The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

Whatever happens next season, Hughton will go down in Toon Folklore for this season a lone. His coaching is fine, and never in question, his man management skills seem a bit lax and apparently just lets the players get on with it. His tactics are often missing, I think Calderwood steps in there, and his sub decisions are often forced through injury/tiredness, never done with a tactical change in mind.

 

I think we have a great ensemble of coaching staff that have earned us potential promotion, which is perhaps what we've needed for a long time.

[Benwell Lad]

It might not be a popular in certain circles, but it is a fact that Hughton found himself managing the most expensively assembled and highly paid squad in the division. Not to mention by far the best supported team. He started with an advantage and maintained it. This isnt to take away from what he has achieved, only to put it into perspective.

 

Perhaps the debate needs to be turned around and ask what could he have done to scupper our promotion bid that he didnt?

 

 

Walk out when we didn't sign Victor Moses.

 

Ouch. That's bitchy.

True like.

[Benwell Lad]

It might not be a popular in certain circles, but it is a fact that Hughton found himself managing the most expensively assembled and highly paid squad in the division. Not to mention by far the best supported team. He started with an advantage and maintained it. This isnt to take away from what he has achieved, only to put it into perspective.

 

Perhaps the debate needs to be turned around and ask what could he have done to scupper our promotion bid that he didnt?

 

 

Rewind......in August this expensively assembled squad made up various managers signings was going drag the club down financially off the pitch & take us directly to L1 on it.

Which CCC team started the season with a better squad of players than NUFC?

 

We had a better squad than Hull but that counted for f*** all man.

 

Take a refresher with SKYSPORTS.COM to see how they thought we were going to do this season http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11096_5463544,00.html

 

Pre-season we had no manager & got trashed by Leyton Orient, fairplay to you for thinking we were going to piss this league

 

Kind of sums up "experts" and "pundits" - they could hardly have got it more wrong. Truth is they know no more than the average punter.

[Benwell Lad]

As a veteran of 4 promotion seasons (assuming we'll finish the job) the first being 1965, I'd like to say to all those who say this league is shit, that it is the best 2nd tier league I have seen us play in.  It may be the arrogance of looking down from a lofty position but I wonder how many of the other 23 teams involved think it's a shit league - not many I'd guess.

 

Although it's extremely difficult to draw comparisons in sport over periods of time the reasons it's better are that fitness levels of players are much higher than before and previously the best British Isles players played at the top level but that is now filled by the world's best players so there is more quality playing in the leagues below.

 

I'd agree that the gap between the 1st and 2nd tier is bigger than ever, but that is because the standards at the top have soared and not because the 2nd tier has got worse.

[mrmojorisin75]

I'm happy enough to see how he does next season but I don't see why everybody should have the same opinion.  malandro has every right to form his own opinion and then to express it.  I think the chances of Hughton turning out to be a good manager are 50/50 so it could go either way for him.

 

I don't think Hughton has been as good as some people think he's been and that is mainly down to some of the reasons already mentioned.  Our squad is better than anything in this league and we look to have done as well as we should have with the players at our disposal.

 

Hughton has won me over but I'm not totally convinced that he can make the step up, I do now think he should be given the chance to prove himself and that wasn't the case 2 months ago.

 

Yes malandro is entitled to form and express his own opinions of course, but with his kind of approach it begs the question, how much time/patience will Hughton get from the faithful next season should things not get off to the best of starts? We've been crying out a long time for a young ambitious manager who we could give time to build a squad here, and I think Hughton deserves a real go of things the way he has handled himself, Ashley and the players this season. If people with malandro's opinion on Hughton outnumber those who support him, it would worry me more than Hughton's credentials as a PL manager.

 

what makes you think hughton is young and ambitious, or has the ability to build a squad worthy of the club?

 

just interested

[madras]

I'm happy enough to see how he does next season but I don't see why everybody should have the same opinion.  malandro has every right to form his own opinion and then to express it.  I think the chances of Hughton turning out to be a good manager are 50/50 so it could go either way for him.

 

I don't think Hughton has been as good as some people think he's been and that is mainly down to some of the reasons already mentioned.  Our squad is better than anything in this league and we look to have done as well as we should have with the players at our disposal.

 

Hughton has won me over but I'm not totally convinced that he can make the step up, I do now think he should be given the chance to prove himself and that wasn't the case 2 months ago.

 

Yes malandro is entitled to form and express his own opinions of course, but with his kind of approach it begs the question, how much time/patience will Hughton get from the faithful next season should things not get off to the best of starts? We've been crying out a long time for a young ambitious manager who we could give time to build a squad here, and I think Hughton deserves a real go of things the way he has handled himself, Ashley and the players this season. If people with malandro's opinion on Hughton outnumber those who support him, it would worry me more than Hughton's credentials as a PL manager.

 

what makes you think hughton is young and ambitious, or has the ability to build a squad worthy of the club?

 

just interested

what makes you think he isn't ?

[TRon]

I'm happy enough to see how he does next season but I don't see why everybody should have the same opinion.  malandro has every right to form his own opinion and then to express it.  I think the chances of Hughton turning out to be a good manager are 50/50 so it could go either way for him.

 

I don't think Hughton has been as good as some people think he's been and that is mainly down to some of the reasons already mentioned.  Our squad is better than anything in this league and we look to have done as well as we should have with the players at our disposal.

 

Hughton has won me over but I'm not totally convinced that he can make the step up, I do now think he should be given the chance to prove himself and that wasn't the case 2 months ago.

 

Yes malandro is entitled to form and express his own opinions of course, but with his kind of approach it begs the question, how much time/patience will Hughton get from the faithful next season should things not get off to the best of starts? We've been crying out a long time for a young ambitious manager who we could give time to build a squad here, and I think Hughton deserves a real go of things the way he has handled himself, Ashley and the players this season. If people with malandro's opinion on Hughton outnumber those who support him, it would worry me more than Hughton's credentials as a PL manager.

 

what makes you think hughton is young and ambitious, or has the ability to build a squad worthy of the club?

 

just interested

what makes you think he isn't ?

 

Also what makes anyone think that getting rid of Hughton and replacing with someone else is guaranteed to provide better results next season?

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

Sadly they'll be sections of the crowd on Hughton's back the moment he loses a game next season, which is exactly the kind of thing thats led to us being where we are now (amongst other issues).

[Dr.Spaceman]

This thread makes me Worf my face off.

[mrmojorisin75]

I'm happy enough to see how he does next season but I don't see why everybody should have the same opinion.  malandro has every right to form his own opinion and then to express it.  I think the chances of Hughton turning out to be a good manager are 50/50 so it could go either way for him.

 

I don't think Hughton has been as good as some people think he's been and that is mainly down to some of the reasons already mentioned.  Our squad is better than anything in this league and we look to have done as well as we should have with the players at our disposal.

 

Hughton has won me over but I'm not totally convinced that he can make the step up, I do now think he should be given the chance to prove himself and that wasn't the case 2 months ago.

 

Yes malandro is entitled to form and express his own opinions of course, but with his kind of approach it begs the question, how much time/patience will Hughton get from the faithful next season should things not get off to the best of starts? We've been crying out a long time for a young ambitious manager who we could give time to build a squad here, and I think Hughton deserves a real go of things the way he has handled himself, Ashley and the players this season. If people with malandro's opinion on Hughton outnumber those who support him, it would worry me more than Hughton's credentials as a PL manager.

 

what makes you think hughton is young and ambitious, or has the ability to build a squad worthy of the club?

 

just interested

what makes you think he isn't ?

 

i didn't say i thought that!  it was a genuine question, i've been very isolated from all things NUFC this season i'm afraid so was wondering

 

i'd say that he had virtually no positive effect on results and performances last season when in charge so he's either developing into a manager (not unheard of) or the players are simply carrying themselves through a shit league and we'll be back to square one when they're faced with more quality

next season

 

or something in between?

[Nordstrom]

RATHER than side with the romantic notion of clinching promotion at St.James' Park this coming Monday, Chris Hughton insists that he wants his side to get the job done at Peterborough this weekend.

 

For, should The Magpies win at London Road and third-placed Nottingham Forest slip to an eighth successive away defeat at Bristol City, then a return to the top flight would be secured.

 

Some have suggested that it would be fitting for Hughton's men to seal that return in front of a sell-out crowd against Sheffield United 48 hours later, but the Toon chief is adamant that he would rather be celebrating come Saturday tea-time.

 

"The best opportunity to clinch promotion is the first opportunity and that is Peterborough on Saturday," he told nufcTV.

 

Article continues>>

"The most important thing is that we go there with the attitude and commitment we showed against Forest.

 

"We must put ourselves in the best position to get a win and where that takes us we will have to wait and see.

 

"It's dependent on two things really; ourselves getting a result and Forest getting beat.

 

"But most people would agree that Forest showed enough at St.James' on Monday to show why they are third in the league.

 

"They are on a run of away defeats and they will want to put that right.

 

"I expect them to go to Bristol City and have a good go, but we can only affect our own game and we're going to Peterborough full of confidence and looking for the win."

 

HUGHTON OUT!!!

[Dr.Spaceman]

Omg he's like the best manager in the world for saying that.

 

Edit: Wonder when Madrid, Juve, Barca, AC, Inter etc are gonna be knocking on the door.

[Dave]

Nice straw man.

[BottledDog]

Omg he's like the best manager in the world for saying that.

 

Edit: Wonder when Madrid, Juve, Barca, AC, Inter etc are gonna be knocking on the door.

 

Such bitterness.

[Dr.Spaceman]

So I'm bitter because I haven't joined in the Hughton wankfest?

[Lotus]

He's had better players at his disposal this season and yet often i've thought we've looked like the worst team. It has been the oppostions lack of ability as individual players that has allowed to get points. The other teams have often (not always, obviously) looked more organised, coherent and motivated.

 

Next season we'll be playing teams with at best on par players and regularly teams with better players than ours.

 

I just can't see Hughton moulding a team that is greater than the sum of its parts. That is my view based on this season.

[Dr.Spaceman]

You'll get your head chopped off for that valid, non-biased contribution btw.

[TRon]

It might be that Hughton struggles next season but I think it's just as well he's given a chance to pit his wits against the likes of Pulis, Allardyce, Mcarthy and other luminaries before we write him off. At least that way when we sack him we won't look daft if he resurfaces at another club and goes on to be successful manager.

[Lenny]

So I'm bitter because I haven't joined in the Hughton wankfest?

 

99% of opinions when it comes to football are hyperbole and knee jerk so some are going to be a bit over the top (although people are hardly saying he will definitely be a massive success next season). The guys had a lot of criticism this season, let's at least give him some of the praise he deserves as well shall we.

[OzzieMandias]

"Wankfest" would be a better description of what it would have been like on here had Shearer brought us to the verge of automatic promotion, four points clear with a game in hand, unbeaten at home since the start of the season.

 

You wouldn't be able to read the forum for all the jizz.

[toptoon]

Few could reasonably argue that CH has not now earned the right to manage us in the prem next season.

 

I'd take 17th right now for next year in the prem and if the team plays well and achieves at least that he can hopefully build from there.

 

It will depend on who he is able to bring in, tactics and most importantly results.

 

We have good base of players:

 

Keepers i have every faith in:Harper, Krul and Forster

 

Right Backs: Possibly our weakest defensive link we should look to improve on Simpson and Taylor. Although better than previous premiership RB's Steven Car etc

 

CB's: Taylor, Williamson, Colo, Kadar, Hall arguably our strongest positions

 

Left Back: If we manage to hold on to Enrique  i'll be delighted. Kadar to cover

 

Left Wing: Jonas is our best player in my opinion (see Enrique) - We need a young up and coming quick back up here.

 

CM - Our weakest positions at the moment, Guthrie needs a top quality partner here. Barton the psycho will no doubt prove a liability, Smith and Butt are clearly passed it and Nolan's a bit slow.  If he renews Butt's contact he's crazy and we probably will not be able to off load Smith or Barton because who is going to pay them what we do?

 

Right Wing - Routledge is quick and good in the championship but it remains to be seen how effective he will be for us in the Premiership.

 

CF - Carroll (see Routledge) he needs to support a really good quality partner a Martins or Bellamy type player, Shola will no doubt be injured and inconsistant, Lovenkrands deserves his chance but i see him as a back up. Please CH do not go for Harewood set your sights higher. 

 

Priorities

 

1. A really top quality CM.

2. A really top quality striker.

3. Back up on the LW

 

 

If CH managed to solve priorities 1,2 & 3 he'll have done well.

 

Team next year:

 

                             Krul

                            Harper

 

Taylor        Williamson    Hall?    Kadar

Simpson    Taylor?          Colo    Enrique

 

Taylor                         Smith

Pancrate?     Barton  Nolan     ??

Routledge   Guthrie  ??     Jonas

 

                   Ranger   

                   Loven     Shola

                    ??    Carroll

 

Subs: Krul, Kadar, Williamson, Raylor, Loven + 2? 

[cp40]

i would give him at least untill 1st of Jan.

 

I would then only then get rid if he looked woefully out of his depth and R would be unavoidable if he stayed,..i dont thin kthis will be the case . so yeah stick with him.

[themanupstairs]

I'm happy enough to see how he does next season but I don't see why everybody should have the same opinion.  malandro has every right to form his own opinion and then to express it.  I think the chances of Hughton turning out to be a good manager are 50/50 so it could go either way for him.

 

I don't think Hughton has been as good as some people think he's been and that is mainly down to some of the reasons already mentioned.  Our squad is better than anything in this league and we look to have done as well as we should have with the players at our disposal.

 

Hughton has won me over but I'm not totally convinced that he can make the step up, I do now think he should be given the chance to prove himself and that wasn't the case 2 months ago.

 

Yes malandro is entitled to form and express his own opinions of course, but with his kind of approach it begs the question, how much time/patience will Hughton get from the faithful next season should things not get off to the best of starts? We've been crying out a long time for a young ambitious manager who we could give time to build a squad here, and I think Hughton deserves a real go of things the way he has handled himself, Ashley and the players this season. If people with malandro's opinion on Hughton outnumber those who support him, it would worry me more than Hughton's credentials as a PL manager.

 

what makes you think hughton is young and ambitious, or has the ability to build a squad worthy of the club?

 

just interested

 

He's young in managerial terms, as this is his first proper gig. We're top of the league and have been all season. This means he's done something right. We were top of the league before the winter window, and he could have pleased Ashley by saying "give me loan players for cover, we're top, im doing a minted job". But he didn't. Despite being top, he still recognized our desperate need for balance in midfield and signed Routledge. He knew we needed a center half, and duly went out and bought Williamson who has proved an absolute bargain. This shows his ambition for continuous improvement on your own position - no resting on our laurels and all that.

 

His attitude and learning curve have both been superb. The players could have taken all the credit themselves, but the biggest indicator for me that credit goes to CH and CC is that the players themselves cant stop raving about them. Who knows, it may take Hughton a couple of yrs to really grasp management in the PL. The signs so far are in his favor in that he seems to be learning and most importantly greatly enjoying the challenge. Maybe the bloke always thought naah managements not for me im just a coach, and he's just realized that this was the right time to try it on.

 

By the way Mojo you're unlucky for being disconnected with NUFC this season as it's been the best one we've had as supporters for a good few years. Anyone that tells you otherwise is lying. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about, and Chris Hughton has played a big part in giving us that good feeling again.

[mrmojorisin75]

He's had better players at his disposal this season and yet often i've thought we've looked like the worst team. It has been the oppostions lack of ability as individual players that has allowed to get points. The other teams have often (not always, obviously) looked more organised, coherent and motivated.

 

Next season we'll be playing teams with at best on par players and regularly teams with better players than ours.

 

I just can't see Hughton moulding a team that is greater than the sum of its parts. That is my view based on this season.

 

this is kind of what i'd gleaned from reading (i know, i know) about this season overall and what i thought of hughton from what i saw last season

 

my preference would be for the people in, ahem, charge to have a progressive longer-term target in their minds and go out get him in the summer then back him to the hilt - which they'll neither have nor do

 

therefore we'd be fuckin stupid to do anything other than stick with hughton really, unless as cp40 says it gets to a position where him staying is untenable early doors in the season

[mrmojorisin75]

 

By the way Mojo you're unlucky for being disconnected with NUFC this season as it's been the best one we've had as supporters for a good few years. Anyone that tells you otherwise is lying. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about, and Chris Hughton has played a big part in giving us that good feeling again.

 

very very true, unfortunately for me