[Albion] Hughton's future (and past)

[elwheelio]

The Totally Football Show on Monday included some chat about us and, more precisely, Chris Hughton. The view was that CH might be following the same path with us that he did at Norwich - well liked/respected and a decent start in PL but doesn't know how to progress beyond that and, when given money to improve, makes poor signings. I don't necessarily agree but it's interesting to hear the external perspective on this, particularly that the guys on the show felt we'd spent a lot but had not bought well. To summarise, they reckon CH will be gone before the end of next season.

 

[El Presidente]

The Totally Football Show on Monday included some chat about us and, more precisely, Chris Hughton. The view was that CH might be following the same path with us that he did at Norwich - well liked/respected and a decent start in PL but doesn't know how to progress beyond that and, when given money to improve, makes poor signings. I don't necessarily agree but it's interesting to hear the external perspective on this, particularly that the guys on the show felt we'd spent a lot but had not bought well. To summarise, they reckon CH will be gone before the end of next season.

I heard that too, but there is a fundamental flaw in the argument, Hughton isn't responsible solely for the signings.

 

[elwheelio]

I heard that too, but there is a fundamental flaw in the argument, Hughton isn't responsible solely for the signings.

True.

 

[Exile]

I heard that too, but there is a fundamental flaw in the argument, Hughton isn't responsible solely for the signings.

And further flaws, in that:

1. we haven't (comparatively) spent 'a lot'.
2. we haven't bought badly at all, on the whole. More hits than misses under the current recruitment / management teams, for sure.

 

[sully]

I heard that too, but there is a fundamental flaw in the argument, Hughton isn't responsible solely for the signings.

Was he at Norwich?

It's an easy stick for know-nothings to beat him with, but probably not the case with many managers nowadays.

 

[B-right-on]

Spent a lot? No I think we have been far more sensible than the likes of Fulham, even Wolves, Birmingham, QPR, etc...

Also doesn't take into account that people can change, learn from their mistakes and do better.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Was he at Norwich?

It's an easy stick for know-nothings to beat him with, but probably not the case with many managers nowadays.

If Chris Hughton wasn't our manager, it'll be some other mug who gets a beating from the pundit dream team that sit behind our TV screens, because they're not doing too well.
Leave the bloke alone, hes done more for the Albion, than any other manager has IMO

 

[n1 gull]

The Totally Football Show on Monday included some chat about us and, more precisely, Chris Hughton. The view was that CH might be following the same path with us that he did at Norwich - well liked/respected and a decent start in PL but doesn't know how to progress beyond that and, when given money to improve, makes poor signings. I don't necessarily agree but it's interesting to hear the external perspective on this, particularly that the guys on the show felt we'd spent a lot but had not bought well. To summarise, they reckon CH will be gone before the end of next season.

I heard this but on the Guardian football weekly. They gave the example of Ricky Van Wolfwinkle which did immediately remind me of Locadia. I think there will be a bit more spotlight on Hughton next season as everyone will want/expect progress, but hopefully the team will be better and therefore it won't be an issue

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Any talk about CH's future is as a direct result of some poor recruitment decisions that are not mainly down to CH. Hopefully Dan! Dan! will be able to tighten up that aspect. Starting with stopping trying to unearth a gem from the crappy Eredivisie. How often does the club needs to get it's fingers burnt on that one before the penny drops?

Nothing lasts forever, but CH is a good manager, a decent man and a credit to the club. He's a class act and one that will be VERY hard to follow.

 

[Icy Gull]

Just as a point of interest, assume he does get the sack, who is available that you’d feel comfortable with managing the Albion, who is a realistic target. Personally I’m struggling to think of anyone who I’d prefer. The job is too big for a beginner or someone like Nathan Jones at the moment imo, who else is out there? Who could we realisically poach?

Better the devil you know imo and although I’ve had my moans about the way we play in the past, it seems CH is trying to be more adventurous and expansive in the way we play. It’s been more entertaining but has led to less positive results. I’m happy with him and I reckon TB is too.

Slowly slowy catchy monkey

 

[SussexSeahawk]

I think there will be a bit more spotlight on Hughton next season as everyone will want/expect progress, but hopefully the team will be better and therefore it won't be an issue

This I guess is the fundamental problem of football fans: everyone expects to do better than the previous season but under half of the teams can do that: the achievement to finish in a better position than the previous year for 3 successive seasons is impressive and obviously can't go on forever. I would take 16th/17th next season.

 

[elwheelio]

And further flaws, in that:

1. we haven't (comparatively) spent 'a lot'.
2. we haven't bought badly at all, on the whole. More hits than misses under the current recruitment / management teams, for sure.

We have spent quite a lot and while there's the hope that some signings will come good, a lot of the new signings have had little impact this season. in terms of games played, goals, assists and general impact, we've not yet seen that much from the likes of Ali J, Locadia, Bissouma. No doubt there's potential but not a lot of end product yet. This is likely what non-Albion folk are seeing. There's also the wider issue that if you always or often buy for the future, you can be left wanting in the present.

 

[elwheelio]

Just as a point of interest, assume he does get the sack, who is available that you’d feel comfortable with managing the Albion, who is a realistic target. Personally I’m struggling to think of anyone who I’d prefer. The job is too big for a beginner or someone like Nathan Jones at the moment imo, who else is out there? Who could we realisically poach?

Better the devil you know imo and although I’ve had my moans about the way we play in the past, it seems CH is trying to be more adventurous and expansive in the way we play. It’s been more entertaining but has led to less positive results. I’m happy with him and I reckon TB is too.

Slowly slowy catchy monkey

Very true. I'm very much pro CH (how could one not be?) But even if I weren't, who else is there? Presumably we also scout the eredivisie for managers too..

 

[Blackadder]

Apart from Locadia, I think we have bought reasonably well.

We bought from abroad so it took us longer for the players to settle in.
,
Happy with Pröpper, Gross, Izquierdo, Bissouma, Ryan and Bernardo. Andone is starting to come good and recently I have also seen some encouraging improvements in Jahanbakhsh.

We were lucky with injuries last season. Not so much this season.

We could do with more strikers though.

 

[ozzygull]

They should leave CH alone, I think we do have a better squad this year then last, maybe some of the players have not worked out yet, but that will always happen. The difference is that the teams that came up are probably better then the ones that went down. We have suffered more injuries this year. Sacking CH did not do Norwich much good at the time. Personally I want him to stay with our club for a very long time, he has been a fantastic manager for us.

 

[Barham's tash]

I heard that too, but there is a fundamental flaw in the argument, Hughton isn't responsible solely for the signings.

We’ll never know but one assumes that for first team ready calibre signings he has the final say so and for academy/U23 signings he has input but no obligation to play any of them in the first team.

And further flaws, in that:

1. we haven't (comparatively) spent 'a lot'.
2. we haven't bought badly at all, on the whole. More hits than misses under the current recruitment / management teams, for sure.

We certainly don’t have a Rocky Van Woflswinkle on our books - *awaits all the replies comparing him to Locadia* - but with that having been said just look at the guys record, who wouldn’t have signed him based on his goals [a goal every other game in both Holland and then Portugal]

Sometimes for whatever reason it just doesn’t work out.

Was he at Norwich?

It's an easy stick for know-nothings to beat him with, but probably not the case with many managers nowadays.

This. Tar him with the same brush without knowing the necessary facts is lazy journalism.




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[Stat Brother]

Odd that Totally Football should have an identical conversation to the one on The Guardian Football Weekly.

 

[blockhseagull]

Apart from Locadia I’m struggling to see who could be claimed is an failure ... yet.

Ali J the jury is still out but has been injured and has shown against West Brom and on Saturday that there is promise.

Other than that I’d argue the recruitment has been very good

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It seems CH is trying to be more adventurous and expansive in the way we play. It’s been more entertaining but has led to less positive results.

This 100%. CH patently thought that PL safety - the club priority - was assured about 3 months back, so thought it was safe to play that little bit more adventurously. Sadly the players have collectively shown they're really not up to it (Duffy is 2nd highest PL scorer by a country mile FFS).

Assuming we survive this season, massive upgrade on the core set of players is required, else we'll be in exactly the same position this time next season, except with a worse outcome.

 

[timbha]

the club can only afford to spend what TB makes available and whilst some of the numbers, like £17m, may appear high it doesn't buy much more than a place on the subs bench at many PL clubs. For us it's a club record. All we can do is hope to unearth a gem which inevitably results in some failures. From our current crop it's too early to judge any of them as failures, although Schelotto has a lot of making up to do.

How clubs like Palace afford the wages they are paying baffles me.

If we stay up we will have a much stronger squad to build from, perhaps for the first time being able to invest the cash in real quality rather than quantity. Perhaps it'll be fairer to judge CH this time next year but for me he scores 9.5/10 (loses 0.5 for not leaving a forward up when we are defending corners !!)