The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[NewJerseyMag]

We play a much more defensive game which we never have really done before.

 

Its alien to the type of football played over the last 20 years but then again where did that get us?

 

The fact is we are clear at the top in a season where many predicted further relegation.

 

Why the bitchfest?  I'm amazed that we are where we are.... if we go up a revamp of the midfield is vital though, I think this is the major problem area and why we CANT be more creative.

 

Pretty much this.

 

There's no doubting there are major improvements needed (if we get promoted) but i think what we have a achieved deserves recognition and Hughton deserves credit.

 

Credit is all well and good but if you can show me how being nice to CH will stop us getting relegated next year I'm all ears.

 

That answer lies with the ownership of the club. If we don't invest during the summer especially in the midfield area no manager on earth will keep us up.

 

Hopefully Ashley will sell and the new owner will invest, but I'm not holding my breath on that score. Get ready for a big time relegation scrap next season.

[STM]

We play a much more defensive game which we never have really done before.

 

Its alien to the type of football played over the last 20 years but then again where did that get us?

 

The fact is we are clear at the top in a season where many predicted further relegation.

 

Why the bitchfest?  I'm amazed that we are where we are.... if we go up a revamp of the midfield is vital though, I think this is the major problem area and why we CANT be more creative.

 

Pretty much this.

 

There's no doubting there are major improvements needed (if we get promoted) but i think what we have a achieved deserves recognition and Hughton deserves credit.

 

Credit is all well and good but if you can show me how being nice to CH will stop us getting relegated next year I'm all ears.

 

You are treating as if it's a fact that Hughton will get us relegated next year? Even though we are not even promoted yet.

 

In his first full season in charge his record is brilliant, the only thing that has been poor is the style of football. Why not see who he would bring in during the summer and then judge how we would perform in the premiership?

[STM]

What it boils down to is basically that this kind of approach will get us killed next year if we do go up.

 

We're top of the league because our defense is too good for this league, the opposition at this level simply doesn't possess enough quality to take advantage of the few chances they get per game.

 

Anyone really think that the same defense is going to be so watertight against Premiership opposition next year if we do go up? You simply can't just hoof long balls at your strikers all day long in the Premiership and expect to get any sort of consistent success. Teams will find a way to score if you insist on giving the ball back to them immediately with hopeful long balls all day long.

 

People have a problem with Hughton because he doesn't even try and get our lads playing anything resembling good football. If he won't do it in this league, against inferior opposition, what chance he'll manage it against better opponents in the Premiership?

 

"Good football" is a bullshit term. I want "effective football".

 

Do you think Stoke play that brand of "bad football" that you think will fail in the premiership? I can confirm to you that they don't, FFS they even use throw ins to lump it long!

 

I'm not saying i want us to use this style of football, i'm saying that it can work and it's nonsense to think it can't.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

You could argue that the Premiership is mostly made up of teams who play 'bad football'. Not as bad as us, but they're all not Arsenal.

 

I want us to play better football as well, but most of all I want us to get promoted. At the end of the day, you can't argue with the results we've acheived with a very average squad of players.

[Parky]

We play a much more defensive game which we never have really done before.

 

Its alien to the type of football played over the last 20 years but then again where did that get us?

 

The fact is we are clear at the top in a season where many predicted further relegation.

 

Why the bitchfest?  I'm amazed that we are where we are.... if we go up a revamp of the midfield is vital though, I think this is the major problem area and why we CANT be more creative.

 

Pretty much this.

 

There's no doubting there are major improvements needed (if we get promoted) but i think what we have a achieved deserves recognition and Hughton deserves credit.

 

Credit is all well and good but if you can show me how being nice to CH will stop us getting relegated next year I'm all ears.

 

You are treating as if it's a fact that Hughton will get us relegated next year? Even though we are not even promoted yet.

 

In his first full season in charge his record is brilliant, the only thing that has been poor is the style of football. Why not see who he would bring in during the summer and then judge how we would perform in the premiership?

 

I'm not confident at all that CH will attract the players we need. Our package is bad enough as it is, what might help is a proactive manager with a track record and a good knowledge base in the wider game...CH simply isn't that man.

[Parky]

You could argue that the Premiership is mostly made up of teams who play 'bad football'. Not as bad as us, but they're all not Arsenal.

 

I want us to play better football as well, but most of all I want us to get promoted. At the end of the day, you can't argue with the results we've acheived with a very average squad of players.

 

It's not even about the PL though is it? We're getting routinely outplayed in the CCC. As Shak says if he can't do it now how in hell is he going to do it in a league that is light years ahead in terms of pace, power and technique??

[NewJerseyMag]

You could argue that the Premiership is mostly made up of teams who play 'bad football'. Not as bad as us, but they're all not Arsenal.

 

I want us to play better football as well, but most of all I want us to get promoted. At the end of the day, you can't argue with the results we've acheived with a very average squad of players.

 

I would agree, because the whole bottom half of the table are all about trying to figure out ways of scraping together points. This includes "non conventional" types of tactics such as launching long throw ins into the box.

 

Look at the teams in the Prem. A whole boat load of them are awful, but they stayed up and we didnt. Why is that?

[STM]

You could argue that the Premiership is mostly made up of teams who play 'bad football'. Not as bad as us, but they're all not Arsenal.

 

I want us to play better football as well, but most of all I want us to get promoted. At the end of the day, you can't argue with the results we've acheived with a very average squad of players.

 

I would agree, because the whole bottom half of the table are all about trying to figure out ways of scraping together points. This includes "non conventional" types of tactics such as launching long throw ins into the box.

 

Look at the teams in the Prem. A whole boat load of them are awful, but they stayed up and we didnt. Why is that?

 

It's true, if we had this "boring" football last year, we may have picked up the odd point away from home and stayed up.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

You could argue that the Premiership is mostly made up of teams who play 'bad football'. Not as bad as us, but they're all not Arsenal.

 

I want us to play better football as well, but most of all I want us to get promoted. At the end of the day, you can't argue with the results we've acheived with a very average squad of players.

 

It's not even about the PL though is it? We're getting routinely outplayed in the CCC. As Shak says if he can't do it now how in hell is he going to do it in a league that is light years ahead in terms of pace, power and technique??

 

If you're talking about performances then I can't disagree with you, it's obvious that we concede a lot of possession and often get overrun in midfield.

 

But we're top of the league and picking up points fairly consistently. We look on course for promotion, I can see why Hughton won't change things.

[Shak]

What it boils down to is basically that this kind of approach will get us killed next year if we do go up.

 

We're top of the league because our defense is too good for this league, the opposition at this level simply doesn't possess enough quality to take advantage of the few chances they get per game.

 

Anyone really think that the same defense is going to be so watertight against Premiership opposition next year if we do go up? You simply can't just hoof long balls at your strikers all day long in the Premiership and expect to get any sort of consistent success. Teams will find a way to score if you insist on giving the ball back to them immediately with hopeful long balls all day long.

 

People have a problem with Hughton because he doesn't even try and get our lads playing anything resembling good football. If he won't do it in this league, against inferior opposition, what chance he'll manage it against better opponents in the Premiership?

 

"Good football" is a bullshit term. I want "effective football".

 

Do you think Stoke play that brand of "bad football" that you think will fail in the premiership? I can confirm to you that they don't, FFS they even use throw ins to lump it long!

 

I'm not saying i want us to use this style of football, i'm saying that it can work and it's nonsense to think it can't.

 

We don't play effective football though, not when we have the ball anyway.

 

We've conceded 16 goals in 27 games, that's why we're top. In attack we are pretty much directionless, and get by mostly on capitalising on mistakes from our opponents, the type of mistakes that aren't going to be as easy to come by in the Premiership.

 

Stoke at least have a good collection of players for the style of football they want to play (a bunch of big fuckers + a guy who can throw the ball miles). We have a bunch of tall strikers who, barring Carroll, are pretty much shite in the air.

 

And yes, eventually that brand of crap football will be found out and I expect Stoke to be gone from the Premiership in a few years.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Stoke are looking stronger all the time though, aren't they?

 

I think it's a big error to assume that football is gradually sorting itself into having the most attractive teams at the top and the rest below them. Maybe to a certain extent (i.e. the top 6 or so), but not generally.

[NewJerseyMag]

Stoke are looking stronger all the time though, aren't they?

 

I think it's a big error to assume that football is gradually sorting itself into having the most attractive teams at the top and the rest below them. Maybe to a certain extent (i.e. the top 6 or so), but not generally.

 

I think Stoke will survive because of their "niche" tactics. it gets them enough points to stay up each year. The other teams won't structure their squads around stopping Stoke twice a year and so Stoke scrapes together enough points year after year.

 

If we have to go the poor mans route then we will have to come up with something like they have done, but its gong to be ugly (to watch) I feel.

[STM]

What it boils down to is basically that this kind of approach will get us killed next year if we do go up.

 

We're top of the league because our defense is too good for this league, the opposition at this level simply doesn't possess enough quality to take advantage of the few chances they get per game.

 

Anyone really think that the same defense is going to be so watertight against Premiership opposition next year if we do go up? You simply can't just hoof long balls at your strikers all day long in the Premiership and expect to get any sort of consistent success. Teams will find a way to score if you insist on giving the ball back to them immediately with hopeful long balls all day long.

 

People have a problem with Hughton because he doesn't even try and get our lads playing anything resembling good football. If he won't do it in this league, against inferior opposition, what chance he'll manage it against better opponents in the Premiership?

 

"Good football" is a bullshit term. I want "effective football".

 

Do you think Stoke play that brand of "bad football" that you think will fail in the premiership? I can confirm to you that they don't, FFS they even use throw ins to lump it long!

 

I'm not saying i want us to use this style of football, i'm saying that it can work and it's nonsense to think it can't.

 

We don't play effective football though, not when we have the ball anyway.

 

We've conceded 16 goals in 27 games, that's why we're top. In attack we are pretty much directionless, and get by mostly on capitalising on mistakes from our opponents, the type of mistakes that aren't going to be as easy to come by in the Premiership.

 

Stoke at least have a good collection of players for the style of football they want to play (a bunch of big fuckers + a guy who can throw the ball miles). We have a bunch of tall strikers who, barring Carroll, are pretty much shite in the air.

 

And yes, eventually that brand of crap football will be found out and I expect Stoke to be gone from the Premiership in a few years.

 

We are top, how can you say we don't play effective football? We play more effective football than every other team in the league.

 

It's just ugly and defensive that's all.

[NewJerseyMag]

Anyone that goes up playing attractive football and continues along that line with the same Championship standard players gets killed.

 

WBA being the best recent example, they look full of flair in the CCC but ended up bottom of the PL and here they are again looking good.

 

The secret is to play a style that gets you promoted but will also enable you to survive in the PL.

 

[J7]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

[STM]

Anyone that goes up playing attractive football and continues along that line with the same Championship standard players gets killed.

 

WBA being the best recent example, they look full of flair in the CCC but ended up bottom of the PL and here they are again looking good.

 

The secret is to play a style that gets you promoted but will also enable you to survive in the PL.

 

 

I don't particularly think we are in a better position than West Brom to stay in the premiership but i don't think we are any worse off either.

 

It's just some are suggesting if we played a more fluid attacking style, then we would stand more chance of staying up, which isn't strictly true.

[NewJerseyMag]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

To me the CM is just too slow. No creativity going forward and overrun when defending. We dont have a box to box midfielder and we desperately need one.

 

If we could find someone that could link with both the defence and  forward line we would look a whole lot better, especially going forward.

 

The major problem here is that the "senior professionals" Smith/Nolan are the problem, and they seem to have quite a bit of power right now.

[STM]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

To me the CM is just too slow. No creativity going forward and overrun when defending. We dont have a box to box midfielder and we desperately need one.

 

If we could find someone that could link with both the defence and  forward line we would look a whole lot better, especially going forward.

 

The major problem here is that the "senior professionals" Smith/Nolan are the problem, and they seem to have quite a bit of power right now.

 

There aren't many about these days either. If Hull go down i'd look to take Bullard at a knock down price. Perhaps someone like JJ will come available in the summer too but you are right... we need legs.

[NewJerseyMag]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

 

 

To me the CM is just too slow. No creativity going forward and overrun when defending. We dont have a box to box midfielder and we desperately need one.

 

If we could find someone that could link with both the defence and  forward line we would look a whole lot better, especially going forward.

 

The major problem here is that the "senior professionals" Smith/Nolan are the problem, and they seem to have quite a bit of power right now.

 

There aren't many about these days either. If Hull go down i'd look to take Bullard at a knock down price. Perhaps someone like JJ will come available in the summer too but you are right... we need legs.

 

Can we clone Bob Lee aged 24 please? CMF is the one area we bought no one and no suprise when the player power lies there. Not going to vote yourself out of a job are you?

[Parky]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

Saw enough CAUTION in the Leicster game to last me a lifetime and he just stood there perplexed  and then made changes way too late. It might happen that we miss automatic promotion by 2 points, cause it's going to be close...We will lose more games as teams are less in awe of us than the start of the season and they've worked it all out...Hence Leicester continued to attack with 10 men cause they could see we were essentially toothless. Butt and Nolan basically have almost no movement and no ability to dicatate anything other than a pizza order on the phone.

 

I'm astounded there are people in here who refuse to see that CH doesn't really have the mental and tactical tools to help us in the PL it is quite evident already, we are just scraping by at the minute....Sooner or later we'll lose 2 or 3 games close together and then the shit will fly and he won't have the answers.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

That's a fair point, but draws are a lot more valuable than defeats in more ways than just points.

 

To a footballer, and to a certain extent a manager and the press, a draw is a decent result, you didn't get beat. It doesn't destroy confidence like defeats can do.

 

I think this might be part of the reason that we aren't trying harder for wins - it's definitely part of the reason why I can't criticise our approach too much.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

Saw enough CAUTION in the Leicster game to last me a lifetime and he just stood there perplexed  and then made changes way too late. It might happen that we miss automatic promotion by 2 points, cause it's going to be close...We will lose more games as teams are less in awe of us than the start of the season and they've worked it all out...Hence Leicester continued to attack with 10 men cause they could see we were essentially toothless. Butt and Nolan basically have almost no movement and no ability to dicatate anything other than a pizza order on the phone.

 

I'm astounded there are people in here who refuse to see that CH doesn't really have the mental and tactical tools to help us in the PL it is quite evident already, we are just scraping by at the minute....Sooner or later we'll lose 2 or 3 games close together.

 

It sounds like you're really criticising the players more the Hughton.

 

I hope he plays Guthrie in the middle now he has Routledge, that's pretty much all he can do to improve central midfield.

[Parky]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

Saw enough CAUTION in the Leicster game to last me a lifetime and he just stood there perplexed  and then made changes way too late. It might happen that we miss automatic promotion by 2 points, cause it's going to be close...We will lose more games as teams are less in awe of us than the start of the season and they've worked it all out...Hence Leicester continued to attack with 10 men cause they could see we were essentially toothless. Butt and Nolan basically have almost no movement and no ability to dicatate anything other than a pizza order on the phone.

 

I'm astounded there are people in here who refuse to see that CH doesn't really have the mental and tactical tools to help us in the PL it is quite evident already, we are just scraping by at the minute....Sooner or later we'll lose 2 or 3 games close together.

 

It sounds like you're really criticising the players more the Hughton.

 

I hope he plays Guthrie in the middle now he has Routledge, that's pretty much all he can do to improve central midfield.

 

I bet he starts Nolan and Butt against Cardiff and I also think they will beat us.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

 

It sounds like you're really criticising the players more the Hughton.

 

I hope he plays Guthrie in the middle now he has Routledge, that's pretty much all he can do to improve central midfield.

 

I bet he starts Nolan and Butt against Cardiff and I also think they will beat us.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right there, I just hope it doesn't happen.

[STM]

I don't really care about the style of football, however we have been really lucky recently. We're drawing too many games. We might as well win 1 and lose 2 rather than draw 3 times, like we have in the last 3 away games. There's being cautious, then there's being cautious to the point we're just throwing away points.

 

That's a fair point, but draws are a lot more valuable than defeats in more ways than just points.

 

To a footballer, and to a certain extent a manager and the press, a draw is a decent result, you didn't get beat. It doesn't destroy confidence like defeats can do.

 

I think this might be part of the reason that we aren't trying harder for wins - it's definitely part of the reason why I can't criticise our approach too much.

 

Sensible points.

 

It also suggests we have a platform to build on. Once of the hardest things to do is construct an organised defence and remain unbeaten.