[Albion] Good Chris Hughton interview today

[drew]

Sorry, but you really cannot compare championship Palace with PL Brighton. The two divisions warrant different styles even Townsend seems to put in a shift for them (BTW, I did like gravity whore)....... A lot of our players looked world beaters at that level too. We are playing in the toughest league in the world and it requires different demands.

Although we lost at Spurs, the 80 yard criticism goes back to my only concern regarding how deep we dropped. Ryan, Dunk and Duffy needed to push everyone up 10 yards higher, but as you alluded, the game has changed and although we have wingers, they are still in a team and need to do a dual job IMO. If they can't do it, then they need to go.

And maybe this is the crux of the problem, whether the emphasis is on defence or attack. You'll never win a game if you don't score but you can win a game if you concede a goal (you just have to score more). I'm not saying we go into games against the top six with all out attack but it seems from reports that all the coaching was about emphasising defence and not attack. Where we let ourselves down was in the home games against all the teams around us at the foot of the table.

With regard to wingers, I see their prime role as creators and tracking back, whilst important, is secondary. Others appear to see it as the other way around. It's a bit like having Murray on the pitch and saying he's there because he helps defend corners!!!

 

[Kneon Light]

You're just going to have to take my word on it. I have no reason to make things up. Yes, I'm delighted that Hughton has gone but I will not spread false rumours to justify my delight. I know you'll not believe it given your support of Hughton on every other matter, that is your prerogative.

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I have no reason to think you are lying at all so I will take your word for it.
However I'm sure you will understand it is very hard for me to comment much on it given I do not know exactly what was said or the context of it.
i.e - away at Wolves I can understand it home to Cardiff would be very different

 

[drew]

3wins in 23 is not "safe"

TB thought that to increase the probability of safety for next season, CH had to go.

fwiw; i backed hewts til the cardiff game

I don't really understand you first sentence. Facts show that we did end up being safe. I do agree with your second comment which is TB looking ahead to next season.

 

[rogersix]

I don't really understand you first sentence. Facts show that we did end up being safe. I do agree with your second comment which is TB looking ahead to next season.

it's just semantics

so they say; each season, one team plummets like a stone, that was us
to my mind that is not safe. boring mid-table mediocrity and the "teams that can't catch us thread" is

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

3wins in 23 is not "safe"

TB thought that to increase the probability of safety for next season, CH had to go.

fwiw; i backed hewts til the cardiff game

Sure, don't blame you at all, I understand we were abysmal against an incredibly poor Cardiff team, 100% accept that, you can throw Bournemouth and Stains in as well. I'm also not knocking anyone for that opinion, and clearly TB agreed......... it's just I don't, but it's not my money/decision, am just a fan who hope it's the right move.

But, we simply cannot say it was 'odds on that we would have got relegated', no-one can. I feel we are less likely to survive without Hughton (based on the current squad), because our main strength was defence, and if we are too expansive we'll be wide open......But even then, I may be surprised, and GP may also play more cautiously.....

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

And maybe this is the crux of the problem, whether the emphasis is on defence or attack. You'll never win a game if you don't score but you can win a game if you concede a goal (you just have to score more). I'm not saying we go into games against the top six with all out attack but it seems from reports that all the coaching was about emphasising defence and not attack. Where we let ourselves down was in the home games against all the teams around us at the foot of the table.

With regard to wingers, I see their prime role as creators and tracking back, whilst important, is secondary. Others appear to see it as the other way around. It's a bit like having Murray on the pitch and saying he's there because he helps defend corners!!!

You still have a point at 0-0.

I think their role is both. We are not in a position to dismiss offensive or defensive. Good point re Murray though, we do need him at set-pieces at both ends - LoL.....

But perhaps under Potter we get better at pressing, play a higher line and win the ball further up field, play with more width and have a more mobile forward who can attack the ball at pace and is a proper outlet.

 

[rogersix]

Sure, don't blame you at all, I understand we were abysmal against an incredibly poor Cardiff team, 100% accept that, you can throw Bournemouth and Stains in as well. I'm also not knocking anyone for that opinion, and clearly TB agreed......... it's just I don't, but it's not my money/decision, am just a fan who hope it's the right move.

But, we simply cannot say it was 'odds on that we would have got relegated', no-one can. I feel we are less likely to survive without Hughton (based on the current squad), because our main strength was defence, and if we are too expansive we'll be wide open......But even then, I may be surprised, and GP may also play more cautiously.....

i think you'll be pleasantly suprised both home and away

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I think managers had worked out that we weren’t comfortable being pressed, so teams gave us no time on the ball. As we were set up to defend it meant the players had to pass sideways or backwards or hoof the ball forwards, and there was normally only Murray upfield, and heavily marked, so we had no outlet that gave us time on the ball. .

It's true, and Chris never really got to grips with us being pressed, some of it is because our goalkeeper distributed the ball so poorly. If you are being pressed, you have to have outlets and movement, something our central midfield and CF is not good at IMO. You mention Murray being heavily marked, but I rarely saw him try to isolate a smaller player, thus potentially drawing an opposing CB with him, that creates a hole for Gross or someone else.....

I must admit to being keen to see how Potter improves us in this area particularly.

Do you remember at Withdean when Kuipers goalkicks were so poor most of the players congregated in a 15 yard area...... LoL....

 

[Guinness Boy]

Sorry, but you really cannot compare championship Palace with PL Brighton. The two divisions warrant different styles even Townsend seems to put in a shift for them (BTW, I did like gravity whore)....... A lot of our players looked world beaters at that level too. We are playing in the toughest league in the world and it requires different demands.

Although we lost at Spurs, the 80 yard criticism goes back to my only concern regarding how deep we dropped. Ryan, Dunk and Duffy needed to push everyone up 10 yards higher, but as you alluded, the game has changed and although we have wingers, they are still in a team and need to do a dual job IMO. If they can't do it, then they need to go.

You haven't answered the point. We have wingers, not midfielders, out wide.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

You haven't answered the point. We have wingers, not midfielders, out wide.

Last sentence, football has changed, wingers have to a dual job, if they can’t do it they shouldn’t be here.

March and Knockaert are reasonable in this regard, though Knocky does switch off....


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[phoenix]

Only time will tell if it was the right decision, but for everything Chris achieved at our club, there is no doubt he will always be one of our greatest ever managers. Total class act.

It was the right decision. Irrespective of what happens next season !

 

[AlastairWatts]

it would have been more of a gamble to keep CH

Not even a gamble. That's a losing bet if ever I saw one

 

[phoenix]

Some posts on this thread are beyond belief. Regardless of whether people are/were Hughton in or Hughton out, regardless of any theories/fantasies/stupid ideas put forward as facts, regardless of what should have happened, or shouldn't, or didn't - and regardless of comments made by people claiming to know what was said at meetings between CH and TB at which they weren't present .............

..................... FFS, if Chris Hughton says he was surprised to be sacked, then he was surprised! Geddit?

I'm just surprised he was surprised that's all .

 

[drew]

I'm just surprised he was surprised that's all .

I think that's the point most people are making. Playing crap, 4th bottom etc etc worse than previous season. Why would you be surprised. Maybe, he was surprised it happened so soon after the City game but I'm sure he wasn't expecting an extension to his contract!!

 

[GT49er]

I think that's the point most people are making. Playing crap, 4th bottom etc etc worse than previous season. Why would you be surprised. Maybe, he was surprised it happened so soon after the City game but I'm sure he wasn't expecting an extension to his contract!!

Maybe not - but my guess is he was expecting to go again to keep us up for a third season - and improve slightly while banking another£100M plus for the Albion - with two or three new signings who would actually be first choices and would improve the first team (i.e. not just bulking up the squad, like last year's transfer window).

That was very obviously what he was thinking when interviewed immediately after the Man. City match.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Last sentence, football has changed, wingers have to a dual job, if they can’t do it they shouldn’t be here.

March and Knockaert are reasonable in this regard, though Knocky does switch off....


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So why buy Izquierdo and Jahanbakhsh who are totally unsuited to that role then?

Yes, football has changed but the wide attacker’s role in the better teams these days is to defend high up the pitch and press the ball, not drop back 80 yards and invite space. This wins the ball high up and also stops full backs pushing up too much. And, for me, the modern game is much more about full backs attacking than wingers defending. Look at Liverpool. Two great full backs but neither of their jobs is to primarily defend, they get assists.

You may say that’s Liverpool and their budget and fair enough but Wolves had a terrific season with attacking wingbacks and goals from midfield


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[Guinness Boy]

Dupe

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

So why buy Izquierdo and Jahanbakhsh who are totally unsuited to that role then?

Yes, football has changed but the wide attacker’s role in the better teams these days is to defend high up the pitch and press the ball, not drop back 80 yards and invite space. This wins the ball high up and also stops full backs pushing up too much. And, for me, the modern game is much more about full backs attacking than wingers defending. Look at Liverpool. Two great full backs but neither of their jobs is to primarily defend, they get assists.

You may say that’s Liverpool and their budget and fair enough but Wolves had a terrific season with attacking wingbacks and goals from midfield


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Recruitment is a different issue IMO.
I’m very much on the fence re Izquierdo and this first half of this season is ‘make or break’ for AJ.

But you answered your own question ‘in the better teams’. We are a bottom 3 team budget wise, and are more liable to be under pressure, hence the need to tuck in.

You mentioned Wolves but they have accumulated a good team over two years, apparently investing more than a number of PL teams. Obviously this apparent Portuguese link has helped.

You do make a valid point about being pushed up higher and turning the play around, and attacking full-backs, but something has to give if both teams are adopting that approach, otherwise there is an overload.

IMO, you cannot have one (attacking full-backs), without the other (defending wingers), and teams switch to type.

Whether we like it or not, we are defensive, because that is/was our strength. Great structure etc.....

This season perhaps we’ll play higher up, win the ball and gamble a bit more.



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[b.w.2.]

Congratulations for knowing as a fact what his objectives were. Impressive.

Isn’t it! [emoji106]


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[b.w.2.]

Still better than three other teams over thirty eight games - that's what mattered.

Not the only thing that mattered for Chris, was it? Far too simplistic.


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