The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[Ronaldo]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

[Guest Chris P]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

 

So you dont rate him as a player? Or is that he's a beer swilling, pie eating, fat bastard that can't play football.

 

Talk about the party line.

[midds]

We have two games without much rest time between them, will the s*** hit the fan if certain favourites are rested or certain villains used?

 

We won't win both, we just won't. Not with the likes of Nolan in the team - he can't play two games in two days.

 

Peterborough are the worst team in the league. Their home record is W6 D5 L9. Sheff U are dreadful away from home - W4 D5 L11.

 

I can't see why we can't pick 2 teams to win each game. Start well and get 2 or 3 up early against Peterborough and coast through the rest of the game. Pick mostly the same players against Sheffield (who've also played a blood and thunder Yorkshire derby on Saturday) and we should beat them too.

[Ronaldo]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

 

So you dont rate him as a player? Or is that he's a beer swilling, pie eating, fat b****** that can't play football.

 

Talk about the party line.

 

Not sure what you're on about, for once.

[Stu]

We have two games without much rest time between them, will the s*** hit the fan if certain favourites are rested or certain villains used?

 

We won't win both, we just won't. Not with the likes of Nolan in the team - he can't play two games in two days.

 

Peterborough are the worst team in the league. Their home record is W6 D5 L9. Sheff U are dreadful away from home - W4 D5 L11.

 

I can't see why we can't pick 2 teams to win each game. Start well and get 2 or 3 up early against Peterborough and coast through the rest of the game. Pick mostly the same players against Sheffield (who've also played a blood and thunder Yorkshire derby on Saturday) and we should beat them too.

 

This. Although I think the game on Monday will be harder if the players & fans find out that promotion has been achieved just before KO. It'll be more of a party atmosphere and will ruin Chris' "lets go and seal the job" speech

[jdckelly]

We have two games without much rest time between them, will the s*** hit the fan if certain favourites are rested or certain villains used?

 

We won't win both, we just won't. Not with the likes of Nolan in the team - he can't play two games in two days.

 

Peterborough are the worst team in the league. Their home record is W6 D5 L9. Sheff U are dreadful away from home - W4 D5 L11.

 

I can't see why we can't pick 2 teams to win each game. Start well and get 2 or 3 up early against Peterborough and coast through the rest of the game. Pick mostly the same players against Sheffield (who've also played a blood and thunder Yorkshire derby on Saturday) and we should beat them too.

 

This. Although I think the game on Monday will be harder if the players & fans find out that promotion has been achieved just before KO. It'll be more of a party atmosphere and will ruin Chris' "lets go and seal the job" speech

alternativly it could completely remove pressure from the side and allow them to play with freedom, besides theres always 1st place to focus on

[David Icke - Son of God]

We have two games without much rest time between them, will the s*** hit the fan if certain favourites are rested or certain villains used?

 

We won't win both, we just won't. Not with the likes of Nolan in the team - he can't play two games in two days.

 

Peterborough are the worst team in the league. Their home record is W6 D5 L9. Sheff U are dreadful away from home - W4 D5 L11.

 

I can't see why we can't pick 2 teams to win each game. Start well and get 2 or 3 up early against Peterborough and coast through the rest of the game. Pick mostly the same players against Sheffield (who've also played a blood and thunder Yorkshire derby on Saturday) and we should beat them too.

 

This. Although I think the game on Monday will be harder if the players & fans find out that promotion has been achieved just before KO. It'll be more of a party atmosphere and will ruin Chris' "lets go and seal the job" speech

alternativly it could completely remove pressure from the side and allow them to play with freedom, besides theres always 1st place to focus on

 

This.

[Guest Chris P]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

 

So you dont rate him as a player? Or is that he's a beer swilling, pie eating, fat b****** that can't play football.

 

Talk about the party line.

 

Not sure what you're on about, for once.

 

just wish everybody would support him rather than slagging him off

 

[Guest malandro]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

 

So you dont rate him as a player? Or is that he's a beer swilling, pie eating, fat b****** that can't play football.

 

Talk about the party line.

 

Not sure what you're on about, for once.

 

just wish everybody would support him rather than slagging him off

 

[macca888]

Wouldn't that mean he was assuming supporters who have doubts about Hughton will be the ones booing if things go wrong? In my experience the boo boys are the ones with unrealistic expectations, the ones whose opinions get blown about by short term events. On that basis it will be the people who are convinced one season proves hes top notch who will be most disappointed if we arent whipping Wigan at home.

 

Thats knee jurk if ever isaw it, and who ever said he was top notch.

Just enjoy it instead of getting your knickers in a twist

 

The only people getting their knickers in a twist are those who cant accept any opinion that diverges from the partyline. If you choose to swallow all the gumpf thats been written about Hughton this season thats your prerogative. I prefer to give him credit for what hes done this season and wait until hes proven himself in more testing circumstances before getting a stiffy.

You are playng both sides of the fence here, bonny lad. You are prepared to give him credit (wow, this is big of you) but you would actually rather someone else as manager (hopefully Ashley isnt rading your opinions).

 

Facts are this:

 

He took over a depleted squad bewildered by the events of last season,

Had no money to spend last summer.

Worked on a week by week contract, as did Calderwood.

Lost most of his star names, fortunately.

Lost his most influential striker early

Forced to play a kid on his own up front but still got results.

Spent limited funds in January wisely

continued to gain results and top of the league.

gelled his squad together despite difficult periods of losing further influential players, Taylor, Barton, Colo, Enrique, Smith etc

Improved the standard of football especially at hoime as season has gone on.

ONLY LOST FOUR LEAGUE GAMES ALL SEASON

Only lost once in thne last 26 league games.

Despite losing quality defenders, has best defensive record in the division

Has the only unbeaten home record in all divisions

will be promoted with at least 5 games of the season left to play.

Possibly smash 100 points record and 90 goals for season

 

AND YOU GRUDGINGLY DEEM SOME CREDIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Mate, you know jackshit about football and would be more suited to ready steady go or whatever those philistines 12 miles down the road are called.

If you accept we probably started season with the best squad in the division then the key task at hand was to motivate them. Now as an unremarkable pre-season programme drew to an end the highly motivated and well organised team that Hughton was managing went to Leyton Orient, and got thrashed 6-1. This prompted the now legendary youre with us or not players meeting, where it would seem a group of senior players (Nolan, Butt and Smith?) decided to take matters into their own hands. We know this to be true as its been put forward as the catalyst for the superb team spirit by the players themselves on numerous occasions.

 

Hughton can take credit for going with the flow, perhaps even spotting when he was onto a good thing and creating an environment where the players resolve didnt waiver when we hit a long losing streak. However, anyone who knows jackshit about football knows its a very thin line between the players having a healthy input and the losing control. Its worked this season and Hughton can take credit for this. He can also take credit for buying a right winger and moving Guthrie inside, as we all thought Guthries best position was wide right and having two plodders in central midfield was the best thing since sliced bread did we not?

 

Next season will be a totally different proposition. The players will think that wrongs have been righted, that they are back where they belong. The motivational spur they had this season will be gone. No doubt theyll set a new target but when they lose a game it wont be as easy to bounce back. Confidence will be eroded and taking the lads ten pin bowling wont restore it. Hughton will have to motivate players who motivated themselves this season, he might be up to the job or he might not. Theres also the issue of bringing in new players would he, for example, have the balls to replace Nolan and Smith, and will this seasons togetherness remain if two of its main protagonists find themselves out of the team for long stretches.

 

Hughton has succeeded this season by being a pragmatist, which is obviously his natural way of doing things. What we dont know is to what extent he shaped events and to what extent he was led by them. As I keep saying, hes done enough to lead us into next season but question marks remain.  

 

[/quote) Much of what you say about so called player power is absolute nonsense and heresay. Yes, you are probably right that there is a group of players who form a committee in motivation as well as many other facets of playing for the club, including tickets on matchdays, organiosing social turns etc etc etc. If you read Roy Keanes biography, you will see it happens at Manchester United as well as most other clubs.

 

This is not to say that the players pick the team. What is happening at NUFC now is no different to what was happening several years ago under SBR with the likes of Shearer, Given, Speed etc dealing with certain matters as detailed above.

 

The Orient event was well documented in the papers but do you believe everything you read? Are you saying the players themselves sorted the problems out? Absoluite rubbish. You seem to be basiing much of your opinion on the fact the Hughton is a mild mannered man, not subject to rants and ravings like many of his predessors in the job. It has been stated on several occasions by many players at the club this season, and in particular by Nolan, Smith and Harper, even young Ranger, that Hughton has a temper on him and uses it when it matters.

 

As for the squad at the beginning of the season, just a reminder that the club lost Owen, Viduka, Martins, Beye, Edgar and several others without replacing them. Many people, including yourself, have been happy to slate the likes of Butt, Nolan, Smith and Ameobi on here, but this is what we were left with and on;y the likes of Lovenkrands coming in without a pre season behind him. The squad was thin, so thin that for the majority of the first few games, Ranger led the line and we had the likes of Lua Lua, Donaldson, Tozer and Vukic on the bench. Several of these kids actually played. So, yes, we had the strongest squad in the division, didnt we? Stronger than WBA for example!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

 

You might want to cast your mind back also to the injuries suffered by the likes of Colo, Taylor, Barton etc, further reducing the strength of the squad. Admittedly, we got Harewood and Khiz in but do you really believe they enhanced the quality?

 

Furthermore, credit should be given to Hughton and Ashley for spending money on the 6 players they brought in when money was clearly tight. This has been the undoing of Forest. If they had done something similar, they might well be closer to us.

 

Furthermore, do you honestly think a group of 4 would select the team and at the same time, keep total harmony throughout the club? It would be total anarchy and I cannot see Ashley or Hughton standing for it.

 

I am a coach myself and have run many teams. There is nothing wrong with having trusted lieutenants out on the park, motivating and ensuring players perform to their best. Part of our problem last year was that we had an inept captain in Michael Owen and very few others stepped up to the plate. This year, we seem to have a hell of a lot of leaders out there, all answering the call to alms and leading by example. If we had this last year, we might not have got relegated.

 

Oh, and getting back to my original point of squad strength, didnt we also lose Duff on transfer deadline day after he scored the equaliser at WBA and failed to replace him too.

 

 

What happened after the Leyton Orient fiasco isnt hearsay, the players have been banging about it all season. Its been this seasons mantra. I didnt ask why it took this humiliating defeat to prompt the club into dealing with the team spirit issue. Perhaps as a coach yourself you can tell us why Hughton did nothing about it earlier?

 

The rest of your post is old ground and not worth going over again. However I will add that I never said the players were picking the team, we only bought four players in January and the Sunday League isnt professional football.

 

First of all, at Leyton Orient, we still had the likes of Beye, Martins and Duff playing for the club. It was apparently obvious to all who wanted to play and who didnt. You have absolutely no evidence at all to support your opinion that Hughton just walked away and left the decision making to the players. If he had done that, he would have lost the respect of ALL the players. This day was obviously the straw that broke the camel's back when it was decided that those like Martins, Duff and Beye had to go. At the time, Hughton could not dictate who , would leave until offers came in such as Duff to Fulham after the season had started.

 

It was obvious at the time that noone knew if they were coming or going until the transfer deadline had passed as evidenced by the ongoing saga of whether Taylor would move to Everton or not. Considering the fact he wasnt allowed to sign any players left the squad virtually see through, never mind thin.

 

Can you answer this question honestly? Did you expect the club to get promotion before the WBA game away, first game of the season? If your answer is yes, you would be the only poster on here who thought so. If your answer is no, then you must have thought our squad wasnt the strongest therefore contradicting your own current statement.

 

The rest of my post might be old hat, but the facts dont lie and Hughton has exceeded everyones expectations this year and as several other posters on this thread have commented, improved as a manager the longer the season has gone on .

 

Finally, as you dont know me, you have no idea who or what I have coached. You would be very surprised if I told you, suffice to say, that I have coached professional football at a level considerably higher than your local tyneside sunday league, so I have a lot of experience in dealing with footballing matters from a coaching/management perspective therefore I know what it is like to deal with individuals, factions and how to use the players self motivation to get the best out of them. Hughton has shown admirable qualities, both on and off the park this season and I dont see why the experience he has encountered this season, will not stand him in good stead next season.

 

Or would you mrather have Kinnear, Allardyce, Roeder or god forbid, Shearer in charge?

[Guest Chris P]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

 

So you dont rate him as a player? Or is that he's a beer swilling, pie eating, fat b****** that can't play football.

 

Talk about the party line.

 

Not sure what you're on about, for once.

 

just wish everybody would support him rather than slagging him off

 

and

[macca888]

Mealandro

 

One other thing, we signed 6 players in January, not 4. Two of these were on loan and proved to be excellent short term additions in Hall and Van Aanholt. Simpson, Routledge, Williamson and Best were the others. Just thought maybe you had forgotten about the loaners.

[Guest malandro]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

 

So you dont rate him as a player? Or is that he's a beer swilling, pie eating, fat b****** that can't play football.

 

Talk about the party line.

 

Not sure what you're on about, for once.

 

just wish everybody would support him rather than slagging him off

 

and

And you need to learn the difference between slagging somebody off and suggesting their achievements might not be quite as amazing as is being made out.

[madras]

It's a truth, one that'll become painful when we play real opposition next season.

 

So you dont rate him as a player? Or is that he's a beer swilling, pie eating, fat b****** that can't play football.

 

Talk about the party line.

 

Not sure what you're on about, for once.

 

just wish everybody would support him rather than slagging him off

 

and

And you need to learn the difference between slagging somebody off and suggesting their achievements might not be quite as amazing as is being made out.

anyone saying they are amazing ?

 

most are saying they've been as good as could be expected.

[Guest malandro]

Mealandro

 

One other thing, we signed 6 players in January, not 4. Two of these were on loan and proved to be excellent short term additions in Hall and Van Aanholt. Simpson, Routledge, Williamson and Best were the others. Just thought maybe you had forgotten about the loaners.

I didn’t say we signed four players in January. I said we bought four players.

[Cajun]

You need to learn the difference between "I will give him credit for this season" and "he has done the bare minimum, we are top because of [every reason I can think of bar hughton doing a good job]".

[CaliMag]

Here's an article in the Guardian about Hughton... don't worry its not by Louise Taylor:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/03/newcastle-chris-hughton-promotion

 

It has actual quotes instead of the usual supposition and gives credit where credit is due.

 

The money quote:

It is Hughton who has overseen it all. "He doesn't give much away, but when he wants something he gets it," said Nolan. "Make no mistake he manages, we just play. He is a great manager, he is a great fella."

 

Also says the senior vangard of players that have taken efforts to right the dressing room are Nolan, Harper and Smith... no mention of Butt who has no leadership qualities IMO.

[Cajun]

Hughton too soft, players have taken over, lost control of the dressing room etc.....

[Guest malandro]

You need to learn the difference between "I will give him credit for this season" and "he has done the bare minimum, we are top because of [every reason I can think of bar hughton doing a good job]".

For the last time. I’m not questioning that he’s done a good job, because he has. I’m questioning how good a job he’s done as this will have a major bearing on the fortunes of NUFC next season.

[macca888]

Here's an article in the Guardian about Hughton... don't worry its not by Louise Taylor:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/03/newcastle-chris-hughton-promotion

 

It has actual quotes instead of the usual supposition and gives credit where credit is due.

 

The money quote:

It is Hughton who has overseen it all. "He doesn't give much away, but when he wants something he gets it," said Nolan. "Make no mistake he manages, we just play. He is a great manager, he is a great fella."

 

Also says the senior vangard of players that have taken efforts to right the dressing room are Nolan, Harper and Smith... no mention of Butt who has no leadership qualities IMO.

Excellent article and only enforces much of what we already suspected. The quiet man attitude of the manager and the determination of togetherness of the players has put the club in a new light. Hopefully, long may this continue.

 

MALANDRO...............Maybe this article might allay many of your fears for the future.

[Guest malandro]

Hughton too soft, players have taken over, lost control of the dressing room etc.....

I never said that either.

[Guest malandro]

Here's an article in the Guardian about Hughton... don't worry its not by Louise Taylor:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/03/newcastle-chris-hughton-promotion

 

It has actual quotes instead of the usual supposition and gives credit where credit is due.

 

The money quote:

It is Hughton who has overseen it all. "He doesn't give much away, but when he wants something he gets it," said Nolan. "Make no mistake he manages, we just play. He is a great manager, he is a great fella."

 

Also says the senior vangard of players that have taken efforts to right the dressing room are Nolan, Harper and Smith... no mention of Butt who has no leadership qualities IMO.

Excellent article and only enforces much of what we already suspected. The quiet man attitude of the manager and the determination of togetherness of the players has put the club in a new light. Hopefully, long may this continue.

 

MALANDRO...............Maybe this article might allay many of your fears for the future.

If anything it reinforces them but I wouldn’t expect you to understand.

[madras]

Here's an article in the Guardian about Hughton... don't worry its not by Louise Taylor:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/03/newcastle-chris-hughton-promotion

 

It has actual quotes instead of the usual supposition and gives credit where credit is due.

 

The money quote:

It is Hughton who has overseen it all. "He doesn't give much away, but when he wants something he gets it," said Nolan. "Make no mistake he manages, we just play. He is a great manager, he is a great fella."

 

Also says the senior vangard of players that have taken efforts to right the dressing room are Nolan, Harper and Smith... no mention of Butt who has no leadership qualities IMO.

Excellent article and only enforces much of what we already suspected. The quiet man attitude of the manager and the determination of togetherness of the players has put the club in a new light. Hopefully, long may this continue.

 

MALANDRO...............Maybe this article might allay many of your fears for the future.

to be honest macca it doesnt allay my fears. we are top and getting promoted. if it was a player cabal that took us there then he didnt kick up. if it was him then well done.

 

 

which it was  ? i don't know. i remember irving nattrass and alan keendey,paul canell and micky burns telling us how much they wanted richard dinniss.

[Cajun]

I never said YOU did but the fact you need to defend yourself against every comment like that says a lot.

 

I haven't seen you post anything that suggests you really think he has done a good job. Just backhanded compliments and listing every other reason why we could be top despite the manager.

[macca888]

You need to learn the difference between "I will give him credit for this season" and "he has done the bare minimum, we are top because of [every reason I can think of bar hughton doing a good job]".

For the last time. Im not questioning that hes done a good job, because he has. Im questioning how good a job hes done as this will have a major bearing on the fortunes of NUFC next season.

I would imagine that he would have liked to do more things this season to be successful but couldnt due to the restraints set upon him. Having achieved promotion so emphatically has more than likely improved the confidence the owner has in him therefore possibly lifting some of the restraints, allowing him to bring in more players to strenghen the squad further.

 

Noone knows what will happen next season but everything points to the club being healthier both on and off the field without being financially stupid in signing players. It is clear that both Hughton and Calderwood are quiet achievers and whilst novices in the management side of things, their knowledge of club football at the highest level is second to none. If backed sensibly by the owner, I have faith in seeing these men lead the club to better times. Like most on here, miracles are not expected but steady progression over the next few seasons would be enough as long as we learn, as a club, from the owner downwards, from last seasons mistakes.