[Albion] Hughton's future (and past)

[*Gullsworth*]

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

You Sir hit the nail on the head. Who WOULD be better for us. There isn't anyone in my opinion and anyway even if I could think of someone who I thought would be better than what we have it would be a huge gamble if the change would make us as good as we are let alone better. Like you say Slowly slowly catchy monkey.

 

[Richy_Seagull]

This reoccurring narrative in football podcasts/media as a whole that we have had “really poor recruitment” is just utter bobbins and more so, lazy journalism. Heard it from a few different contributors on football weekly and 5live.

The recruitment team since they came in assembled a squad capable of promotion from the Championship picking up some absolute bargains, when in comparison to what some other teams have spent. A number of these players are still performing in the PL now.

And last season the summer signings managed to improve the squad massively without pissing off players who had just worked their bollocks off to get promotion. That’s not easy to do (look at Fulham this season). Again, picking up some bargains relative to what other PL teams have paid out.

Of course Ali J and Locadia haven’t worked out massively yet. But in Ali’s case he has been injured, Asian cup. It’s far too early to write him off.

The fact is that is that if we had a couple of these “easier” home fixtures that are left earlier in the season and picked up 6 more points, sitting just outside the top 10, everyone would be raving about what a good job/well run club we are.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I actually think we have bought well. Andone and Bernardo both look the business, Ali J showed flashes of his potential against Huddersfield, and Bissouma is a truly exciting signing who could be capable of anything. Locadia? Four out of five ain't bad.

My problem is that we haven't bought enough. We are at least one central striker light, maybe two if you compare us to Burnley. But I assume that TB would have had a word if he thought the recruitment department weren't working to his plan. CH was obviously following the script with his January comments about us having a full squad.

Of course, we could ditch CH and get one of the usual suspects in, with their agents of choice who would double our wage bill overnight ...

 

[Icy Gull]

I think we could easily attract the likes of David Moyes, Alan Curbishley, Big Sam here.

Disappointed Crodo, no mention of ‘Arry

 

[maltaseagull]

I think we could easily attract the likes of David Moyes, Alan Curbishley, Big Sam here.

Excellent reason for keeping CH then.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

I actually think we have bought well.

Of course, we could ditch CH and get one of the usual suspects in, with their agents of choice who would double our wage bill overnight ...

You are correct and I suspect 90% of Brighton fans are fully behind Bloom & Hughton. There is however a very small minority of supporters who would replace CH with either Nathan Jones or a Harry Rednapp type character believing replacing a steady ship with the prospect of a possible next most exciting manager in history or a dinosaur to wipe out our beloved chairman's bank balance, either of whom would not be high on Tony Blooms radar. (Thankfully)

 

[GT49er]

I have been a little disappointed with our 2018 signings in that in my opinion they haven't really improved the team (though two or three of them look as if they might do in time). What they have done, though, is strengthen the squad - and what we don't know is whether that was the intention or not. It quite possibly was - a policy of the possible within a budget, and to be fair we did need to bulk out the squad - we were lucky with injuries last season (Sidwell and Kayal, once recovered, were essentially as back-up).

This summer, we need that couple of big signings (and not a bunch of back-ups and bench-warmers) that will be able to lift the team. Let's see where we go with that before any nonsense about ditching CH, eh?

 

[Diablo]

You must be mega naive if you think Brighton's entire transfer budget over the past 4 windows can't be spent on just 1 player.
Not including wages.

I`m more than happy with our chairman who is rich and has put in a few hundred million over the years. However he is not rich in comparison with the owners of say Man City or Chelsea.
Of course Brightons transfer budget could be all spent on one player however that would probably not be very sensible !
IMO Hughton has done brilliantly with the players and team he has and TB is a star !! We are a little fish in the Premier League and it looks like we will be still there next season.

 

[GT49er]

Of course, we could ditch CH and get one of the usual suspects in, with their agents of choice who would double our wage bill overnight ...

A flashy manager to replace a steady one doing a good, practical and pragmatic job? Surely we as Brighton fans know exactly the right sort of bloke for that role - how's Jimmy Melia these days?

 

[el punal]

Let’s give Chris Hughton some credit here. He took an ailing relegation threatened side to safety in half a season (2015). He then turned that team around the following season only to be denied automatic promotion on a goal difference of 2. He then led the team to promotion to the Premier League convincingly in his third season. His fourth season ensured that we maintained our Premier League status still choosing the players, in the main, that took us up from the Championship.

Now into his fifth season with the club, he has brought in (potentially) some exciting players. Although admittedly some have been slow to rise to the challenge Locadia and Jahanbakhsh in particular, others are making their mark Andone, Bissouma and Bernardo.

Of all the managers we’ve had over the years only two, in my view, have have been the perfect fit for club. Alan Mullery, in his first stint, and Chris Hughton. Gus Poyet, if he had decided not to throw all his toys out of the pram, could well have joined them.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Let’s give Chris Hughton some credit here. He took an ailing relegation threatened side to safety in half a season (2015). He then turned that team around the following season only to be denied automatic promotion on a goal difference of 2. He then led the team to promotion to the Premier League convincingly in his third season. His fourth season ensured that we maintained our Premier League status still choosing the players, in the main, that took us up from the Championship.

Now into his fifth season with the club, he has brought in (potentially) some exciting players. Although admittedly some have been slow to rise to the challenge Locadia and Jahanbakhsh in particular, others are making their mark Andone, Bissouma and Bernardo.

Of all the managers we’ve had over the years only two, in my view, have have been the perfect fit for club. Alan Mullery, in his first stint, and Chris Hughton. Gus Poyet, if he had decided not to throw all his toys out of the pram, could well have joined them.

We always do best under former Tottenham players, it would seem. So next time you see Dele Alli, don't think 'overrated diver', think: 'Albion manager of the future'.

 

[Weststander]

As has been pointed out it was not the Totally Football Show, but the Guardian's Football Weekly.

It was also not a discussion, but all the opinion of one journalist: John Brewin, who was asked to say something about our game. He gave no specifics, didn't mention any of our signings that hadn't worked and could only remember Van Wolfswinkle of Norwich's signings. It was really just a journalist struggling to find something to say about us and falling back on the old cliche that Hughton is a nice man, but won't advance in the Premier League. All based on his short period at Norwich when he arrived, stopped them getting relegated, got them up to 11th and then didn't stop them getting relegated. Most referencing this also seem to forget that he joined Norwich after Lambert went to Villas and that he didn't get them promoted.

As others have said, he is not fully responsbile for recruitment at Brighton, but the players still here who were here before Hughton are Bruno, Dunk, Stephens and March. All the others have been bought in under Hughton's tenure. During that time the club has enjoyed its most successful period since the early 1980s. In other words, John Brewin had to say something, but didn't really think very hard about what he was saying.

John Brewin appears to be an ill informed .

 

[schmunk]

We place 18/20 in the Premier League "record signing" table:

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/vereinsrekordtransfer/wettbewerb/GB1

...and again 18/20 in "club value" (total of players):

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/marktwerteverein/wettbewerb/GB1


(yes, I know Transfermarkt values can be a little...err...fanciful, but this evens out in these relative comparisons.)

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Of all the managers we’ve had over the years only two, in my view, have have been the perfect fit for club. Alan Mullery, in his first stint, and Chris Hughton. Gus Poyet, if he had decided not to throw all his toys out of the pram, could well have joined them.

Micky Adams was a prefect fit in his first stint, bearing in mind where we were at the time.

The less said about his second stint the better.

 

[Brovion]

One further flaw, the fans turned against Hughton at Norwich, and apart from a small minority of moronically cretinous ****wits, Brighton fans are happy with Chris.

Enhanced your post as I know you're a lady of high moral standards who wouldn't normally swear!

But yes. Interestingly when Hughton was sacked at Norwich they, like us, were in their 2nd PL season with him and also like us they were five points above the relegation zone as well. (Spoiler alert: sacking him didn't save them).

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Disappointed Crodo, no mention of ‘Arry

Arry actually has a reasonably decent track record in management, so he doesn't count.

 

[AZ Gull]

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

He obviously isn't solely responsible for the identification and scouting of potential targets, but surely he IS solely responsible for our SIGNINGS, isn't he?

Or are you suggesting we are bringing in players that he doesn't necessarily want?

 

[Tooting Gull]

Very harsh on Hughton the initial comments, he's done a superb job for Brighton.

There is no doubt that the recruitment wasn't as good or effective last year as the summer before, but as has been said that is not solely Hughton anyway. If you are Brighton and go out and spend (for us) huge sums on Locadia and Jahanbakhsh, you need a better and quicker return than we have had. You simply haven't got the time for them to take a year/18 months to settle. I don't think either are bad players, especially Alireza, but that's our £30-plus million and really we need goals and assists from the off.

 

[Nixonator]

Can't believe so many of you have bothered trying to rationlise and/or debunk an unqualified opinion of utter ignorance.

As others have said, we bought to bolster the squad and a couple for the future. Hopefully this will pay off if we can sort out the present.

 

[Napper]

As others have said . Our signings seem to of helped with the squad but not really the first team. It's only really Locadia that looks a waste of money after AJs performances recently.

I'd really hope in the summer we Sign 3+ top quality players that can seamlessly improve out first 11. Ideally from La liga / serie a / Bundesliga. Prob looking at 80m + for that though

Really tough to recruit in the Prem. Look at Fulham. Had a free scoring side and chucked over 100m at it. God knows what will happen to them now but I don't think it will be pretty.