The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[Decky]

Less than 30 points with 3 and a half months of football left isnt good enough? Slightly harsh

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Chris needs to earn his money over the next few days, mystifying that the team didn't seem bothered about today's game at all... shades of the relegation season about the way we laid down and died. 

 

I rate Hughton, but it will be a challenge to retain our famous 'team spirit' now we are playing with a number of below-par reserve players and losing games.

[womblemaster]

"No point giving him a contract in January unless we are on around 30 points. "

 

a bit generous imo, why are we letting this fool use our club to learn how to manage?  AT least bring in an experienced manager as an equal partner, if CH doesnt like it he is capable(probably) of writing a resignation letter.

 

TIme for decisive action NOW, and not panic decisions after christmas when we are 17/18th in the table.

[Zero]

Here we go again. 

[Guest Ridzuan]

If Im going to judge Chris on whether he deserves a new contract, I wont do it based on yesterday's game alone. To be fair to him, he has done a decent job since becoming the manager. Sometimes, I do question his tactical decisions but honestly, you cant blame the guy because he doesnt really have better alternative options especially if many of our key players are out suspended or injured. It just show you how stretched the team is at the moment and if he keeps saying that we dont need to sign anyone in January, he seriously must be kidding.

[Beren]

Can't be blamed for the injuries or suspensions and we're dipping into the squad more and more to cover the better players we have out. I accept that and our better players are not available for one reason or another.

 

But......

 

picking a clearly unfit/uninterested (delete as appropriate) Ameobi was a mistake. He's seen him in training and decided to pick him. Sending is team out to absorb pressure is insane. We're not good enough defensively to soak it up for long periods. No spark, no enthusiasm and a distinct lack of effort/bollocks. Why weren't we wound up for this? Why are we handing the initiative to WBA from the first whistle. We let them settle and they knocked it about and could have scored way before they actually did. No plan B. Yet again, when knocking it forward to Carroll doesn't work we've got nothing else. Change of formation? Push the full-backs on? Play through midfield?

           

 

I know his hands are tied in some respects but by Christ he's not making things easy is he? At the end of the day he carries the can for results and performances (as does any manager). Today we were shit again. That's 2 points from 15 with a few tough games to come. We could well be in the bottom 4 or 5 by Xmas/New Year and he'll be under real pressure to keep his job. 

 

The plans he and the team were working on all week probably had to be scrapped when Barton was injured tbf. 

 

The appetite of the players certainly wasn't there though, you're right. I didn't say any significant material options he had at his disposal after we went down 1-0 - there's no way to reshuffle such a shit pack to any good use, but we came out at half-time and played a bit better and at least got out of our own half (albeit with some woolly-looking "chances") - so he did something okay at HT.

 

People are entitled to say his Ameobi selection was poor, and they may be right as he was fairly abysmal yesterday, but he was hardly alone (or even the standout IMO - Guthrie, Routledge, Jonas, Campbell) and I really don't think Best/Ranger/Lovenkrands/the injured Vuckic would have made one jot of difference to such an enthused midfield display.

 

Our team is one of the most annoying (though I suppose many fans will be vying for that trophy this year) and the issue of being "wound up" for games seems to stick in the throat - only games we classify as big do we seem geared up for. I don't think Hughton instils them with a different sense of importance depending on the opposition - and has them in a frenzy before kick-off before the Arsenal/Man City/Mackems and then dragging their heels as they walk out to play Fulham/Blackburn etc. so it's a mystery to me. 

 

[womblemaster]

"you cant blame the guy because he doesnt really have better alternative options"

 

bollocks!

 

A manager with any clue about how to attack, would find a new formation/attacking style that made the best of the little we have.

 

jonas and flip flop boy aka rutless, have proven time and time again they are infeffective at providing the ammo for the striker(s)...we only really have one proper striker.

 

CH is clearly a defender in the mind, he doesnt have a clue how to create effective attacks. 

 

We need to get this sorted out.  AM sick of watching such abysmal drivel of a `football` display. I pity the poor mugs who have season tickets!

 

wake up !  CH doesnt know what he is doing.  willit take 18 months more of clueless turgid footabll to make you see the blinding obvious?

[Guest BooBoo]

A bit harsh really.

 

I would have liked to have seen Ranger given a go out wide on the right after an hour. I thought his most impressive showing for us was at Chelsea, playing as an advanced right winger. That's my main gripe with Hughton, he's very timid when it comes to gambling on something a bit out of the ordinary.

[ohmelads]

I don't criticise him often as I think he's doing a very tough job with the squad at his disposal, not to mention injuries/suspensions to several influential players.

 

However in the West Brom game our better players were not put to good use. For the last few games Enrique has stopped overlapping. Why? Has he been told to stay in his own half as an attempt to shore things up at the back after the 5 goal drubbing and the soft goals we're conceding? Against Chelsea, fair enough, but West Brom? Gutierrez really needed some help down that left hand side but noone ever overlapped. If Enrique and Simpson had bombed on we'd have opened ourselves up more, sure, but we'd have caused them a lot more problems than we did. Even when we went behind our full backs refused to bomb forward in search of the equaliser. Enrique has been solid defensively but we all know there is more to his game. We need him linking up with Gutierrez again and overlapping.

 

As for the utter lack of fight from our players, it's a mystery as they have mostly been up for the challenge this season. We did have a few who are coming back from injury (Sol, Taylor, Guthrie) and Ameobi didn't look fit either, but it ran through the whole team.

 

Teams are sussing out that Carroll is our only major threat and I struggle to see what Hughton can do about it. January can't come soon enough.

[Wullie]

Chaps, the fact that the best suggestions we've had for what the clearly inept manager should have done differently are to have played Leon fucking Best and thrown on Ranger out of position should tell you enough about the situation to know that his hands are tied.

[Parky]

Always difficult to decide when it goes against us whether the players are just underperforming in general or it's because of tactics/ instruction. The way we played today especially in the first half suggested the gameplan was "stand off, let them come at us and let's hope they run out of ideas."

 

We sat very deep for a long time. On the other hand with key players missing CH might be forgiven for safety first etc...I still think the main problem is the lack of a competitive squad. Tbh if you take 2/3 players out even teams like Villa look poor.

[Mr Logic]

I think a fair few people accept Hughton has limitations imposed upon him due to the lack of alternatives available, but a good few posts are pointing out the tactical differences that could (should?) be made instead of the lacklustre affair that was served up at the Hawthorns. His hands aren't tied when it comes to dishing out match instructions are they? I realise he can't wave a magic wand and make them better players but he can tell them to press, overlap, get to the byline, push up etc. etc.

 

The moment we conceded yesterday there should have been a plan B come into action by default. Continuing to play in exactly the same shape and fashion was never going to produce an equaliser.

[Guest hobshobs]

The bottom line here is that we are watching Ameobi and Gutierrez in a Newcastle shirt with no desire at all. Two years ago Martins, Duff, Owen and Viduka were the same. We're playing with what amounts to nine players at times. It needs to be sorted and not by giving them a rollicking. Send the lazy buggers on coaches up and down the country midweek with the third team. Getting their dosh for nothing. To be honest I'd be delighted to see both transferred now. 11 commited players is what is needed in any side. these two are a joke.

 

[Wullie]

FWIW I thought we were looking good for an equalizer until Guthrie kicked himself up the arse and fell over.

[Mr Logic]

Aye, at that point we were tbf.

[Parky]

I don't criticise him often as I think he's doing a very tough job with the squad at his disposal, not to mention injuries/suspensions to several influential players.

 

However in the West Brom game our better players were not put to good use. For the last few games Enrique has stopped overlapping. Why? Has he been told to stay in his own half as an attempt to shore things up at the back after the 5 goal drubbing and the soft goals we're conceding? Against Chelsea, fair enough, but West Brom? Gutierrez really needed some help down that left hand side but noone ever overlapped. If Enrique and Simpson had bombed on we'd have opened ourselves up more, sure, but we'd have caused them a lot more problems than we did. Even when we went behind our full backs refused to bomb forward in search of the equaliser. Enrique has been solid defensively but we all know there is more to his game. We need him linking up with Gutierrez again and overlapping.

 

As for the utter lack of fight from our players, it's a mystery as they have mostly been up for the challenge this season. We did have a few who are coming back from injury (Sol, Taylor, Guthrie) and Ameobi didn't look fit either, but it ran through the whole team.

 

Teams are sussing out that Carroll is our only major threat and I struggle to see what Hughton can do about it. January can't come soon enough.

 

Very good point, Enrique has stopped going forward as much as he used to. Simpson was in their half much more and it's normally the other way round.

[Wullie]

Maybe his reluctance is down to not having Colo covering for him down that side as usual.

[The Merse]

Shola isn't fit and should not be playing - simple as that- some players can get by with niggles some can't,he just can't and he was non existant yesterday. Jonas is a bigger worry because he clearly couldn't be arsed and at times plainly refused to track back or drive forward with the ball.

 

Its worrying that this malaise is beginning to creep in and the injection of some fresh blood is vital. couple of loans or one buy one loan would be nice and on yesterdays performance SWP or Krancjaer could make all the difference.

[Parky]

Shola isn't fit and should not be playing - simple as that- some players can get by with niggles some can't,he just can't and he was non existant yesterday. Jonas is a bigger worry because he clearly couldn't be arsed and at times plainly refused to track back or drive forward with the ball.

 

Its worrying that this malaise is beginning to creep in and the injection of some fresh blood is vital. couple of loans or one buy one loan would be nice and on yesterdays performance SWP or Krancjaer could make all the difference.

 

Totally agree. If things aren't shaken up in Jan it's going to be close.

[Guest BooBoo]

Really not expecting any incomings out outgoings this January. Expect the "returning Gosling is the equivalent of a January signing" line to be trotted out.

[Guest Roger Kint]

Maybe his reluctance is down to not having Colo covering for him down that side as usual.

 

Probably more to do with Jonas' reluctance to play any part in the game for the last month or so. About as much use as a traffic cone in all honesty.

[colinmk]

Maybe his reluctance is down to not having Colo covering for him down that side as usual.

 

Probably, Sol was hardly inspiring confidence with his dodgy clearances every time we got caught out.

[Guest neesy111]

Hughton needs to be more innovative with our tactics because we never seem to have a plan b.

[Guest Roger Kint]

Maybe his reluctance is down to not having Colo covering for him down that side as usual.

 

Probably, Sol was hardly inspiring confidence with his dodgy clearances every time we got caught out.

 

Sol and Saylor were abysmal like, their poor showing seemed to spread across the team during the first half. Unfortunatley we have no alternative to many of the terrible players yesterday.

[JH]

Chaps, the fact that the best suggestions we've had for what the clearly inept manager should have done differently are to have played Leon f***ing Best and thrown on Ranger out of position should tell you enough about the situation to know that his hands are tied.

 

It's not just a manager's job to pick the lineup you know. The tactics were horrid.