The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[garth]

As I see it winning is all that matters at the moment, especially in this first season.

[Robster]

It's relatively simple to click your username and see where you're based.

Until you're shelling out hundreds of pounds a season to watch this team I'll struggle to take your opinion on whether we should lose in style or win dirty seriously. Sorry.

Well yes I am aware of how easy it to see where I live. I was just trying to be a bit light-hearted.

Not that I need to justify it to you but I have spent plenty of money folloing the team but I havent had a season ticket since about 2002 when i I just couldnt afford it anymore on top of travelling from here etc.

Its just very sad where the priorities lie these days.

 

 

[Guest malandro]

I'm sorry but seeing us play attractive football is important to me. Regardless of whether it sees us get relegated.

Call it personal pride or whatever you like but I would be more proud of the team if they went down trying to play football rather than just play kick and rush s**** just to survive.

Ultimately, its the players that get you relegated and not the style of football you play. WBA et al went down because they werent good enough - not because of they style of football they played.

 

 

 

a) Until we establish ourselves in the Premiership and consolidate our position, we won't be able to sign the kind of players you want. If that means a season of not playing like Barcelona, then so be it.

 

b) I would personally rather stay up this season.

 

c) The WBA side that went down had better ball-playing footballers than we do right now- so surely you see the problem with your last point?

 

It's short-sighted and unrealistic to expect us to be brilliant right away with the resources we have. Look at the start of last season- it wasn't pretty, but it was effective. Only after January were we able to really start to play more attractively. Without the more pragmatic approach earlier on in the season, though, we wouldn't have had the foundation to get promoted playing reasonably decent football.

Nobody mentioned playing like Barcelona, or being brilliant right away. Nobody is objecting to stifling the game when we play Chelsea either. What they are objecting too is narrowing the pitch as it’s an inflexible tactic, a commitment to being negative no matter who we are playing.

 

I pay my money and I want to see games with moments of excitement and drama, not ten blokes squashed into the centre circle kicking each other for ninety minutes. I don’t except us to play cavalier football, and there’s nothing wrong with playing with discipline and aggression. Narrowing the pitch though is something else altogether. All it guarantees is more dull and boring matches, not avoiding relegation.

 

[Cajun]

I'm sorry but seeing us play attractive football is important to me. Regardless of whether it sees us get relegated.

Call it personal pride or whatever you like but I would be more proud of the team if they went down trying to play football rather than just play kick and rush s**** just to survive.

Ultimately, its the players that get you relegated and not the style of football you play. WBA et al went down because they werent good enough - not because of they style of football they played.

 

 

 

a) Until we establish ourselves in the Premiership and consolidate our position, we won't be able to sign the kind of players you want. If that means a season of not playing like Barcelona, then so be it.

 

b) I would personally rather stay up this season.

 

c) The WBA side that went down had better ball-playing footballers than we do right now- so surely you see the problem with your last point?

 

It's short-sighted and unrealistic to expect us to be brilliant right away with the resources we have. Look at the start of last season- it wasn't pretty, but it was effective. Only after January were we able to really start to play more attractively. Without the more pragmatic approach earlier on in the season, though, we wouldn't have had the foundation to get promoted playing reasonably decent football.

Nobody mentioned playing like Barcelona, or being brilliant right away. Nobody is objecting to stifling the game when we play Chelsea either. What they are objecting too is narrowing the pitch as its an inflexible tactic, a commitment to being negative no matter who we are playing.

 

I pay my money and I want to see games with moments of excitement and drama, not ten blokes squashed into the centre circle kicking each other for ninety minutes. I dont except us to play cavalier football, and theres nothing wrong with playing with discipline and aggression. Narrowing the pitch though is something else altogether. All it guarantees is more dull and boring matches, not avoiding relegation.

 

 

I don't think they will be taking it in 15 yards each side

[Guest MrBrown]

I'm sorry but seeing us play attractive football is important to me. Regardless of whether it sees us get relegated.

Call it personal pride or whatever you like but I would be more proud of the team if they went down trying to play football rather than just play kick and rush s**** just to survive.

Ultimately, its the players that get you relegated and not the style of football you play. WBA et al went down because they werent good enough - not because of they style of football they played.

 

 

 

a) Until we establish ourselves in the Premiership and consolidate our position, we won't be able to sign the kind of players you want. If that means a season of not playing like Barcelona, then so be it.

 

b) I would personally rather stay up this season.

 

c) The WBA side that went down had better ball-playing footballers than we do right now- so surely you see the problem with your last point?

 

It's short-sighted and unrealistic to expect us to be brilliant right away with the resources we have. Look at the start of last season- it wasn't pretty, but it was effective. Only after January were we able to really start to play more attractively. Without the more pragmatic approach earlier on in the season, though, we wouldn't have had the foundation to get promoted playing reasonably decent football.

Nobody mentioned playing like Barcelona, or being brilliant right away. Nobody is objecting to stifling the game when we play Chelsea either. What they are objecting too is narrowing the pitch as it’s an inflexible tactic, a commitment to being negative no matter who we are playing.

 

I pay my money and I want to see games with moments of excitement and drama, not ten blokes squashed into the centre circle kicking each other for ninety minutes. I don’t except us to play cavalier football, and there’s nothing wrong with playing with discipline and aggression. Narrowing the pitch though is something else altogether. All it guarantees is more dull and boring matches, not avoiding relegation.

 

 

A couple suggested that they'd rather play pretty football than stay up, which seems silly to me.

 

More pertinently, where has anyone from the club actually confirmed they're narrowing the pitch?

[JH]

Every single time any Newcastle United fan even briefly thinks about something other than getting points and staying up as being the most important, just recall that feeling inside your stomach when the final whistle went at Villa Park on Sunday 24th May 2009.

 

I for one never want to go through that again, and I'll sit through anything to make sure that it doesn't happen. Some 1-0's and a few long throw ins is nowt in comparison.

[ponsaelius]

I'd rather we found some middle ground between good football and kick and rush shite. I don't really want to watch rubbish all season but then I don't want us to go down either 

[Guest MrBrown]

I'd rather we found some middle ground between good football and kick and rush s****. I don't really want to watch rubbish all season but then I don't want us to go down either 

 

That's exactly what we did for the latter half of last season. Why wouldn't we continue to do so this time?

[Robster]

Nobody mentioned playing like Barcelona, or being brilliant right away. Nobody is objecting to stifling the game when we play Chelsea either. What they are objecting too is narrowing the pitch as it’s an inflexible tactic, a commitment to being negative no matter who we are playing.

I pay my money and I want to see games with moments of excitement and drama, not ten blokes squashed into the centre circle kicking each other for ninety minutes. I don’t except us to play cavalier football, and there’s nothing wrong with playing with discipline and aggression. Narrowing the pitch though is something else altogether. All it guarantees is more dull and boring matches, not avoiding relegation.

if the story is true of course

[Dave]

I'd rather we found some middle ground between good football and kick and rush shite. I don't really want to watch rubbish all season but then I don't want us to go down either

 

Well exactly, but this argument seems to be between the options of staying up or playing decent football. At present we simply need to stay up, nice football can wait.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

I'd rather we found some middle ground between good football and kick and rush shite. I don't really want to watch rubbish all season but then I don't want us to go down either 

 

Well exactly, but this argument seems to be between the options of staying up or playing decent football. At present we simply need to stay up, nice football can wait.

 

 

We need to stay up, that's all that matters. 

 

That said if we go playing negative football at home against the poorer sides, like we did at points last season and for all of Hughton's (albeit short) spell in charge in the Premier League , we won't be staying up and that will be down to him.

 

We need to set out to beat the sides we plan to finish above, not just try avoid defeat against them, Hull away in the relegation season being a prime example.

[ponsaelius]

I'd rather we found some middle ground between good football and kick and rush s****. I don't really want to watch rubbish all season but then I don't want us to go down either 

 

Well exactly, but this argument seems to be between the options of staying up or playing decent football. At present we simply need to stay up, nice football can wait.

 

Aye, well then the shite wins definitely. It's not as black and white that it has to be awful to stay up though. If we could sign a couple of players and play the likes of Routledge, Jonas, Enrique, Barton, Guthrie etc we may actually play some half decent stuff in the home games atleast. I hope it's not difficult to watch throughout the entire time.

[James]

When we got relegated, it was not because of our results against the good attacking sides, but because we lost out to our relegation rivals and the midfield fodder at home.

 

Therefore we need to make sure that the pitch reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the team so we can beat these teams. Our defence is actually our strength, so this could help make us a tighter unit and reduce space to exploit. Some people think our wingers are our strength but they aren't, Routledge is just an impact player at this level, and Jonas has no end product and rarely makes best use of width anyway, cutting inside more often than not, so a wide pitch won't benefit him. I reckon we'll only play one out and out winger in many games.

 

Our limitations are lack of mobility in central midfield and up front. If we have a smaller pitch players are going to be able to cover a greater percentage of the pitch and use less energy.

 

We don't have the players for an exciting attacking game, soit makes most sense to have a pitch that suits the players we have, and then have another look at the situation in the future.

[Guest malandro]

I'm sorry but seeing us play attractive football is important to me. Regardless of whether it sees us get relegated.

Call it personal pride or whatever you like but I would be more proud of the team if they went down trying to play football rather than just play kick and rush s**** just to survive.

Ultimately, its the players that get you relegated and not the style of football you play. WBA et al went down because they werent good enough - not because of they style of football they played.

 

 

 

a) Until we establish ourselves in the Premiership and consolidate our position, we won't be able to sign the kind of players you want. If that means a season of not playing like Barcelona, then so be it.

 

b) I would personally rather stay up this season.

 

c) The WBA side that went down had better ball-playing footballers than we do right now- so surely you see the problem with your last point?

 

It's short-sighted and unrealistic to expect us to be brilliant right away with the resources we have. Look at the start of last season- it wasn't pretty, but it was effective. Only after January were we able to really start to play more attractively. Without the more pragmatic approach earlier on in the season, though, we wouldn't have had the foundation to get promoted playing reasonably decent football.

Nobody mentioned playing like Barcelona, or being brilliant right away. Nobody is objecting to stifling the game when we play Chelsea either. What they are objecting too is narrowing the pitch as it’s an inflexible tactic, a commitment to being negative no matter who we are playing.

 

I pay my money and I want to see games with moments of excitement and drama, not ten blokes squashed into the centre circle kicking each other for ninety minutes. I don’t except us to play cavalier football, and there’s nothing wrong with playing with discipline and aggression. Narrowing the pitch though is something else altogether. All it guarantees is more dull and boring matches, not avoiding relegation.

 

 

A couple suggested that they'd rather play pretty football than stay up, which seems silly to me.

 

More pertinently, where has anyone from the club actually confirmed they're narrowing the pitch?

No, it remains a media claim.

 

I just think that all this managing expectations is a smokescreen for creating a climate were supporters blindly accept any old crap. We are carrying a fair whack of debt but not that much more than most, and less than any other PL club that can pull in 50k+. Yet we apparently have to be run like a small time club that should think itself lucky to be in PL at all.

 

Narrowing the pitch is an extension of this. A small time tactic employed largely by clubs who find themselves in a division way above their natural place and have to resort to desperate tactics to compete. I don’t believe NUFC are that kind of club and despair at the widespread acceptance of such a belittling ploy.

 

[Guest]

Cracking post by Taylor27 which I completely agree with.

[Pilko]

Cracking post by Taylor27 which I completely agree with.

 

Yeah, me too. There's a first time for everything.

[Guest malandro]

When we got relegated, it was not because of our results against the good attacking sides, but because we lost out to our relegation rivals and the midfield fodder at home.

 

Therefore we need to make sure that the pitch reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the team so we can beat these teams. Our defence is actually our strength, so this could help make us a tighter unit and reduce space to exploit. Some people think our wingers are our strength but they aren't, Routledge is just an impact player at this level, and Jonas has no end product and rarely makes best use of width anyway, cutting inside more often than not, so a wide pitch won't benefit him. I reckon we'll only play one out and out winger in many games.

 

Our limitations are lack of mobility in central midfield and up front. If we have a smaller pitch players are going to be able to cover a greater percentage of the pitch and use less energy.

 

We don't have the players for an exciting attacking game, soit makes most sense to have a pitch that suits the players we have, and then have another look at the situation in the future.

A good summary. Don’t entirely agree (Jonas will really suffer if the pitch is narrowed. He’ll cut in and encounter an opponent before he’s had chance to gain the momentum his runs rely on) but it makes sense. The problem is the same advantages will gained by the teams we need to beat. They’re midfielders will have to cover less ground and expend less energy, their defenders will be less exposed.

 

I don’t see it giving us an advantage, more a case of turning games against the divisions weaker teams into lotteries.

 

[Liam Liam Liam O]

When we got relegated, it was not because of our results against the good attacking sides, but because we lost out to our relegation rivals and the midfield fodder at home.

 

Therefore we need to make sure that the pitch reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the team so we can beat these teams. Our defence is actually our strength, so this could help make us a tighter unit and reduce space to exploit. Some people think our wingers are our strength but they aren't, Routledge is just an impact player at this level, and Jonas has no end product and rarely makes best use of width anyway, cutting inside more often than not, so a wide pitch won't benefit him. I reckon we'll only play one out and out winger in many games.

 

Our limitations are lack of mobility in central midfield and up front. If we have a smaller pitch players are going to be able to cover a greater percentage of the pitch and use less energy.

 

We don't have the players for an exciting attacking game, soit makes most sense to have a pitch that suits the players we have, and then have another look at the situation in the future.

 

I agree with Ja.......

 

I agree with Ja.......

 

I agree with Ja.......

 

[Guest Brummiemag]

I'm sorry but seeing us play attractive football is important to me. Regardless of whether it sees us get relegated.

Call it personal pride or whatever you like but I would be more proud of the team if they went down trying to play football rather than just play kick and rush shite just to survive.

Ultimately, its the players that get you relegated and not the style of football you play. WBA et al went down because they werent good enough - not because of they style of football they played.

 

 

 

Spot on. Newcastle to me represent the City, the region, the people and I want to see them inspire and command respect and to have ideals that are solid and lasting.

 

I would rather play in the 4th division with pride intact and head held high than resort to shit like narrowing the pitch or playing weakened teams in the Cup competions. We are Newcastle for fuck sake, not some other shitty club. Does anyone think Keegan or Robson would do it?

 

We are not Stoke City or Wigan.

 

For fuck sake, don't fall for the Mike Ashley bullshit. He has been unbelievably successful in lowering expectations by the look of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cajun]

I don't understand how playing well in lower divisions would be something to be proud of.

[Dave]

I'm sorry but seeing us play attractive football is important to me. Regardless of whether it sees us get relegated.

Call it personal pride or whatever you like but I would be more proud of the team if they went down trying to play football rather than just play kick and rush shite just to survive.

Ultimately, its the players that get you relegated and not the style of football you play. WBA et al went down because they werent good enough - not because of they style of football they played.

 

 

 

Spot on. Newcastle to me represent the City, the region, the people and I want to see them inspire and command respect and to have ideals that are solid and lasting.

 

I would rather play in the 4th division with pride intact and head held high than resort to shit like narrowing the pitch or playing weakened teams in the Cup competions. We are Newcastle for fuck sake, not some other shitty club. Does anyone think Keegan or Robson would do it?

 

We are not Stoke City or Wigan.

 

For fuck sake, don't fall for the Mike Ashley bullshit. He has been unbelievably successful in lowering expectations by the look of it.

 

How would we be a big club ('We are Newcastle for fuck sake, not some other shitty club') if we were in the 4th division? Does not compute.

 

The stuff about Ashley makes no sense either. Expectations are lowered because most people realise he and his mates are fucking shit at running a football club. I don't know what your point is here. In fact if anything you sound like the one sticking up for Ashley, as though you're claiming he can be great at it and somehow the fans aren't bothered so it's our fault.

[ponsaelius]

This whole discussion is really depressing btw. Next season is going to be fucking horrific.

[Doctor Zaius]

I'm sorry but seeing us play attractive football is important to me. Regardless of whether it sees us get relegated.

Call it personal pride or whatever you like but I would be more proud of the team if they went down trying to play football rather than just play kick and rush s**** just to survive.

Ultimately, its the players that get you relegated and not the style of football you play. WBA et al went down because they werent good enough - not because of they style of football they played.

 

 

 

Spot on. Newcastle to me represent the City, the region, the people and I want to see them inspire and command respect and to have ideals that are solid and lasting.

 

I would rather play in the 4th division with pride intact and head held high than resort to s*** like narrowing the pitch or playing weakened teams in the Cup competions. We are Newcastle for f*** sake, not some other shitty club. Does anyone think Keegan or Robson would do it?

 

We are not Stoke City or Wigan.

 

For f*** sake, don't fall for the Mike Ashley bullshit. He has been unbelievably successful in lowering expectations by the look of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The arrogance is astounding. Incase your forgetting we're in the same boat as them now man. Just because we're Newcastle doesnt mean we have to devine right to play good football, thats not what the game is all about. Amazing how you can expect to come straight up playing good football dismissing expectations of a relegation scrap. Thats not how being a promoted team works.

 

At the end of the day Results are the be all and end all. Theres no arguing with that regardless of how nice or poor football we play.

 

 

[Dave]

This whole discussion is really depressing btw. Next season is going to be fucking horrific.

 

The more I think about the gash in the Premier League the more hopeful I am. Sure, we're likely to be bummed off most of the top six or seven clubs but we only have to be above West Brom, Blackpool (both of whom we conclusively proved last year we are better than) and one other from the likes of Wigan, Wolves and so on. That's only to ensure survival of course but it's hardly a long shot.

[Guest Brummiemag]

Dave, its comes down to the fact that yes we know Ashleys a cunt but do we accept that we work within the shitty constraints that he has imposed on us?    I dont think we should.

 

I guess hardly anyone agrees with me and I'm fairly pissed but I just think we are a better and a bigger club than to be narrowing pitches to scrape results and I can never agree with it