The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[Guest Heneage]

Leon Best from a corner.

[Mick]

Hughton is no tactical mastermind.

 

But he's got the team playing as a unit.  For each other.  Coming back from 2-0 against Eindhoven shows spirit.  The old Keegan/Kinnear squad would have flopped.

 

I think sheer grit and determination will pick us up more points over a season than a disharmonious squad of more talented players would, tbh.

 

Our current team will struggle to get as high as 4th bottom.

[ChrisMcQuillan]

Hughton is no tactical mastermind.

 

But he's got the team playing as a unit.  For each other.  Coming back from 2-0 against Eindhoven shows spirit.  The old Keegan/Kinnear squad would have flopped.

 

I think sheer grit and determination will pick us up more points over a season than a disharmonious squad of more talented players would, tbh.

 

Our current team will struggle to get as high as 4th bottom.

 

I disagree.

[Mick]

 

I disagree.

 

I think you're heading for a disappointment, we’ll offer very little of a threat up front and our central midfield will spend more time watching the ball than using it.

[midds]

I'd take 17th right now tbh. We'll be a couple of points from safety - not sure which side of the line we'll be though.

[Yorkie]

I share the players' confidence tbh. There's a fine line between confidence and complacency and i think our current bunch know it. Hughton will make sure they do.

 

There's a lot made of the graft/quality divide. I do agree you can have all the guts in the world... if you don't have the ability in this league you'll still get pissed on by the lionshare of teams. However, i do think we have just about the right amount of talent amongst the first team to compliment what's a brilliant camerarderie.

 

I can only see us going down is if Ashley and Co fuck about with the harmony or the squad has an injury crisis.

[Mick]

I'd take 17th right now tbh. We'll be a couple of points from safety - not sure which side of the line we'll be though.

 

I’m not confident that we’ll finish above any team who were in the Premiership last season.  I don't see us having a forward capable of scoring double figures and our central midfielders are so slow and one dimensional.

[Mick]

I share the players' confidence tbh. There's a fine line between confidence and complacency and i think our current bunch know it. Hughton will make sure they do.

 

There's a lot made of the graft/quality divide. I do agree you can have all the guts in the world... if you don't have the ability in this league you'll still get pissed on by the lionshare of teams. However, i do think we have just about the right amount of talent amongst the first team to compliment what's a brilliant camerarderie.

 

I can only see us going down is if Ashley and Co f*** about with the harmony or the squad has an injury crisis.

 

Where's our talent?

 

I know we have some but it’s not where it counts, the spine of our team is at best unproven once you get passed centre half and even that area of the team has a lot to prove. 

 

[midds]

I'd take 17th right now tbh. We'll be a couple of points from safety - not sure which side of the line we'll be though.

 

I’m not confident that we’ll finish above any team who were in the Premiership last season.  I don't see us having a forward capable of scoring double figures and our central midfielders are so slow and one dimensional.

 

Agree with all of that sadly.

 

Just not sure how shit the likes of Wolves and Wigan will be this season. Are we better than Wigan or Wolves? Not sure myself.

 

It'll be tight. 

[Yorkie]

I share the players' confidence tbh. There's a fine line between confidence and complacency and i think our current bunch know it. Hughton will make sure they do.

 

There's a lot made of the graft/quality divide. I do agree you can have all the guts in the world... if you don't have the ability in this league you'll still get pissed on by the lionshare of teams. However, i do think we have just about the right amount of talent amongst the first team to compliment what's a brilliant camerarderie.

 

I can only see us going down is if Ashley and Co f*** about with the harmony or the squad has an injury crisis.

 

Where's our talent?

 

I know we have some but its not where it counts, the spine of our team is at best unproven once you get passed centre half and even that area of the team has a lot to prove. 

 

 

Urgh. Cba, you're just being needlessly cynical. There's some good, reasonable PL-standard players in our squad.

 

We haven't finished spending yet either.

[quayside]

There will be some really horrible results but I think we will stay up. The dangerous "been there, done it all, look at my pay cheque" mentality is almost out the door, there is a decent spirit and that is worth quite a lot. It really isn't going to be comfortable or attractive but imho we will still be in the Premiership at the end of the season.

[Mick]

 

Urgh. Cba, you're just being needlessly cynical. There's some good, reasonable PL-standard players in our squad.

 

We haven't finished spending yet either.

 

Who are the good/reasonable Premiership standard players in our squad?

[midds]

I share the players' confidence tbh. There's a fine line between confidence and complacency and i think our current bunch know it. Hughton will make sure they do.

 

There's a lot made of the graft/quality divide. I do agree you can have all the guts in the world... if you don't have the ability in this league you'll still get pissed on by the lionshare of teams. However, i do think we have just about the right amount of talent amongst the first team to compliment what's a brilliant camerarderie.

 

I can only see us going down is if Ashley and Co f*** about with the harmony or the squad has an injury crisis.

 

Where's our talent?

 

I know we have some but it’s not where it counts, the spine of our team is at best unproven once you get passed centre half and even that area of the team has a lot to prove. 

 

 

Urgh. Cba, you're just being needlessly cynical. There's some good, reasonable PL-standard players in our squad.

 

We haven't finished spending yet either.

 

 

Got another million to spend have we?

 

I admire your confidence/optimism but Hughton can't make chicken soup out of chicken shit. We're a poor team by Premiership standards and it's going to be a long hard season for us all.

[Guest]

There will be some really horrible results but I think we will stay up. The dangerous "been there, done it all, look at my pay cheque" mentality is almost out the door, there is a decent spirit and that is worth quite a lot. It really isn't going to be comfortable or attractive but imho we will still be in the Premiership at the end of the season.

 

Agree with that first line in particular. Teams like Sunderland & Wigan stayed up fairly comfortably, but got some absolute tankings along the way. Just a matter of not going overboard when it does happen.

[Mick]

There will be some really horrible results but I think we will stay up. The dangerous "been there, done it all, look at my pay cheque" mentality is almost out the door, there is a decent spirit and that is worth quite a lot. It really isn't going to be comfortable or attractive but imho we will still be in the Premiership at the end of the season.

 

Spirit will only take you so far and will soon go when the results aren't coming.

[Cajun]

As much as some of our midfield options are pretty rank, if we can sign a pacey forward and a midfielder like cleverley I will be cautiously optimistic.

[Guest Heneage]

I think people over-rate 'Premier League quality'. I think we'll stay up, just.

[Mick]

As much as some of our midfield options are pretty rank, if we can sign a pacey forward and a midfielder like cleverley I will be cautiously optimistic.

 

2 good signings will make a massive difference but we haven't got them yet.

[Rich]

As much as some of our midfield options are pretty rank, if we can sign a pacey forward and a midfielder like cleverley I will be cautiously optimistic.

 

2 good signings will make a massive difference but we haven't got them yet.

 

A French left-winger and a Welsh striker?

[Cajun]

I am confident he will get at least one. Might be blind faith but I really, really think we will.

[Guest]

As much as some of our midfield options are pretty rank, if we can sign a pacey forward and a midfielder like cleverley I will be cautiously optimistic.

 

Would you have said a year ago that Guthrie & Barton would be significantly worse than Bowyer & Ferguson? Didn't do Birmingham any harm.

[Dave]

I think people over-rate 'Premier League quality'. I think we'll stay up, just.

 

Same. We're shite, but so are a lot of teams.

[Mick]

I think people over-rate 'Premier League quality'. I think we'll stay up, just.

 

I think more people over-rate our squad.

 

I can't see an away win anywhere although I think we'll probably get one, I just don't see an away banker.  We've been historically (since Bobby) poor away from home and we didn't do very well away to the promoted teams so they aren't going to be easy away games.  If we need 40 points to stay up and only get 10 points away which is probably on a par with a lot of our Premiership seasons, where's the 30 home points coming from?  I can probably see us getting 24 points at best at home.

[Guest Heneage]

I've seen teams a lot worse in terms of 'footballing ability' than us stay up.

[Mick]

 

A French left-winger and a Welsh striker?

 

We need that level of impact.