Hughton and Norwich

[Mackenzie]

He'll know that sackings are all part of a managers lot, but it will still have hurt. He'll be professional to a fault of course, but if we can conjure a victory I expect we'll see an extra spring in Hughton's step. Just got to get the win now!

 

[mike79]

I do because I had seen a lot of their games that year where they absolutely slaughtered Cardiff home and away and West Ham home and away where the opposition keeper s were outstanding against them. I saw matches where they led against Stoke and Stoke got dodgy penalty in last minute for an equaliser to deny them the 3 points.

I saw them batter Hull to death for 80 mins and just couldn't get the ball in the net and I know for a fact that not once during that season were they able to get their best three midfielders of Howson, Fer and Tettey on the pitch at the same time due to at least one of them being injured at any given time and the very first game after he was sacked that's when Fer I think it was due to be back when they did all play together.

So I saw their matches and so did the Board and they knew that the team was playing well - I will concede that they did have some awful matches and I do concede that some of those matches CH should in my opinion have attacked a few teams more away from home but every time they got into trouble the team pulled out a big performance and got the win. I am not 100% sure but I don't think they were ever in the bottom 3 any time after Xmas.

So YES I agree with the other Poster, the Board took them down. Chris would have pulled out the results to keep them safe. The match he got sacked after (at home to West Brom) , they were woeful that day but that was Norwich that year, they blew hot and cold but they were doing enough to stay up.

Plus the 2 or 3 months that Van Wolfswinkel was out injured cost them dear because despite his lack of goals, if he hadn't got an early injury I think he would have built confidence early in the season and he would have got goals. His confidence was just shot to pieces by the injury and he just couldn't get up to speed playing at a level of football he had never played at before.

In summary, he had 5 games to get 4 points and no matter who those games were against, he would have got the points

Without doubt the biggest load of crap I've ever read on the internet. Special mention has to go to the Van Wolfswinkel excuses and needing 4 points from 5 games. You weren't quite obsessed enough to realise that wouldn't have even been enough even given how WBA did due to the tragic goal difference, and that's ignoring the fact that WBA were safe with 2 games left and could afford to lose vs Sunderland and Stoke without it mattering.

 

[mike79]

Ok this bit is fairly golden too

'I saw them batter Hull to death for 80 mins and just couldn't get the ball in the net and I know for a fact that not once during that season were they able to get their best three midfielders of Howson, Fer and Tettey on the pitch at the same time due to at least one of them being injured at any given time and the very first game after he was sacked that's when Fer I think it was due to be back when they did all play together.'

Howson, Fer and Tettey actually played the first 65 minutes together in said game against Hull (2nd game of the season) and couldn't break down 10 men. Also 4 shots on target isn't really battering to death

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23736895

They also started together vs Stoke, Arsenal, Chelsea and Cardiff before October had finished and I gave up looking after that tbh

Bit of a stretch to call Walters 73rd minute penalty a last minute equaliser too

 

[Nixonator]

Without doubt the biggest load of crap I've ever read on the internet.

Not been using the internet readily then.

 

[downham seagull]

Without doubt the biggest load of crap I've ever read on the internet. Special mention has to go to the Van Wolfswinkel excuses and needing 4 points from 5 games. You weren't quite obsessed enough to realise that wouldn't have even been enough even given how WBA did due to the tragic goal difference, and that's ignoring the fact that WBA were safe with 2 games left and could afford to lose vs Sunderland and Stoke without it mattering.

Lol you have led a sheltered life if this is the crappest thing on the internet

 

[mike79]

Not been using the internet readily then.

2 girls 1 cup not for me

 

[Albumen]

All I have to say about this is

Fvck Norwich.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Without doubt the biggest load of crap I've ever read on the internet. Special mention has to go to the Van Wolfswinkel excuses and needing 4 points from 5 games. You weren't quite obsessed enough to realise that wouldn't have even been enough even given how WBA did due to the tragic goal difference, and that's ignoring the fact that WBA were safe with 2 games left and could afford to lose vs Sunderland and Stoke without it mattering.

Out of interest do you think the timing of the Hughton sacking was right. The Norwich fans I know thought he should have gone earlier but, having not sacked him then, they thought it was the wrong decision to sack him when you did (and that was not hindsight) and that he should have been kept until the end of the season. What's your view on that?

For what it's worth, I am delighted you sacked Hughton as he could then come to us and do a superb job. While maybe both sides are biased, the facts are that Hughton has done a very good job at three out of the four clubs he's managed. Norwich are the exception. Whether that's because it just didn't work out or something to do with behind the scenes at Norwich, who knows. But to be honest sacking a manager with five games to go and replacing him with an internal appointment who then, having taken you down, is given a three year contract but leaves the club before that Christmas doesn't make me think of good decision making.

 

[mike79]

Out of interest do you think the timing of the Hughton sacking was right. The Norwich fans I know thought he should have gone earlier but, having not sacked him then, they thought it was the wrong decision to sack him when you did (and that was not hindsight) and that he should have been kept until the end of the season. What's your view on that?

For what it's worth, I am delighted you sacked Hughton as he could then come to us and do a superb job. While maybe both sides are biased, the facts are that Hughton has done a very good job at three out of the four clubs he's managed. Norwich are the exception. Whether that's because it just didn't work out or something to do with behind the scenes at Norwich, who knows. But to be honest sacking a manager with five games to go and replacing him with an internal appointment who then, having taken you down, is given a three year contract but leaves the club before that Christmas doesn't make me think of good decision making.

The timing was terrible which I think pretty much all Norwich fans would agree on. Was complete desperation from the board who realised too late the trouble we were in and had nobody lined up. Was a case of not being able to perform any worse so why not give ourselves at least a tiny chance. The way Sunderland went from bottom to surviving with ease meant it didn't matter anyway. The problem was we kept going on terrible runs then getting a win each time he was on the verge of being sacked so it was delayed and delayed. Then we finally lost at home to WBA and things looked terrible with the nightmare run in. He should have gone months before as we'd been showing relegation form for well over a year.

Norwich do seem to have a problem recruiting in the premier league though. Last season was another transfer disaster of missing out on targets and wasting money on what we did get

I think Brighton will win Saturday unless we see a major improvement in performance and stop conceding ridiculous goals.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

The timing was terrible which I think pretty much all Norwich fans would agree on. Was complete desperation from the board who realised too late the trouble we were in and had nobody lined up. Was a case of not being able to perform any worse so why not give ourselves at least a tiny chance. The way Sunderland went from bottom to surviving with ease meant it didn't matter anyway. The problem was we kept going on terrible runs then getting a win each time he was on the verge of being sacked so it was delayed and delayed. Then we finally lost at home to WBA and things looked terrible with the nightmare run in. He should have gone months before as we'd been showing relegation form for well over a year.

Norwich do seem to have a problem recruiting in the premier league though. Last season was another transfer disaster of missing out on targets and wasting money on what we did get

I think Brighton will win Saturday unless we see a major improvement in performance and stop conceding ridiculous goals.

Fair enough. I think it will end up as a draw but am hopeful.

I agree re Hughton. Either you sack him with ten games left or give him the season. It was a very poor decision.

Interesting what you say re recruitment in the Premier League. If you are competing with stable Premier League clubs it must be difficult. I imagine we would have the same issues if promoted

 

[NooBHA]

The timing was terrible which I think pretty much all Norwich fans would agree on. Was complete desperation from the board who realised too late the trouble we were in and had nobody lined up. Was a case of not being able to perform any worse so why not give ourselves at least a tiny chance. The way Sunderland went from bottom to surviving with ease meant it didn't matter anyway. The problem was we kept going on terrible runs then getting a win each time he was on the verge of being sacked so it was delayed and delayed. Then we finally lost at home to WBA and things looked terrible with the nightmare run in. He should have gone months before as we'd been showing relegation form for well over a year.

Norwich do seem to have a problem recruiting in the premier league though. Last season was another transfer disaster of missing out on targets and wasting money on what we did get

I think Brighton will win Saturday unless we see a major improvement in performance and stop conceding ridiculous goals.

I have just realised you are a Norwich fan.............The penny drops so to speak. The Board should have pulled their finger our and paid the Loan Agreement fee for Quaglierella

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Having skimmed through the Norwich forums the thing I can't understand is the criticism of the playing style of CH. Perhaps the recruitment team up there just weren't able to find the right players. Given the attacking football we have been watching for the past year, something is certainly different. I accept that Chris has been criticized for attempting to
defend towards the end of matches but he is not the only manager to employ these tactics and it has usually followed exciting, attacking wing play with plenty of possession.

 

[mike79]

I have just realised you are a Norwich fan.............The penny drops so to speak. The Board should have pulled their finger our and paid the Loan Agreement fee for Quaglierella

Pretty sure he didn't want to come just like all the Italians we were ever linked with.

 

[mike79]

Having skimmed through the Norwich forums the thing I can't understand is the criticism of the playing style of CH. Perhaps the recruitment team up there just weren't able to find the right players. Given the attacking football we have been watching for the past year, something is certainly different. I accept that Chris has been criticized for attempting to
defend towards the end of matches but he is not the only manager to employ these tactics and it has usually followed exciting, attacking wing play with plenty of possession.

Yeah finding the right players in the premier league is tough and something we never seem to get right. Brighton would probably be a more attractive proposition as not too far from London. Prem very different to the champ and the tactic was to play very defensively, especially away from home where it would be a struggle just to have a shot on target. Defending leads wasn't a problem, just getting leads. Defending leads was probably Hughton's biggest strength, and biggest weakness getting back into the game after conceding first. Going a goal down was pretty much game over.

 

[NooBHA]

Yeah finding the right players in the premier league is tough and something we never seem to get right. Brighton would probably be a more attractive proposition as not too far from London. Prem very different to the champ and the tactic was to play very defensively, especially away from home where it would be a struggle just to have a shot on target. Defending leads wasn't a problem, just getting leads. Defending leads was probably Hughton's biggest strength, and biggest weakness getting back into the game after conceding first. Going a goal down was pretty much game over.

I agree with a lot of that but I think they came from behind to beat West Ham at home

 

[mike79]

Yeah think that was the 1 win from behind all season.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Yeah finding the right players in the premier league is tough and something we never seem to get right. Brighton would probably be a more attractive proposition as not too far from London. Prem very different to the champ and the tactic was to play very defensively, especially away from home where it would be a struggle just to have a shot on target. Defending leads wasn't a problem, just getting leads. Defending leads was probably Hughton's biggest strength, and biggest weakness getting back into the game after conceding first. Going a goal down was pretty much game over.

Sounds completely different to the CH Albion team. If anything we look at our most vulnerable when a goal
ahead (recently anyway). Should be open and entertaining on Saturday. I have work
and family links in Ipswich and Norwich and live in Suffolk so have been looking forward to this one. Enjoy the game.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Hughton: a calm and experienced head with a more than decent record at his previous clubs so exactly the right appointment after the Hyypia debacle. Parachuted into the Albion to steer us away from the relegation mire - and achieved this with games to spare.

Maybe it was a sign of our expectations that it then felt disappointing when Chris then presided over games (at Wigan and Rotherham?) that IMHO we could have won but looked very average, making defensive substitutions and meekly losing both games. Disappointingly he did not show any appetite to press for two potentially morale boosting wins, seemingly well within our grasp. This prompted memories of negative comments from Canaries of his conservative style and reluctance to change tactics.

However right from the start of last season and to his great credit Chris adopted an attacking style, boldly only using 2 CMs, favouring 2 wide players and attacking full backs. We combined just about the meanest defence with magnificent attacking football to belay much of what those Canaries claimed.

Plus we've recruited shrewdly, cleared out a lot of deadwood and also given chances to some great youngsters. We don't have the budget of many rival clubs yet we have a very competitive squad. To miss out on promotion only by a gnat's was a heck of an achievement. Now we're right in contention again.

We could not be in safer hands.