[Albion] Article - Football Changed and Chris Hughton Didn’t Keep Up

[Nobby]

At the risk of dredging up a tired old debate, I haven't seen many people who watched the Albion semi-regularly away over the last year bemoaning the decision.

PH and HW are brilliant but they don't see the team play much. We might go down but at least it won't be so incredibly uninspired all the time.

Sorry, totally forgot to say - fantastic piece of course, your stuff always is

Hiya.

 

[Eeyore]

Hughton's unceremonious exit reminded me a little of the execution of Charles I- a 'cruel necessity' as Cromwell put it.

Very few cheered the swing of the blade- in fact many groaned out loud. But I think most knew that he could no longer stay because of the risk of further regression and division in the wider club- the supporter base.

Still, like Charlie, yet far more fondly and appreciatively, he'll be remembered in history- as the man who took us to a new level and kept us there. I miss him because it felt so safe, snug and honourable with him in charge. Times move on. So must the club.

 

[Triggaaar]

I wait for the inevitable NSC poll and vote Hughton out.

You didn't even see the game!

 

[chaileyjem]

At the risk of dredging up a tired old debate, I haven't seen many people who watched the Albion semi-regularly away over the last year bemoaning the decision.

This is argued a lot on here - but come on, there’s plenty who sat through last season and still think Hughton should have stayed. (Not very vocal on here but who can blame them) And it’s also possible to be a journalist and quite a good one , to have not seen *every* game , but still think Hughton should have stayed.

We will never know if it’s the right decision or not but it’s unfair to characterise the naysayers as ignorant of how last season turned out or because the 5-0 at Bournemouth or the miserable 2019 must have passed em by. It didn’t . For football journalists - it really didn’t.

this is a massive risk and I support Bloom but I wouldn’t have done it.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

You didn't even see the game!

Fair to say that if GB was an 'outer' before the B'muff game (he alludes to the fact he was), a 0-5 drubbing is not exactly likely to change his mind, is it?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Some good replies, thanks for all the feeback. Nice to have a decent level of intelligent football debate on NSC.

A couple of minor misconceptions to clear up (so maybe the piece isn't THAT well written ). I'm not saying Chris is finished or a total dinosaur. He will go to a decent Championship outfit and he will probably get them up, playing ok football, within two seasons. That's what he does really, really well.

But he is not of the moment, And in particular football HAS changed a lot in the last five years, in that it is far more a game of systems and coaching than it was even then, let alone fifteen years ago. Hughton, being a calm pragmatist does not really have a system as such, more he has jobs and those include tracking back and staying in shape. I do not think tracking back is the strong point of Ali J, nor is it what Andone wants to do, nor is it what the elderly (for a footballer) Murray has the pace or inclination for. If he did not want these players he should have said so.

But THE most voguish trend in football is the press and everyone knows it and we cannot play against it. That is as much the fault of the manager as the players bought. And [MENTION=22849]Stato[/MENTION] is right about reverting to type and going to not concede when you cannot score. When that happense and you've not scored anyway and the fans are on your back it becomes like a huge rolling snowball and, for the first time, the fans get on the managers back and they do not buy away tickets and they leave early. And then Dan Ashworth, Team England man of the moment, leans in to Bloom's ear and whispers "I know this bloke, unusual methods, very nice football, good on a budget, knows how to deal with the press. Let me show you the Swansea v Man City cup game........"

And, yes, part of the point of the article was that I couldn't be arsed to watch a Hughton team when I had an excuse.

 

[Bry Nylon]

And then Dan Ashworth, Team England man of the moment, leans in to Bloom's ear and whispers "I know this bloke, unusual methods, very nice football, good on a budget, knows how to deal with the press. Let me show you the Swansea v Man City cup game........"

And bingo! We end up with Rodney Trotter.

 

[chaileyjem]

A couple of minor misconceptions to clear up (so maybe the piece isn't THAT well written ). I'm not saying Chris is finished or a total dinosaur. He will go to a decent Championship outfit and he will probably get them up, playing ok football, within two seasons. That's what he does really, really well.

.

He also seems to be bloody good at keeping teams in the Premier League and has spent as many seasons up there as in the Champ. And a decade more as an assistant coach. And The value of that to a club , in the last 5 years has massively changed. See the brutal chops/changes if owners think it’s at risk (ie blooms gamble) Interestingly it’s reported today that he’s not interested in jobs at West Brom or Swansea as he’s looking at a prem league role. Perhaps we will be seeing him sooner than we think

 

[Triggaaar]

Fair to say that if GB was an 'outer' before the B'muff game (he alludes to the fact he was), a 0-5 drubbing is not exactly likely to change his mind, is it?

He said he wasn't an 'outer': 'I was a Hughton fan, I’d defended him to the hilt, cheered him from the rafters and now, even I realised his time was up.'

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Opinion piece on why I think Hughton went (with the benefit of hindsight re Potter) and what it is that the new man represents.

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/content.php?804-Football-Changed-and-Chris-Hughton-Didn%92t-Keep-Up

Again, just my opinion to stimulate discussion.

Yes. Bang on 110%. And well written too.

 

[Weststander]

Some good replies, thanks for all the feeback. Nice to have a decent level of intelligent football debate on NSC.

A couple of minor misconceptions to clear up (so maybe the piece isn't THAT well written ). I'm not saying Chris is finished or a total dinosaur. He will go to a decent Championship outfit and he will probably get them up, playing ok football, within two seasons. That's what he does really, really well.

But he is not of the moment, And in particular football HAS changed a lot in the last five years, in that it is far more a game of systems and coaching than it was even then, let alone fifteen years ago. Hughton, being a calm pragmatist does not really have a system as such, more he has jobs and those include tracking back and staying in shape. I do not think tracking back is the strong point of Ali J, nor is it what Andone wants to do, nor is it what the elderly (for a footballer) Murray has the pace or inclination for. If he did not want these players he should have said so.

But THE most voguish trend in football is the press and everyone knows it and we cannot play against it. That is as much the fault of the manager as the players bought. And [MENTION=22849]Stato[/MENTION] is right about reverting to type and going to not concede when you cannot score. When that happense and you've not scored anyway and the fans are on your back it becomes like a huge rolling snowball and, for the first time, the fans get on the managers back and they do not buy away tickets and they leave early. And then Dan Ashworth, Team England man of the moment, leans in to Bloom's ear and whispers "I know this bloke, unusual methods, very nice football, good on a budget, knows how to deal with the press. Let me show you the Swansea v Man City cup game........"

And, yes, part of the point of the article was that I couldn't be arsed to watch a Hughton team when I had an excuse.

You got lucky on that Saturday, we were outclassed and outpaced in every position, by a team on an awful run of their own, who never hand out huge thrashings away from home. As you know because you went to all the other home debacles, the score was no shock in truth, we’d been shite for months. In fairness, the losses weren’t just CH’s fault, with transfer blunders coming back to haunt us.

TB isn’t a follower of fads, making expensive changes for change sake. With Ashworth they identified that a managerial/coaching change of direction was required to bring back enjoyable football and to enhance the chances of Brighton being in the PL for the medium term. I trust their judgement.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

And bingo! We end up with Rodney Trotter.

Or is it Den Plodder?

 

[Triggaaar]

Yes. Bang on 110%.

Why only 110%? Why not 120%? Why not 200%? Why not infinity%!!!

 

[Guinness Boy]

He said he wasn't an 'outer': 'I was a Hughton fan, I’d defended him to the hilt, cheered him from the rafters and now, even I realised his time was up.'

So I'd actually checked my own post history as part of writing the article to make sure I'd remembered ok. I personally voted out and my comment was that Hughton was on "very, very, very thin ice".

I'm on record defending Hughton up to about March-ish and people I know well know I binned off the Bournemouth game. There's no point recalling what the slump meant to people without a personal angle. When I say I was delighted I had an excuse not to go to that game, I mean I was delighted to have an excuse not to go. I stayed "out" after Cardiff and Newcastle. I also posted on a thread started by [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION] that I thought Hughton would be more likely to go if we only just stayed up, which proved to be the case. I thought there was an outside chance of a move upstairs but the clean break is best for all concerned I reckon.

 

[Don Tmatter]

Was CH let down by Trollope & Nevin ? Nevin is highly rated apparently, taking England sessions, Trollope same age range as Potter and highly spoke of at Bristol Rovers. Were they not allowed a bigger input?

 

[Machiavelli]

But he is not of the moment, And in particular football HAS changed a lot in the last five years, in that it is far more a game of systems and coaching than it was even then, let alone fifteen years ago. Hughton, being a calm pragmatist does not really have a system as such, more he has jobs and those include tracking back and staying in shape. I do not think tracking back is the strong point of Ali J, nor is it what Andone wants to do, nor is it what the elderly (for a footballer) Murray has the pace or inclination for.

Really like this thread, and this might be the best thing you've written. Hughton is a functional manager, where everybody has a role contributing to make the whole work, and exceed its parts/roles. Tracking back and shape are the key aspects across those roles. And Murray really, really couldn't do it for extended periods.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Hughton, like Warnock, struggles in the Prem but excels in the Championship and I do not see anything to suggest Hughton cannot deliver again at the right club.

You know what you will get with Hughton and there are plenty of Championship chairman who would love to have the problem of what to do with him after 2 seasons in the Prem.

 

[Easy 10]

Great article chap, agreed with almost every word.

I go in to town for a late lunch and a lime and soda.

Poof.

 

[chaileyjem]

Hughton, like Warnock, struggles in the Prem but excels in the Championship and I do not see anything to suggest Hughton cannot deliver again at the right club.

You know what you will get with Hughton and there are plenty of Championship chairman who would love to have the problem of what to do with him after 2 seasons in the Prem.

Like Warnock?? - Sheff Utd - relegated after 1 season, qpr - sacked but they were still relegated, Palace - sacked - in bottom 3, Cardiff - relegated in 1 season.

Hughton never once managed a club in bottom 3. Kept Newcastle up, Norwich up (then sacked), brighton up .
If he keeps relegating every team in the prem he goes near then remind me when .

 

[seagullwedgee]

Very well put GB. No shame in admitting to any of that. I saw it exactly as you did. I suspect many thousands more did too,