been the odd game. Most games we have been appaling and havn't deserved to win. Yet we do so. The idea of having a commitee of players to help him pick squads just cannot work. A manager can't be equal with the players. Otherwise he won't drop players like Butt, Smith and Nolan if they underperform, which they all have been recently.

 

He consistently takes too long to make subs. He never plays the same strike force more than 3 times in a row. He is a poor manager in a poor league with average players. It will spell for disaster come next season IF we get promoted, which recently looks doubtful since Barnsley 2 months ago...

 

I would have thought all that was obvious to most. He must go at the end of this campaign on promotion.

[TheGuv]

 

But it hasn't just been the odd game. Most games we have been appaling and havn't deserved to win. Yet we do so. The idea of having a commitee of players to help him pick squads just cannot work. A manager can't be equal with the players. Otherwise he won't drop players like Butt, Smith and Nolan if they underperform, which they all have been recently.

 

He consistently takes too long to make subs. He never plays the same strike force more than 3 times in a row. He is a poor manager in a poor league with average players. It will spell for disaster come next season IF we get promoted, which recently looks doubtful since Barnsley 2 months ago...

 

I would have thought all that was obvious to most. He must go at the end of this campaign on promotion.

 

I know but sometimes the obvious needs stating

[Mick]

Hughton isn't a good manager; I don't care what others say about him.  I've seen with my own eyes that we've been playing shit and I put that mainly down to his team selections and his unwillingness to change things when a change has been needed as clear as day.

 

Football is a game played over 90 minutes; it’s not just about sneaking a goal when we’ve played badly for 89 minutes. 

 

I don’t want to hear any crap about how he can only play who is available, we’ve just come out of a transfer window and we’ll be watching the same shit central midfield on Friday as we have for the last 5 months.  Hughton clearly thinks that our midfield is good enough, if he didn’t then he would have done something about it, he didn’t.

 

My only hope is that having Routledge on the right will give us a better balance and help to create more space through the middle as we will not only have one wing for the opponents to worry about, we should have two.

[Darth Crooks]

not many are saying its simply down to picking the best eleven. But its consensus that he doesn't even do that. Can anybody really truly justify the choice of midfield that has been used consistency despite their apathy and ineptitude? I do understand that he has some shit to contend with working at this mess of a club in the first place but sometimes he just baffles me to the point I can't be constructive anymore.

[midds]

Any manager that can stand on the touchline and not change formation, tempo or personnel despite having a man advantage in a vital away game deserves all the flack he gets. Dropping 2 points on Saturday was directly down to his cowardice. Leaving Nicky Butt on for the full game was disgraceful.

 

Fans don't forget games like Saturday and the alarm bells are ringing loud and clear with the folk I've spoken to about it. 

[Mowen]

Bizarre for Jonas and Loven not to get off the bench.

[quayside]

Bizarre for Jonas and Loven not to get off the bench.

 

Is it some sort of Rafa style squad rotation thing due to the number of games coming up?

[Mowen]

Bizarre for Jonas and Loven not to get off the bench.

 

Is it some sort of Rafa style squad rotation thing due to the number of games coming up?

 

No sense in not bringing either of them on though. If neither were coming on under those circumstances I can't imagine any where either would have.

[Jayson]

 

But it hasn't just been the odd game. Most games we have been appaling and havn't deserved to win. Yet we do so. The idea of having a commitee of players to help him pick squads just cannot work. A manager can't be equal with the players. Otherwise he won't drop players like Butt, Smith and Nolan if they underperform, which they all have been recently.

 

He consistently takes too long to make subs. He never plays the same strike force more than 3 times in a row. He is a poor manager in a poor league with average players. It will spell for disaster come next season IF we get promoted, which recently looks doubtful since Barnsley 2 months ago...

 

As has been said before. How do you know that without him, we'd be playing football that deserved to win? You dont know that it would happen, people simultaneosly accept that areas of our team are rubbish & then also expect that we've the quality to take apart every team with the right manager. The central midfield he's had to work with, isnt really the best for passing & moving football is it. For all we know he's getting the best results out of whats largely been a side with a massive weakness all season. We may have had to play as we have been to get the results we've had, that doesnt mean its perfect each time. But in the majority, it may have been.

 

The commitee of players thing is based on little more than the players saying they got together after the Orient game afaia & has been exaggerated for amusement since then. It isnt rare for a manager to let the players have meetings and sort things out between themselves, its happened for many sides. It doesnt mean he has no control does it, again its assumptions formed to fit a negatively biased opinion of him.

[Jayson]

not many are saying its simply down to picking the best eleven. But its consensus that he doesn't even do that. Can anybody really truly justify the choice of midfield that has been used consistency despite their apathy and ineptitude? I do understand that he has some s*** to contend with working at this mess of a club in the first place but sometimes he just baffles me to the point I can't be constructive anymore.

 

Before the last game itd only been 3 games since Nolan scored. Its a managers job to put faith in his players, let alone the sides top scorer. I imagine he'll be coming close to a decision to drop him soon, i see no reason to think he wouldnt. He has shown he can identify the weaknesses in our side previously, hes not blind. With Smith its a case of him or Butt & people are happy with neither at the moment. Butt was better than both in the last game for me, but people werent happy about him staying on either even though we ended up massively on top after the other two went off.

 

The things he does arent that baffling. You could argue that you'd do it differently, but the choices he's making arent as idiotic as theyre made out to be (on the whole).

[KaKa]

 

But it hasn't just been the odd game. Most games we have been appaling and havn't deserved to win. Yet we do so. The idea of having a commitee of players to help him pick squads just cannot work. A manager can't be equal with the players. Otherwise he won't drop players like Butt, Smith and Nolan if they underperform, which they all have been recently.

 

He consistently takes too long to make subs. He never plays the same strike force more than 3 times in a row. He is a poor manager in a poor league with average players. It will spell for disaster come next season IF we get promoted, which recently looks doubtful since Barnsley 2 months ago...

 

As has been said before. How do you know that without him, we'd be playing football that deserved to win? You dont know that it would happen, people simultaneosly accept that areas of our team are rubbish & then also expect that we've the quality to take apart every team with the right manager. The central midfield he's had to work with, isnt really the best for passing & moving football is it. For all we know he's getting the best results out of whats largely been a side with a massive weakness all season. We may have had to play as we have been to get the results we've had, that doesnt mean its perfect each time. But in the majority, it may have been.

 

The commitee of players thing is based on little more than the players saying they got together after the Orient game afaia & has been exaggerated for amusement since then. It isnt rare for a manager to let the players have meetings and sort things out between themselves, its happened for many sides. It doesnt mean he has no control does it, again its assumptions formed to fit a negatively biased opinion of him.

 

not many are saying its simply down to picking the best eleven. But its consensus that he doesn't even do that. Can anybody really truly justify the choice of midfield that has been used consistency despite their apathy and ineptitude? I do understand that he has some s*** to contend with working at this mess of a club in the first place but sometimes he just baffles me to the point I can't be constructive anymore.

 

Before the last game itd only been 3 games since Nolan scored. Its a managers job to put faith in his players, let alone the sides top scorer. I imagine he'll be coming close to a decision to drop him soon, i see no reason to think he wouldnt. He has shown he can identify the weaknesses in our side previously, hes not blind. With Smith its a case of him or Butt & people are happy with neither at the moment. Butt was better than both in the last game for me, but people werent happy about him staying on either even though we ended up massively on top after the other two went off.

 

The things he does arent that baffling. You could argue that you'd do it differently, but the choices he's making arent as idiotic as theyre made out to be (on the whole).

 

Good reading. Very, very sensible guy.

 

 

[TRon]

Hughton isn't a good manager; I don't care what others say about him.  I've seen with my own eyes that we've been playing shit and I put that mainly down to his team selections and his unwillingness to change things when a change has been needed as clear as day.

 

Football is a game played over 90 minutes; it’s not just about sneaking a goal when we’ve played badly for 89 minutes. 

 

I don’t want to hear any crap about how he can only play who is available, we’ve just come out of a transfer window and we’ll be watching the same shit central midfield on Friday as we have for the last 5 months.  Hughton clearly thinks that our midfield is good enough, if he didn’t then he would have done something about it, he didn’t.

 

My only hope is that having Routledge on the right will give us a better balance and help to create more space through the middle as we will not only have one wing for the opponents to worry about, we should have two.

 

I don't think Hughton had a massive transfer budget so rightly prioritised right wing, central defender and striker. How good a central midfielder do you think you'd get for £1m anyway? I'd far rather wait until the summer and if we get promotion we should be able to invest in a quality player which we badly need. With Barton coming back we were never going to blow a big chunk of a small budget on a midfielder.

 

[Mick]

 

I don't think Hughton had a massive transfer budget so rightly prioritised right wing, central defender and striker. How good a central midfielder do you think you'd get for £1m anyway? I'd far rather wait until the summer and if we get promotion we should be able to invest in a quality player which we badly need. With Barton coming back we were never going to blow a big chunk of a small budget on a midfielder.

 

 

I understand that Hughton didn't have a massive budget and said somewhere else that he should have used what he did have to bring in loan players on better wages to bridge the gap in quality.  Barton coming back isn't something I would like to be risking promotion on because we've had nothing from him so far, at least nothing over a decent period of time.