The old Chris Hughton discussion thread

[Exiled in Texas]

We could have been walking in a steve bruce wonderland

 

But we are, are we not? 

[Andy]

There's no I in 'win'.

 

 

Don't ask "can I?", ask "I can!"

[OzzieMandias]

Him and Calderwood seem to work really well together. They're always deliberating together. Good to have 2 thinking guys managing our team

Good point.

 

While I believe that CH is making the calls - it seems he is open to other peoples opinions.

 

I think I read somewhere that CH is a socialist, which may influence his approach as manager.

 

At one point he was the football columnist on Newsline, which was a daily Trotskyist newspaper kept going (with £££ from Vanessa Redgrave) by the Workers' Revolutionary Party.

[alpal78]

I still find it amazing and I guess this says an awful lot about Hughton himself, that he seems to be the very same person he was when we appointed him as a 'mere' coach, now that he is manager. Especially given how high profile his job is - arguably one of the biggest in British football in terms of pressure, media intrusion and of course expectations. When KK resigned it was bigger news than Mourinho leaving Chelsea. I seem to remember Big Sam's sacking was covered more than Rafa Benitez's sacking at Liverpool. For Hughton to maintain his cool in the manner he has, in his 'rookie' years as a manager, at such a hostile club and the success he has achieved, is f***ing magnificent. If he was Christiano Hughtonio from Portugal or something doing what he does and what he has achieved he'd be the toast of football. In a sense though I'm glad there has been no fan fare as we can well do without it. When I think of the job he has done, the way he has went about it and how he still appears to be clipboard Chris, I feel extremely happy he's our manager and very proud. That's not to say he's the new Mourinho or anything or that we are going to go onto amazing things under him, because I doubt any of that. What he's done and what he's doing though should be appreciated, respected and roundly applauded to the high heavens like a Ben Arfa goal away to Everton or the clinching of promotion, by all true NUFC fans.

 

Agree with most of this except the part where you insinuate that if he was a foreign manager "Christiano Hughtonio from Portugal, ...he would be the toast of football"

 

If anything English managers like Redknapp get off easier compared to some foreign managers, but overall the press does not show bias either way. With Hughton, most recognized that whilst he has done very well so far (especially the way we went about last year with minimum fuss), he still has to be really tested. This season (and by that I mean not just after 5-6 games) will tell us whether we have an excellent manager or one which is just average.

[Cronky]

Interesting article by Ms Taylor on the socialist background of Chris Hughton here -

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/20/chris-hughton-newcastle-united-middlesbrough

 

We seem to know so little of Hughton. His career of staying for so long as a coach at one club, and then becoming a manager only through first accepting a caretaker role, doesn't suggest someone of great ambition. The message that he gives is of one who is happy to serve in whatever capacity he's asked to, and although he doesn't appear to resent it, the club have somewhat taken advantage of him.

 

That doesn't sound like the kind of ruthless, single-minded man who can bang heads together and make a success of football management. I think that's why most of us, at various stages, have been expecting it all to go belly-up.

 

It hasn't happened - in fact, quite the reverse. He's clearly a driven man who can impose his views, but in the absence of a personal ego, I've sometimes wondered where the drive comes from. This socialist aspect of his personality may be the key to understanding that.

 

It's hard to tell how far that can take us - whether at some stage he'll hit a kind of glass ceiling. But you have to say it's been the perfect approach for our club, in our situation.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think any job is only as ruthless and stressful as you make it, there are many ways to approach any position.

 

Hughton doesn't go for the 'I'm the greatest, look at my ego' Allardyce style of management, he's careful and considered as he's been throughout his coaching career. Calderwood also seems a great foil for him, both similar characters.

 

Personally I would much rather work with a manager who seems to be calm, collected and thinking about his decisions carefully. He will be good for the likes of Barton and Ben Arfa too.

 

Bravo the Hughtster, long may it continue.

[Nobody]

There's no I in 'win'.

 

 

Don't ask "can I?", ask "I can!"

Steve Holt!

[Cronky]

I think the key is to have faith in your own ideas and decisions, and to have the confidence to impose them. In that sense, I'm not sure it matters whether you're a shouter or a diplomat. Either one can be seen as strength or weakness. I suspect that quite a few managers may be quite loud and apparently forceful, but because they lack real conviction are afraid to take the brave but unorthodox decision that is correct, but will leave you looking a bit stupid if it doesn't come off.

 

It's been striking that Hughton hasn't been afraid to back his own judgement in situations like that. He was the first to drop Owen - even though, quite incorrectly, he was criticised for that at the time. He picked Nolan as a striker, which no-one foresaw, but which was a big part of our promotion. He also kept the same side even after promotion was secured, instead of blooding some of the youngsters, which I'm sure the majority of managers would have done. He wanted to keep the winning habit.

 

That last decision I thought at the time was definitely wrong, but you look at the start we've made and the spirit in the side and I now think sod it, he's probably got that one right too.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Interesting article by Ms Taylor on the socialist background of Chris Hughton here -

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/20/chris-hughton-newcastle-united-middlesbrough

 

We seem to know so little of Hughton. His career of staying for so long as a coach at one club, and then becoming a manager only through first accepting a caretaker role, doesn't suggest someone of great ambition. The message that he gives is of one who is happy to serve in whatever capacity he's asked to, and although he doesn't appear to resent it, the club have somewhat taken advantage of him.

 

That doesn't sound like the kind of ruthless, single-minded man who can bang heads together and make a success of football management. I think that's why most of us, at various stages, have been expecting it all to go belly-up.

 

It hasn't happened - in fact, quite the reverse. He's clearly a driven man who can impose his views, but in the absence of a personal ego, I've sometimes wondered where the drive comes from. This socialist aspect of his personality may be the key to understanding that.

 

It's hard to tell how far that can take us - whether at some stage he'll hit a kind of glass ceiling. But you have to say it's been the perfect approach for our club, in our situation.

 

Sounds like what people thought of Roeder in the early days.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

When I watch interviews with fucking Harry Redknapp and people like that, I realise how lucky we are to have CH.

[Benwell Lad]

I still find it amazing and I guess this says an awful lot about Hughton himself, that he seems to be the very same person he was when we appointed him as a 'mere' coach, now that he is manager. Especially given how high profile his job is - arguably one of the biggest in British football in terms of pressure, media intrusion and of course expectations. When KK resigned it was bigger news than Mourinho leaving Chelsea. I seem to remember Big Sam's sacking was covered more than Rafa Benitez's sacking at Liverpool. For Hughton to maintain his cool in the manner he has, in his 'rookie' years as a manager, at such a hostile club and the success he has achieved, is f***ing magnificent. If he was Christiano Hughtonio from Portugal or something doing what he does and what he has achieved he'd be the toast of football. In a sense though I'm glad there has been no fan fare as we can well do without it. When I think of the job he has done, the way he has went about it and how he still appears to be clipboard Chris, I feel extremely happy he's our manager and very proud. That's not to say he's the new Mourinho or anything or that we are going to go onto amazing things under him, because I doubt any of that. What he's done and what he's doing though should be appreciated, respected and roundly applauded to the high heavens like a Ben Arfa goal away to Everton or the clinching of promotion, by all true NUFC fans.

 

Excellent post !

It's the humility of the man which impresses me most in a game so full of egos.

It may be that right now could be Hughton's biggest test so far, as a man who admits to not enjoying the limelight is thrust into the media spotlight because of the excellent job he is doing.

That said I think he will cope with it just as he has coped with everything else thrown at him since he stepped up. Chris Hughton is after all no football novice - he has played and coached at the highest level since he left school - and he's old and wise enough to not get too carried away by either praise or criticism when they're thrown at him.

An interview with Jose Enrique last season gave a good insight into Hughton's management style, how hard he works, how he prepares for every game meticulously, and most importantly the respect his players and staff have for the man.

In a sport where greed is so prevalent, with Hughton you get the impression that he is not the type of person who would run away to the highest bidder, although our board must realise he will be getting noticed elsewhere and look after him accordingly.

When we hit a bad patch and lose 2 or 3 in a row- as we surely will - lets make sure that we stand by him and give him the support he deserves.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

It must be great for the players to be able to go to work and have a calm, assured atmosphere. Massively different to what most of them are used to at NUFC.

[Cronky]

Interesting article by Ms Taylor on the socialist background of Chris Hughton here -

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/20/chris-hughton-newcastle-united-middlesbrough

 

We seem to know so little of Hughton. His career of staying for so long as a coach at one club, and then becoming a manager only through first accepting a caretaker role, doesn't suggest someone of great ambition. The message that he gives is of one who is happy to serve in whatever capacity he's asked to, and although he doesn't appear to resent it, the club have somewhat taken advantage of him.

 

That doesn't sound like the kind of ruthless, single-minded man who can bang heads together and make a success of football management. I think that's why most of us, at various stages, have been expecting it all to go belly-up.

 

It hasn't happened - in fact, quite the reverse. He's clearly a driven man who can impose his views, but in the absence of a personal ego, I've sometimes wondered where the drive comes from. This socialist aspect of his personality may be the key to understanding that.

 

It's hard to tell how far that can take us - whether at some stage he'll hit a kind of glass ceiling. But you have to say it's been the perfect approach for our club, in our situation.

 

Sounds like what people thought of Roeder in the early days.

 

I think the important difference between the two is that Hughton has remained true to himself and his ideas, whereas Roeder tried to be something he wasn't, which eventually exposed a lack of confidence that led to his downfall.

 

I can remember him saying that he'd been criticised in the past for being too nice, and he was going to prove that he can assert himself just as well as any other manager. It was a theme he kept returning to, and it was like he had a chip on his shoulder.

 

If you remember, it all unravelled in the Alkmaar game, where he allowed himself to be psyched out by Van Gaal, and then lashed out at the players both in the dressing room after the game, and in public later when he threatened to move some of them on at the end of the season if they didn't buck up their ideas. He lost the respect of the players after that, and never recovered it.

 

I can't see Hughton making that mistake. He projects a quiet confidence and doesn't feel the need to throw his weight around in that way.

[Optimistic Nut]

Can see it now. July 2012 - England have just won the Euros prompting record profits for Sports Direct. Ashley, with this unexpected windfall decides to sell the club for peanuts to Hicks and Gillett while he buys Tottenham. This time though he does see it as a play thing and pumps £100m into the squad. First decision is to bring in Hughton, who in turns takes with him Calderwood, Enrique, Ben Arfa and Carroll.

 

You heard it here first.

 

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Can see it now. July 2012 - England have just won the Euros prompting record profits for Sports Direct. Ashley, with this unexpected windfall decides to sell the club for peanuts to Hicks and Gillett while he buys Tottenham. This time though he does see it as a play thing and pumps £100m into the squad. First decision is to bring in Hughton, who in turns takes with him Calderwood, Enrique, Ben Arfa and Carroll.

 

You heard it here first.

 

 

I just wonder if this has been his plan all along. [/malandro]

[Optimistic Nut]

[Parky]

Regarding the new contract for CH. If we are safe in Jan give him a 3 year one and a hefty payrise, he will have earnt it.

[Guest neesy111]

Regarding the new contract for CH. If we are safe in Jan give him a 3 year one and a hefty payrise, he will have earnt it.

 

Not a big payrise though.  I would give him a signing on fee.  We in the past have spent too much on paying up manager's contracts, we don't want it to happen again.

[alpal78]

Regarding the new contract for CH. If we are safe in Jan give him a 3 year one and a hefty payrise, he will have earnt it.

 

Not a big payrise though.  I would give him a signing on fee.  We in the past have spent too much on paying up manager's contracts, we don't want it to happen again.

 

I'm with Neesy on this. Alternatively if we are to give him a payrise then include a relegation clause. I like the idea of pay based on performance and don't see why it shouldn't be the same for manager and player.

[Mick]

 

Not a big payrise though.  I would give him a signing on fee.  We in the past have spent too much on paying up manager's contracts, we don't want it to happen again.

 

We would have to pay him the going rate, anything less would be an insult to the bloke considering how far we've come since he took over the job.

[Optimistic Nut]

Aye, I imagine he's on nowhere near the likes of Coyle, Pulis, McCarthy, etc. that's the sort of amount he'll be looking at next contract.

[Cajun]

If it all went to shit I could see Hughton doing a Gullit tbf.

[Dokko]

Cost us the game with subs again.

 

 

[M4]

So angry at him.

 

Chloroform fueled HT talk, and just moronic subs. Nice.

[Shak]

Tossed this game away.

 

Step forward then a step back he's been.

 

Will be really interested to hear why on earth he took off Ben Arfa, crazy decision.