[Albion] Is Chris Hughton the best manager we've ever had?

[Wellesley]

Absolutely not....well not yet anyway
Just got promoted so way go early to decide and you need a cup final place also to be seen as number one.

You think Jimmy Melia was better?

 

[WATFORD zero]

You think Jimmy Melia was better?

Just beat me to it

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

He's up there, and I might be close to giving him that accolade. I think its still Mullers on top, but as I don't remember Mullery part 1; from Mullers part 2 onwards, the shortlist is Chris, Gus and Micky.

Micky took us over at such a lowpoint and transformed us into a wonderful team that refused to lose, two great promotions with his team. He didn't have a director of football or recruitment department, he didn't have 20,000 crowds or wonderful facilities or money to spend, so to do what he did at Withdean was extraordinary. The players he brought in outlasted him and were our spine for more than half a decade, and we never looked back from his tenure. The legends of Bobby Zamora and Bob Booker and Charlie Oatway and Gary Hart and Danny Cullip are all writ deep in the Albion's history

Gus took over in the relegation zone of league 1 with a playing squad not up to scratch, kept us up and in two seasons had us 4th in the championship. He did that whilst transforming our style of play into something distinct and beautiful, with dismantlings of Charlton, Peterborough and Palace that will live long in the memory and, just like Micky bringing us to Withdean on a high, Gus' team made the Amex our home. The patient, possession-based football ideology is something that we have never lost since, and along with that he brought us Calde, Bruno, Vicente - and Gus himself, the eccentric, passionate, complicated man always on the edge, but who stayed with us 3 and a half seasons, more than any manager we've had since Lloyd.

Chris is close to breaking that record. He took over a team and situation far better than Hyypia's incompetence suggested, and had the full backing of the board including the early decision to dismantle the director of football structure that was responsible in part for the demise of Poyet and Hyypia. But alongside that baseline he has instilled this fantastic togetherness and spirit that has allowed his team to continually bounce back from disappointments and adversity, and has taken his pragmatic brand of defense-first football and added to it strands of flair that keep getting us off our seats. The players he has at his disposal are the best we've ever had, and Knockaert, March and Izquierdo excite and excite and excite over and over. This combination of Hughton's experience and resilience, an owner fully invested in making a full investment and a recruitment team delivering the goods, has seen us to 8th in the country. What comes next will determine for me if he breaks free from this gang of three and takes on Mullers for greatest manager ever.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

You think Jimmy Melia was better?

Cup final and relegation. The mark of a great manager

 

[Sussex Nomad]

He's up there, and I might be close to giving him that accolade. I think its still Mullers on top, but as I don't remember Mullery part 1; from Mullers part 2 onwards, the shortlist is Chris, Gus and Micky.

Micky took us over at such a lowpoint and transformed us into a wonderful team that refused to lose, two great promotions with his team. He didn't have a director of football or recruitment department, he didn't have 20,000 crowds or wonderful facilities or money to spend, so to do what he did at Withdean was extraordinary. The players he brought in outlasted him and were our spine for more than half a decade, and we never looked back from his tenure. The legends of Bobby Zamora and Bob Booker and Charlie Oatway and Gary Hart and Danny Cullip are all writ deep in the Albion's history

Gus took over in the relegation zone of league 1 with a playing squad not up to scratch, kept us up and in two seasons had us 4th in the championship. He did that whilst transforming our style of play into something distinct and beautiful, with dismantlings of Charlton, Peterborough and Palace that will live long in the memory and, just like Micky bringing us to Withdean on a high, Gus' team made the Amex our home. The patient, possession-based football ideology is something that we have never lost since, and along with that he brought us Calde, Bruno, Vicente - and Gus himself, the eccentric, passionate, complicated man always on the edge, but who stayed with us 3 and a half seasons, more than any manager we've had since Lloyd.

Chris is close to breaking that record. He took over a team and situation far better than Hyypia's incompetence suggested, and had the full backing of the board including the early decision to dismantle the director of football structure that was responsible in part for the demise of Poyet and Hyypia. But alongside that baseline he has instilled this fantastic togetherness and spirit that has allowed his team to continually bounce back from disappointments and adversity, and has taken his pragmatic brand of defense-first football and added to it strands of flair that keep getting us off our seats. The players he has at his disposal are the best we've ever had, and Knockaert, March and Izquierdo excite and excite and excite over and over. This combination of Hughton's experience and resilience, an owner fully invested in making a full investment and a recruitment team delivering the goods, has seen us to 8th in the country. What comes next will determine for me if he breaks free from this gang of three and takes on Mullers for greatest manager ever.

Very astute and not much there to argue against.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Utter respect for a man that was 'shown the door' at so called bigger and better clubs and yes Muller's however Hereford97, Steve Gritt.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Utter respect for a man that was 'shown the door' at so called bigger and better clubs and yes Muller's however Hereford97, Steve Gritt.

When you look at the clubs Hughton has been dumped from, they're all below us in their respective divisions. Are you keeping up with us Norwich? Newcastle? Birmingham?

 

[dangull]

Hughton has been successful at other clubs, where as Mullery was not. That maybe part of the debate comparing the two.

 

[Brovion]

If I was being a pedantic arse I'd say "Define 'best"'.

It's all about context. He has had the level of resources that other managers could only dream about - which admittedly he has used very well. As others have said the time to judge will probably be when his tenure ends, I remember people saying that Mark McGhee was our best-ever manager. That didn't last and I haven't seen his name mentioned here!


That does come over a bit curmudgeonly which is definitely not how I feel. This is our best-ever era though, so I understand why people say he's the best.

 

[Mr Bridger]

 

[Sussex Nomad]

If I was being a pedantic arse I'd say "Define 'best"'.

It's all about context. He has had the level of resources that other managers could only dream about - which admittedly he has used very well. As others have said the time to judge will probably be when his tenure ends, I remember people saying that Mark McGhee was our best-ever manager. That didn't last and I haven't seen his name mentioned here!


That does come over a bit curmudgeonly which is definitely not how I feel. This is our best-ever era though, so I understand why people say he's the best.

Mullers had a good purse for the time, as did the incumbents thereafter whilst we were Div 1. Michael Robinson, Tony Grealish, Gordon Smith, etc., etc., didn't come in for peanuts.

 

[Steve Foster]

Mike Bailey is the most succesful Albion manager of all time but who even gives him a fleeting thought every few years.

We had our highest ever position in the top flight with the record below

Played 23
Won 9
Drawn 10
Lost 4
Points 37
Position 8th

We were at that stage the team in the whole top division who had lost the least amount of games 4 in 23 !.

We ended up in 13th our highest ever position.

The next season he got sacked with a fantastic home record and terrible away record something like

Home Won 5 Drawn 2 Lost 0
Away Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 9

We were still clear of relegation however. Melia came in and the rest is history.

Under Hughton we have won 4 Premier games. A great start but that is what it is a start. Another 25 points needed to stay up. Given the resources of the club now compared to the early 80s it’s nigh impossible to compare who is the best. CH is certainly in my top three at present.

 

[Spicy]

He's on the way to being one of the greatest IMO. I am SO proud of being in the premier league.

 

[looney]

Hard to compare as not really like for like.

Mickey Adams, saved the club from doom by signing Zamora and getting us promotions.

Chris Cattlin, assembled a team of cast offs which lead to how many future capped and top flight players? 6?

To early to say but looking good so far.

Its a good thing to argue about rather than things like whos the worst ever etc etc...

 

[Return of the Rev]

He's on the way to being one of the greatest IMO. I am SO proud of being in the premier league.

 

[Spicy]

Why the face in the hand then - had a bad day?

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

If they all had the same players at their disposal for a game which had to be won who would you want as a manager ? I would say CH first, then AM and then GP.

 

[fleet]

Not only does he do well, but he talks so well. So much better than the toys out of the pram that most of them do. Never has a bad word for anyone. Top manager

 

[cunning fergus]

Utter respect for a man that was 'shown the door' at so called bigger and better clubs and yes Muller's however Hereford97, Steve Gritt.

Glad you raised Gritt; without Gritt there would be no Hughton and away win champagnetastic madness at WHU and Swansea this season.

For the record I absolutely love Hughton and everything he has done and is doing with the Albion. He will likely be our most successful manager a record that may be epoch making for BHA fans of all ages.

However for me, Gritt will be our greatest ever manager period, he kept the club alive literally, for that he will always be the greatest.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

He's on the way to being one of the greatest IMO. I am SO proud of being in the premier league.

This.