The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[Benwell Lad]

It's pretty funny how people think they know better than Hughton. 'He needs to learn' - Such a patronizing comment about someone who knows far more about football, far more about management and far more about the team.

 

Righto, let's close down the forum then people.

 

Didn't realised you needed a UEFA licence to express an opinion about your team.

 

Thats nowt. You need a minimum of 50 international caps to sit in the seats behind me at the match !

[TRon]

Hughton's real test was always going to be this season. He's done a sterling job so far but he needs to decide what sort of football we are going to play in this league and whether the players he picks are giving him the best chance of winning games. He might be right that Nolan is one of those but I don't think so. Never have and probably never will unless the results on the pitch prove otherwise.

[Gallowgate Toon]

The justification to play Nolan ahead of Ben Arfa is based on goals but Nolan hasn't looked like scoring since Villa, his only good chances against Blackpool he fluffed. Ben Arfa may well not score many but it won't take very much for him to beat Nolan's tally (which is only going to be bolstered by penalties, which Joey Barton is equally as good at) as long as Ben Arfa can make space for himself around the edge of the box, i'm sure he can get some shots off and with his accuracy that'll surely result in goals, something Nolan doesn't have the ability to do.

[Mick]

At least he's confirmed what most of us thought anyway not that watching Nolan plod around will be any easier.

[Crumpy Gunt]

I hope Hughton hasn't put a deposit down at the Astley Arms for his Christmas Dinner. He'll lose his money if so.

[The Prophet]

Whats also a worry with this statement is that it suggests he'll be starting HBA on the left which throws the balance of the side. The lad plays in the middle, give him a chance.

[Guest Roger Kint]

Whats also a worry with this statement is that it suggests he'll be starting HBA on the left which throws the balance of the side. The lad plays in the middle, give him a chance.

 

Does he? Every game i have watched he played on the wing. Any idea how often he has played central?

[Gallowgate Toon]

Whats also a worry with this statement is that it suggests he'll be starting HBA on the left which throws the balance of the side. The lad plays in the middle, give him a chance.

 

Does he? Every game i have watched he played on the wing. Any idea how often he has played central?

He's mostly been deployed as a winger, rarely been played through the middle in the past but he doesn't play anything like a wide player, more importantly he doesn't think like a winger. Even on his youtube vids, his most effective work has come from the middle, often cutting in and making something happen. In a way he's nullified on the wing, yes he's a good dribbler but it's easy to double mark him out wide, there was a wall in front of him at times against Stoke.

 

Get him in that free role and his options are endless. He can make himself available and dribble from deep, he can play people in and he can make some decent off the ball runs and if he can make himself space he's got a good shot on him too.

[Cronky]

If Hughton is intending to play Nolan against Man City, I think he's right to say so now, before this issue gets too out of hand and undue pressure is put on the player.

 

It's pretty funny how people think they know better than Hughton. 'He needs to learn' - Such a patronizing comment about someone who knows far more about football, far more about management and far more about the team.

 

Righto, let's close down the forum then people.

 

Didn't realised you needed a UEFA licence to express an opinion about your team.

 

Uefa 'B' minimum apparently.

 

Obviously any idea that we shouldn't challenge a professional's view would make this forum redundant, and besides, the professional isn't always right. But the tone of a lot of the comments suggest that the solution is obvious and Hughton is a fool or a coward for not realising that.

 

That's just not the case here.

[The Prophet]

Whats also a worry with this statement is that it suggests he'll be starting HBA on the left which throws the balance of the side. The lad plays in the middle, give him a chance.

 

Does he? Every game i have watched he played on the wing. Any idea how often he has played central?

 

You can tell by the way his style of play. Constantly drifting inside, sliding passes through to the forwards, taking players on. He rarely hugs the touch line.

[TRon]

Maybe Hughton is defending Nolan because he intends to use him against City, a game we are unlikely to win. I don't particularly want HBA to start that one because if we lose it will give Hughton a perfect excuse to bring back Nolan for Wigan.

[Guest Roger Kint]

I never said he didnt, you said he plays in the middle, i only asked how much he had......

[The Prophet]

Aye, misread your post. I think he did play mostly on the left in France. Who knows he might not work in the middle but you don't know until you try it. His style of play certianly suggests he would be a success though.

[Guest Roger Kint]

Aye, misread your post. I think he did play mostly on the left in France. Who knows he might not work in the middle but you don't know until you try it. His style of play certianly suggests he would be a success though.

 

Ahh got you, i certainly agree it cant hurt to try, sure offers more than Nolan if Hughton isnt going to go a more orthadox 2 up top.

[ponsaelius]

The most recent quotes. 

 

I appreciate what he has done, but that's mental.

[Kaizero]

Hughton's gone down in my estimation after those quotes. Defending Kevin fucking Nolan. Kevin. Fucking. Nolan.

 

I still like Hughton though, just for the record.

[Memphis]

Those quotes really do smack of a manager digging his heels in against better judgment.  Stubbornness has been the undoing of many managers at many different levels, and so it could prove here.  I do like Hughton a lot but if he's unable to see that Ben Arfa is much more than an out-and-out left winger and that Nolan's effectiveness last year was elevated by his competition, then he will not be a success. 

 

My hope at this point is that it's merely a case of temporary blindness rather than a permanent thought process.  Unfortunately, Nolan's continued failure is the only way to disavow Hughton of his notion that Nolan's the fulcrum of the team (apart from injury, I suppose). 

[Consortium of one]

With everything I've read and heard about the clubs lack of pace before HBA was fit it is really curious and disappointing that Hughton is digging his heals in on Nolan.  I swear, if he'd just give a midfield of Tiote, Barton, Jonas, Routledge and HBA a continued runout, he'd never look back.

[midds]

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/8420810.Hughton_says_he_will_stick_with__key__man_Nolan/

 

CHRIS Hughton has claimed Kevin Nolan is the “key” to his preferred system at Newcastle United, and hinted he will continue to play the midfielder in an attacking midfield role despite Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Stoke.

 

Nolan has started all six of the Magpies’ Premier League matches this season, and while a return of three goals is not to be sniffed at, questions have been asked of the midfielder’s suitability for the key position at the apex of a five-man midfield.

 

Summer signing Hatem Ben Arfa would offer greater pace and fluidity on the shoulder of Andy Carroll, but Nolan’s presence has so far restricted the Frenchman to a pair of appearances on the left of midfield.

 

Similarly, Hughton’s continued reliance on Nolan has ruled out the possibility of pairing Carroll with another centre-forward, but having watched the former Bolton midfielder score 17 Championship goals last season, the Magpies manager is not about to apologise for the faith he continues to show in him.

 

“Kevin is a big, big player for us,” said Hughton. “He is key to what we do. What he does for us is play in the important role either off the front man or in the midfield, and he will always get into goalscoring positions – that is what makes him important.

 

“Even in a very tight game against Stoke, he was in that position to get our best opportunity of the second half. I have no worries about a player like Kevin.”

 

Nolan is likely to retain his place for Sunday’s trip to Manchester City, a game that will come too early for Danny Simpson, Danny Guthrie and Steven Taylor.

 

 

If that's honestly what he thinks and he truly believes that Nolan is a key player for us he'll have deserved the P45 which will inevitably come when Ashley starts getting twitchy.

 

I can forgive him for picking him if he's the best option but there is no reason to play him when he contributes little to nothing over the 90 minutes on a regular basis. His goals covered up for his poor play last year but there's no absolutely reason to make him the fulcrum of our team now. He shouldn't be anywhere near the first XI.

 

[colinmk]

Shit, I hope Chris is just saying that to keep things sweet in the camp at the moment. Obviously he isn't going to say he is shite but he didn't have to say he was key to what we do. We need Ben Arfa in that role and we need it now.

[Guest BlacknWhiteArmy]

Can't wait to read some of the reactions to that!

[Dave]

Can't wait to read some of the reactions to that!

 

Go right ahead.

 

http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,67026.msg2540688.html#msg2540688

[Neil]

This puts Moyes' persistence with Osman into perspective. Christ.

[Beren]

Hughton's gone down in my estimation after those quotes. Defending Kevin fucking Nolan. Kevin. Fucking. Nolan.

 

I still like Hughton though, just for the record.

 

This is what I was going to post, more or less. A little sad about it though.

 

CH still sees us as a Championship side that needs a fish'n'chips player like Nolan, when not all newly-promoted teams necessarily have to fit a certain style of play. As I said, sad.

 

If Hughton's lucky, Nolan will pick up an injury.

[M4]

Much like our efforts against Villa and Everton were turned to shit by Blackpool and Stoke

 

... our efforts of signing Ben Arfa are to be turned to shit if he's constantly going to be played on the left and taken off after 65 minutes.