Chris Hughton - the most tactically astute BHA manager since...

[Stato]

Coppell was pretty clued-up. Took over a side in disarray and got them relegated

Corrected for you.

 

[nwgull]

Not sure about his decision to bring on Baldock as the lone front man though. It was like watching CMS in 11/12 and 12/13 again.

 

[Easy 10]

The guy is widely recognised and known as a class act, and its easy to see why. He knows the division, he knows what it takes to get out of the division, and he goes about his business in a quietly understated but methodical manner. He's recruited well, and deployed his resources wisely, playing a couple of systems that first and foremost make us difficult to beat, which always gives you a better-than-evens chance of winning. The players clearly respect him and have bought into his methods, and the results now speak for themselves.

Its incredible to think he's only been here for a little over a year. The complete transformation he has brought about in that short time, given the complete dogs arse he inherited last January, is bordering on the miraculous. We're lucky to have him.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

He's fantastic.

The best though for me will always be Gus Poyet, the way he took that third division team and instilled a tactical style that I didn't think was possible at that level, that in six months took us from relegation candidates to a team sweeping all before it with beautiful football, and then barely break stride as we went into the championship all the way to the play-offs, it was amazing.

taken two long seasons to get back to that, a manager and a team pulling together with style, flair and solidity in equal measure and I'm thoroughly enjoying this season - well, who wouldn't

 

[Stat Brother]

He's also assembled an incredible squad, from a complete shambles in a year.. Mightily impressive

By spending far and away the most amount of money, in Albion history.

 

[supaseagull]

...well, when? Probably the most intelligent tactically in my lifetime of following the Albion.

Seems to have worked out a number of different systems/formations/line ups we can now play to suit the opposition and game situation.

According to some, 7 weeks ago he should have been sacked #facepalm

 

[Rugrat]

I don't think he's especially tactically astute at all and I'm not having a go at him, I just don't think you can say he's tactically astute because we went to a 5 man midfield and picked up a 0-0 draw. We kept the 4-4-2 against Middlesbrough and we all saw how badly that turned out but equally, going to Ipswich and playing two up front got us the win. I don't think he changes things tactically very often, it's very much our style of play and it'll work or it won't work but he rarely does things to change the pattern of a game aside from second half substitutions, either attacking or defensive depending on how the game is going. Against Bolton everyone could see how pathetic their defenders were, to a man. Pathetic. But we stood off them, gave them time and space and didn't exploit their obvious flaw. Was it not noticed? Did we not feel we needed to go after them high up the pitch? I'm not sure, but we only won that game by a single goal when our overall superiority was far greater.

I think very highly of Hughton, he's a fantastic manager who is doing a brilliant job for us in every department but I don't think he's particularly tactically astute and I don't mind that - because what I perceive his strength to be is organising the team, getting the right atmosphere around the squad and preparing the players for each game as they come. I don't think he's a Mourinho style tactician, that isn't what he does but what he is doing should be celebrated, it's a remarkable turnaround from last season and we could very well win this division this season.

I'd go along with most of that and I have him down as one of the best Managers we've had for years.

For me, what comes across is the real sense of "team" the notion of "the sum of the parts is greater than the whole" is so fitting to the squad of today. Everyone looks together and giving 110%, that's unusual in football today, where money talks. Full credit to CH for getting the players right up for it and keeping them going. On top of that some of the signings have been genius!

On paper we don't have anything like as strong a squads as Hull, Boro and Derby (imo and certainly not assembled at such cost) but our players largely stay under the radar, and as a team it's hard to argue there's anyone better

 

[Perkino]

I think what Hughton does better than most is he buys a better quality of footballer to suit the system he likes to play - and it generally is a very rigid, very specific system. But he's improved the standard of player at BHA and that makes a big difference.

Whether he's that tactically good is another question. He's made some awful decisions, even in this brilliant season, although fair play to the guy in that he seems to have learned from his mistakes during our poor run (and even some during our unbeaten run) by making some very intelligent tactical shifts during the last 4-5 games. It was good to see him put his ego aside tonight and go with the 3 man midfield - it showed progress from the 'Boro horror show at the AMEX when he thought we could go toe to toe with a better side who had an extra man in midfield. So I'd file him under tactically maturing rather tactically excellent.

If we do go up, it'll be fascinating to see how he approaches the Premiership tactically as I'm not convinced we have the players to play 442 at that level if we hope to stay up.

Most would've thought Leicester didn't have the squad to play 4-4-2 in the premiership, but they're making it work.

I'm not claiming we will do anything like what they have but we may suprise a few ala Watford

 

[Stat Brother]

I certainly didn't have this a year ago.
It's almost as if he started his career with the Albion being the most shitehouse he could possibly be, so things could only get better.

Had he walked in the Summer I, and those of you prepared to be honest, wouldn't have been that bothered.

 

[nicko31]

Chris's speciality is shutting up shop on difficult away trips, its not pretty but gives us what we need

 

[Guinness Boy]

I certainly didn't have this a year ago.
It's almost as if he started his career with the Albion being the most shitehouse he could possibly be, so things could only get better.

Had he walked in the Summer I, and those of you prepared to be honest, wouldn't have been that bothered.

Nonsense. More fishing / fake irony. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see he was building the side with Kayal. What he had to do last season was keep up an appalling quality squad where morale had hit rock bottom. And he did .

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Coppell was pretty clued-up. Took over a side in disarray and got them playing as a team again but, yes, Hughton is up there with the best I've seen

Shame he had venereal disease.

I'm sure there is a humorous connotation to the VD comment but, for the life of me, I can't see beyond the slur on a decent man.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

If he gets tactics right at home v Sheff Wed then that's time for accolades because when you are playing at home against a team with less points than you then you should go out and attack and beat them but they are sweeping everyone aside at this moment in time. That leaves a Manager with dilemmas, so if he ulimately gets that one right. That will be the time for pats on the back.

IMHO the most dangerous team in the division. They now look stronger than when we played them. They are right in the hunt for an automatic spot.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

In answer to the thread title, I'd say CH is the most tactically astute manager since the tactically astute Oscar Garcia who used his tactical astuteness to take an average squad to the playoffs.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Exactly, thats why even though I loved Gus I love Chris more. A Gent with more class than Poyet ever had.

...a manager with dignity, who puts club and players first.

 

[brightn'ove]

It's great seeing that we have a plan B and even a plan C. But we are coming from three managers in a row that would never change their system. From the 4-3-3 of poyet, to the 4-3-3 of Oscar to the 2-3-5 of Hyypia, we've got a manager now who is flexible and we have the players who can adapt accordingly. Love it.

 

[nicko31]

My Norwichesque extended family is are still negative about Houghton, I say to them far better than the 2 they've recruited since. Talk to any Geordies or Brums and they have a very different view.

Chris is a class act with the ego that so often comes with the territory.

 

[Stat Brother]

Nonsense. More fishing / fake irony. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see he was building the side with Kayal. What he had to do last season was keep up an appalling quality squad where morale had hit rock bottom. And he did .

Oh god no.

The second half of last season was worse than the first, and that takes some doing.
I don't buy all the 'only had one job to do' bollox.

If he only had one job he'd have done it asap, instead of carrying on where the previous failure finished.

The team got 1 point (?) from Millwall, Blackpool, Wigan, Rotherham, without scoring a goal.
At home the football was appalling, with Calde's face being the only highlight of half a season.

This season has been fantastic and I would have been loud wrong in saying words to the effect of 'he's no great loss'.
But lets not rewrite history.
If the team were currently stumbling around mid table, last season would be in a lot sharper focus.

As said I certainly didn't see this coming, making it all the more special.
I'm loving Chris as the Albion manager, and I hope he's here for years to come.

 

[Grassman]

I'm sure there is a humorous connotation to the VD comment but, for the life of me, I can't see beyond the slur on a decent man.

"Nick, nack, paddy wack, give a dog a bone...." not ring any bells? Has it really been that long since it was sung?

 

[warmleyseagull]

Chris's speciality is shutting up shop on difficult away trips, its not pretty but gives us what we need

Except that, as he admitted himself in press conference before match, we have drawn too many away games. Even a couple of wins from Huddersfield, Wolves, Bolton, Derby, QPR - all games we either led in, or at Wolves had a great chance to do so when Hemed missed pen - would mean top of the league now.

Not saying the lack of wins entirely reflects shutting up shop but there has been a tendency IMO to be too defensive on the road.