The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[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.

[sparkzter]

Hughton's gone down in my estimation after those quotes. Defending Kevin f***ing Nolan. Kevin. f***ing. 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.

 

This.

 

If Chris keeps persisting in playing Nolan its gonna cost us points, and stack the pressure upon himself.

[EthiGeordie]

  When Chirs make Nolan a captain it was a given fact he will keep Nolan here in the first team. All this yawn I don't understand. I prefer to keep Barton on the bench on home game and put jonas on the wing and Ben Arfa in the middle.

[Parky]

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.

 

I can't imagine Bafra been keen on being subbed regularly, especially by chewbacca. He's not one to hang around if he ain't happy and that's putting it nicely.

[Mick]

 

I can't imagine Bafra been keen on being subbed regularly, especially by chewbacca. He's not one to hang around if he ain't happy and that's putting it nicely.

 

I think Hughton will get pressure from the crowd before he gets a reaction from Ben Arfa.  Almost everybody was moaning about Hughton leaving Nolan on as we were coming out on Sunday and I don't think it would take too many defeats before Nolan is given some stick from the crowd.  It was a bit surprising to me how bad some of the comments were and how quick the complaints had started.

[sparkzter]

Yup, everyone where I sit was moaning about Nolan also.  Won't be long (unfortunately) before the crowd starts getting on Nolans back and giving Hughton stick to hook him.

[merlin]

This has all the makings of another managerial disaster. Hughton should have kept his mouth shut about Nolan, or at the very least, simply said that all players have to work for their places.

 

By coming out so strongly to back Nolan as a so-called 'key' player he has illustrated two things ;

 

1. He is unlikely to have the necessary ruthlessness to succeed as a manager in the PL..look how KK disciplined Lee Clark after he kicked that water bucket after being subbed at Southampton - Clark was in fear of being transfer-listed for about 10 days.Keegan also pulled off Beresford for swearing at him and questioning his judgment in a game against Villa in 1996. Keegan was hardly the biggest disciplinarian as a manager, but the players knew where they stood. He got rid of Andy Hunt, a young player I rated, just after he arrived in Feb 92 because Hunt was mucking about in training . Hunt proved to be a decent player because he went on to get promotion with Charlton(helping to knock the Mackems out in the Wembley play-off too!), but KK laid down the rules straight away...he was the boss.

 

2. By hastily backing Nolan, Hughton has also unwittingly admitted that his hands are very much tied and he is unlikely to be able to get the money for a better player.

 

Both facts are worrying ; I have no personal like or dislike for Hughton ; there is no doubt he steadied the ship and over-saw the departure of players who needed to leave before last season. His signings so far have looked OK, esp Tiote, but I'm not convinced about Routledge in the PL. HBA is still an unknown and untried in England, but he'll soon get fed up if he finds he is being subbed instead of the pin-up boy...

Nevertheless, our most important priority is to stay in the PL and win as many home games as possible.

If Hughton can do that he will get my backing, if not, he has to go - simple as, and as Midds said, his P45 WILL be winging its way to him if we really start to struggle.

 

And then the fun will really start.........because I don't believe a Plan B exists in the minds of Ashley and Llambias.

[Mr Logic]

It was all very FM-tastic, first the player defends the managers tactics and then the manager bigs up the player. It's all going to end in tears, I just hope it's not 50k geordies weeping come April.

 

[Colos Curls]

It was all very FM-tastic, first the player defends the managers tactics and then the manager bigs up the player. It's all going to end in tears, I just hope it's not 41k geordies because its on sky and the 12th mans just too much of a fuck on and i cant be arsed anymore.... weeping come April.

 

 

FYP

[Cronky]

I know things can get a bit bi-polar among a group of fans, but it's getting a bit out of hand. Exactly the same side beat Everton away and Hughton was a genius.

 

What has changed isn't Hughton or the team or Nolan but the opposition. Both games were fairly close, and against Stoke we were up against a team that was able to exploit a particular weakness in our defence.

 

Nolan's lack of pace is a problem, but he does get on the end of chances through his good reading of the game. He's also a fair bit fitter than he was when he first came. What he contributes to the team in terms of leadership is difficult to assess, but there aren't any other leaders in the side at the moment (apart from possibly Barton), so that has to be weighed up as well.

 

We also need to weigh up how best to use Ben Arfa. His current role looks right for him, and if we put him further forward trying to get on the end of Carroll's knock-downs, we might lose as much as we gain.

[Dave]

Agree, though I don't rate Nolan either. Talk of it costing him his job is laughable at this stage.