[Albion] Hughton supporters

[Weststander]

I'd be fascinated to see where the club would've finished if he had stuck with the players that he WAS using, before introducing the new names who – let's not dress it up – have been mediocre at best. The headache over the Summer for Chris (and I think it should still be Chris) is whether or not he thinks he can get a tune out of them with a decent pre-season, or if it means spending MORE money on players to replace the big money signings...

The club (not CH) will spend, I hope, on two creative ACM’ers, a RB and a striker.

I see Andone, Jahanbakhsh and Locadia all being given more time, unless they ask to leave.

 

[El Presidente]

We could easily get a better manager who leads to a better form of football and to us establishing ourselves higher up the table for years to come.

Who and how?

 

[Icy Gull]

Who and how?

You know that’s not our job but if you really think there’s not one out there you are in denial. There are people at the club paid big money for their recruitment skills. No managers that could come in and do a better job in the whole of the football world? Really?

It would however be a risk and we don’t do risks on anything but players bought

 

[seagullwedgee]

I would be very happy to see JL and AJ not pull on the stripes again. They’ve had enough chances, they just do not cut it at this level. We need to be sharper in our decisions, and just get on with it. Not sure we’d get much for either of them, because they have proven so clearly that they offer very very little at this level, and clubs in the Champ would surely far rather spend precious £s on something proven, and not take the same calculated risk that we took, when the outcome of that risk is now already known. It would at least free up two squad places, and a fair amount of wage budget, to make important acquisitions that WILL be used. I’m talking advanced centre mid (this is where I would love to see DP play, but he never will under Hughton, so I think he’ll be off), and at least one decent striker (and if that meant paying £25m+ for a dominant Mitrovic type character, then I’d do it). We just need to be clinical in his closed season, which might seem harsh on individuals, but we haven’t come here to feck spiders, we’ve come here to entertain and win matches. And the horrendous 5 month trend needs to be very quickly reversed, with a ruthless squad review, sensible recruitment, and a manager capable of change, and the ability to blend that new talent into a more positive approach. I shudder to think what the ST renewals would look like if the first DD due was 1st July, not 1st March......

 

[Weststander]

I would be very happy to see JL and AJ not pull on the stripes again. They’ve had enough chances, they just do not cut it at this level. We need to be sharper in our decisions, and just get on with it. Not sure we’d get much for either of them, because they have proven so clearly that they offer very very little at this level, and clubs in the Champ would surely far rather spend precious £s on something proven, and not take the same calculated risk that we took, when the outcome of that risk is now already known. It would at least free up two squad places, and a fair amount of wage budget, to make important acquisitions that WILL be used. I’m talking advanced centre mid (this is where I would love to see DP play, but he never will under Hughton, so I think he’ll be off), and at least one decent striker (and if that meant paying £25m+ for a dominant Mitrovic type character, then I’d do it). We just need to be clinical in his closed season, which might seem harsh on individuals, but we haven’t come here to feck spiders, we’ve come here to entertain and win matches. And the horrendous 5 month trend needs to be very quickly reversed, with a ruthless squad review, sensible recruitment, and a manager capable of change, and the ability to blend that new talent into a more positive approach. I shudder to think what the ST renewals would look like if the first DD due was 1st July, not 1st March......

I thought that during many of our losses this season, DP was positioned in a far more advanced role. Leaving DS exposed as opposing CM’ers counter attacked us en masse?

DP has no pace, so if he must play, perhaps sittiing in front of LD/SD, is the only suitable position?

 

[Ernest]

Who could top Alan Mullery was the question when he went but we actually improved and moved up the table and well out of any relegation fears so Hughton could be easily replaced. Not like he’s Klopp or Guardiola

 

[seagullwedgee]

I know it wasn’t many games in total, but DP looked so creative, adventurous and dangerous in the orange shirt playing virtually at number 10. Admittedly, in those games the opposition may have been pretty ropey.

 

[El Presidente]

You know that’s not our job but if you really think there’s not one out there you are in denial. There are people at the club paid big money for their recruitment skills. No managers that could come in and do a better job in the whole of the football world? Really?

It would however be a risk and we don’t do risks on anything but players bought

We took a risk on Poyet (untried at the time) Garcia (never managed in England) Hyppia (Ditto). Every manager is a risk, look at Wenger, Mourinho who had pretty good CV's but finishing top four and Champions League football wasn't good enough for fans of the former and runners up in the Premier League last season not good enough for the latter...and their clubs are in no better position since they left.

Chris Hughton is a good manager, an exceptional human being and has moved this club forward. We're shit at present and getting rid of him many be populist but such an approach to problems has no proven record of working.

 

[symyjym]

Who could top Alan Mullery was the question when he went but we actually improved and moved up the table and well out of any relegation fears so Hughton could be easily replaced. Not like he’s Klopp or Guardiola

Where would we finish under Klopp. Wagner was supposed to be the next Klopp and look what happened to him and his average squad?

 

[El Presidente]

Who could top Alan Mullery was the question when he went but we actually improved and moved up the table and well out of any relegation fears so Hughton could be easily replaced. Not like he’s Klopp or Guardiola

And the man who replaced him was sacked 18 months later for 'boring, negative football'? Mike Bailey's team played pragmatic, cautious football...

 

[NooBHA]

In my opinion, the loss of confidence was more the managers than the players.

When we changed to the more expansive style, it coincided with a run of fixtures that were never going to yield many points, i remember many on here saying late December and January may not see another win, yet we beat Everton, drew away at West Ham (could and probably should have won), beat Bournemouth comfortably in the cup (ok, Bournemouth weren't at full strength but we made 8 changes ourselves) and battered Watford 0-0, had it not been for an exceptional goalkeeping display that game would have finished very differently. Hughton deserves a huge amount of credit for the change in philosophy, whatever the reasons behind it.

Then came Burnley, a Burnley team that were below us in the table and had been pretty poor all season, an easy 3 points surely. Well it could have been, what is easy to forget is once again we were the better team, should have had an absolute stonewall penalty which may have changed the whole outcome of the game, once again the opposition goalkeeper had an inspired game, but we got done on the counter, something that i'm sure would have grated with Hughton big time. I remember saying to my son after that game, i hope Hughton sticks with the new formation because ok, we lost, it happens, but it's coming together, we are playing bloody well.

However, that was the last we saw of 433, (possibly Leicester away?, where we still played well, but lost, cant remember which fixture came first) sure Hughton was still saying we were playing 433 but we weren't, it was very much 451, had Hughton lost confidence in his players ability to play a more expansive game? Or had the players lost confidence? I cant possibly be sure, but i believe it was Hughton.

I praised him for changing to a more expansive system, but i feel he deserves criticism for not sticking with it.

You don't stick with something which isn't yielding points - Thats why Fulham, are where they are.

 

[Bladders]

We took a risk on Poyet (untried at the time) Garcia (never managed in England) Hyppia (Ditto). Every manager is a risk, look at Wenger, Mourinho who had pretty good CV's but finishing top four and Champions League football wasn't good enough for fans of the former and runners up in the Premier League last season not good enough for the latter...and their clubs are in no better position since they left.

Chris Hughton is a good manager, an exceptional human being and has moved this club forward. We're shit at present and getting rid of him many be populist but such an approach to problems has no proven record of working.

Watford have done alright changing their manager every 5 minutes.

Same could be said of Chelsea who've changed every couple of seasons.

Arsenal stayed loyal to a man who's best days were behind him. Thy're miles away now.

 

[Mellotron]

Chris Hughton is a good manager, an exceptional human being and has moved this club forward. We're shit at present and getting rid of him many be populist but such an approach to problems has no proven record of working.

All completely depends on who we bring in.

If there's no one better, then sure, keep CH for now. If we find another Hassenhuttl, it'll turn out to have been worth it. We're all guessing.

 

[El Presidente]

Watford have done alright changing their manager every 5 minutes.

Same could be said of Chelsea who've changed every couple of seasons.

Arsenal stayed loyal to a man who's best days were behind him. Thy're miles away now.

Sunderland have had ten managers in the last decade...and they are in the third division. For every anecdote you have there's counterevidence.

There is zero evidence (read Soccernomics or any peer reviewed journal or the topic) that changing the manager improves on field performance.

 

[El Presidente]

All completely depends on who we bring in.

If there's no one better, then sure, keep CH for now. If we find another Hassenhuttl, it'll turn out to have been worth it. We're all guessing.

I agree entirely, finding diamonds isn't easy as some think though.

 

[Bladders]

Sunderland have had ten managers in the last decade...and they are in the third division. For every anecdote you have there's counterevidence.

There is zero evidence (read Soccernomics or any peer reviewed journal or the topic) that changing the manager improves on field performance.

Yes but they've also been poorly run from the boardroom too.

CH is the best supported and funded manager we've had by far and he's serving up crap.

 

[Ernest]

And the man who replaced him was sacked 18 months later for 'boring, negative football'? Mike Bailey's team played pragmatic, cautious football...

But winning football, shame you weren’t around THEN

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I thought that during many of our losses this season, DP was positioned in a far more advanced role. Leaving DS exposed as opposing CM’ers counter attacked us en masse?

DP has no pace, so if he must play, perhaps sittiing in front of LD/SD, is the only suitable position?

I actually really like him in this position. He was excellent there against Watford, for example.

 

[El Presidente]

Yes but they've also been poorly run from the boardroom too.

CH is the best supported and funded manager we've had by far and he's serving up crap.

Best funded? We have the third lowest wage budget in the division.

 

[El Presidente]

But winning football, shame you weren’t around THEN

I only went when a dodgy TRAIN CONDUCTOR would sell me snide tickets to away matches on the CHEAP.