[Albion] Chris Hughton leaves with immediate effect

[BLOCK F]

Well, like many others, I didn't see that coming and I take no pleasure in a decent man losing his job; although, unlike many who do so, he will go with a pretty huge pay-off to ease the pain.
It turns out that Tony Bloom shared the same view that us 'deluded, la-land living, idiotic, ungrateful mob' had........that Chris had run his course and some new thinking was required.
Thank you for everything Chris. If it is your wish to find another job, I am sure you will have no difficulty; otherwise how about a very comfortable retirement with a bit of punditry thrown in for good measure.
I wish you all the best!

 

[Spicy]

I feel like it’s a very poor time to announce it, it should’ve been announced before yesterday’s game so we could give him the send off he deserved, it seems rather sad and unprofessional to do it now.

I think that as well especially since Chris was saying how we would need to improve next season and he was on the pitch with his grandchildren. It would have been better to wait a few days unless of course there is someone else already in mind and the club wants to act quickly to secure the appointment.

 

[tedebear]

This is a dark day for our club. What he has acheived has been monumental. At the first run of real challenge, we sacked him. It makes us no better than the swinging door mentality of other clubs. THis is not what we stand for and not how we operate. I'm beyond angry and also very very sad.

 

[Ernest]

According to some of the more stupid comments SALDE would still be manager or even Mullery, football is based on results and if you don't deliver then you get the sack. Far better to change now than 10 games or more into the season when we are already struggling and singed another load of Dutch DOSSERS

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Yep, it’s amazing how many plastics are now calling for our heads, that we deserve to go down next season etc. Well, we would unless things changed ironically. Least we now have a fighting chance. It might not come off but got to give a go and no better timing than immediately after the end of the season. Gives both parties time to take stock and plan accordingly.

I can understand why people outside of the club are criticising the decision to fire Hughton. It doesn't make sense if you don't know the full context of our season, performances, etc. The reality is that there have been no signs of improvement at any stage this season. Even when we were somehow getting the results which have ultimately kept us up, there was almost quality in the performances whatsoever. The reality is that we had reached the end of the road with Hughton, and there's nobody who is happy that is the case.

A top man, having done a brilliant job - but not the man to continue moving us forward and any club which doesn't want to improve can only go backwards.

 

[Curious Orange]

Well, that has come as a surprise.

I can only wish Chris all the best for the future, as we owe him a lot as club for what he did manage to do for us in getting us to the Premier League, and keeping us here.

I don't think the way we played and how our form dipped so dramatically in the second half of the season can be ignored though, and I suspect it was the tactical inflexibility that ultimately has prompted the decision - Brighton play one way, and the opponents know it.

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

Is TB going to put his hands in his pockets and pay attractive salaries and fees for good players at Premier League level? Unless he does that we will be going down next seasons whoever becomes the manager. CH is a good manager kept us up playing pragmatic football to the strengths of the squad. If say Graham Potter were to be appointed he has had one good season in the Championship where his team finished just above halfway. TB is surely aiming higher, he needs to be !!!

 

[clapham_gull]

Adam Virgo just interviewed and puts the decision down to the failure of the new players.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Just off a plane from Spain and this is the first news I get. I was agog, but not horrified. Thought he'd be given another run, the way the season ended, that we had something about us. But this is the business we are in, I suppose, where loyalty has little effect, and that works both ways. Alliances are fleeting, but not necessarily unloving, these days.
I'll remember Chris with the utmost respect, but thoughts quickly change to a new world of ours and who'll be its leader.

 

[neilbard]

That's what he does. That's why he's a ruddy billionaire.

A billionaire with a two bob squad....

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Adam Virgo just interviewed and puts the decision down to the failure of the new players.

........or the failure to get the best out of the new players.

 

[pasty]

Adam Virgo just interviewed and puts the decision down to the failure of the new players.

Football is quite unique in that. In almost any other walk of life, if an employee is not performing, it is the employee who faces the sack, not their boss.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Right choice at the right time. He's an absolute legend but time to gamble.

I don't think we're the same as Newcastle and Norwich. They sacked him mid season and then went down. We stuck with him and ground it out. Just! That's what he does in this league and he would have done the same for those sides at the time. That said I think in all 3 cases the team would have gone down the year after. I know that sounds like a contradiction but won't waffle on to try and be clearer.

If we'd gone down he would have been the best person in the entire world to get us up. I also felt the 1st season here he'd have kept us up, this year he'd have kept us up in a more difficult league, but next season I can't see it. Just a feeling but so far been right.

A gamble is about to happen. But get the right person in and I think we'll not only improve our chances of staying up, but also increase our chances of progressing up. Yes we could completly f it up but I think given the way things looked for next season, it's a gamble worth taking.

People saying more respectful to tell him before the last game, so he could get a clap, I disagree. Can see your point but I think it's more respectful to keep him on to fimish the job at hand and then make a quick announcement and let both sides move on.

Thanks for everything Chris, my favourite Brighton manager in the 28 years or so actively been following and a true gentleman....... but the time is right. Now we need to make the right choice to kick on and build a fancy (plus young, quick and AT TIMES less negative) Premiership team on the solid foundations CH has laid down.

 

[kjgood]

Best manager we have ever had certainly in my fourty seven years of supporting the club. Good man, presented the right image and was instrumental in turning the club into what it is now, but to kick the club on to the next level, perhaps a change is required. Some other club is going to get a really good guy to look after them, lucky them.

Many thanks Chris for all you have done, now the uncertainty starts for us. Is the new guy going to be a fit? will it work? will we improve or bomb? Please, please, please, no journeyman who have done the rounds i.e. Big Sam, Nigel, Neville, Jose OMG he's free, Wally with the brolley, Pardew etc.

Take Benitez though

 

[thony]

Football is quite unique in that. In almost any other walk of life, if an employee is not performing, it is the employee who faces the sack, not their boss.

Not sure I agree that it is a single employee underperforming in this case. If it were, I'd agree that the individual should be the one to be worried about their position. If a whole team is underperforming, though, in my experience the boss DOES normally carry the can for that in companies I've worked in.

 

[Biscuit]

This is a dark day for our club. What he has acheived has been monumental. At the first run of real challenge, we sacked him. It makes us no better than the swinging door mentality of other clubs. THis is not what we stand for and not how we operate. I'm beyond angry and also very very sad.

#Together.

Totally agree with you.

 

[GT49er]

This is a dark day for our club. What he has acheived has been monumental. At the first run of real challenge, we sacked him. It makes us no better than the swinging door mentality of other clubs. THis is not what we stand for and not how we operate. I'm beyond angry and also very very sad.

That's pretty much how I feel at the moment. I'm hoping that will change with time, but TBH I'm less confidant now about the future than I was 24 hours ago.

 

[timbha]

This is a dark day for our club. What he has acheived has been monumental. At the first run of real challenge, we sacked him. It makes us no better than the swinging door mentality of other clubs. THis is not what we stand for and not how we operate. I'm beyond angry and also very very sad.

Not sure who the “we” you refer to are.

CH has done a fantastic job in getting us to where we are and he’ll go down as one of our greatest managers. I am truly thankful for the pleasure and status he has brought our club.

But, as TB states, our PL status was seriously at risk and he hasn’t invested £ms to dice with death again. He works on probabilities and his instincts told him the risk of carrying on “as is” was too great.

Dan Ashworth must have had similar views and what’s the point of struggling til November and then getting rid having already spent heavily in the summer? We know what TB thinks of inflated prices in the Christmas window.

Let the new manager have the funds to spend in a measured way over the whole summer. The transfer window opens soon.

 

[seagull_special]

Arteta Manager
Bruno Assistant
Mata marque signing


Ole

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Thanks for everything Chris, true gent. Sadly 2019 shaped your future with the club.

I was surprised and was expecting to see him in the helm for the new season, took a lot from me to lose my confidence in him in these past four months. I was prepared to back him 100% into 2019/20 season as I had up until the start of this year. Clean slate and everything. But, now he has gone, it'll be interesting to see how our future shapes. Speculation will always be rife at a time like this but I, personally, won't get involved and will just wait to see what TB dishes us up.

Best of luck for the future, he deserves it, and the plaudits from all on here.