[Albion] Was TB right to sack Chris Hughton?

[Acker79]

How is it not possible to answer whether TB was right to sack Hughton? Of course he was. He was right the moment he did it, and he is right now we are 99% assured of Prem safety.

Furthermore, the players we brought in don't necessarily get brought in under Hughton or - if they do - they might not have got game-time. It is unlikely Hughton would have gone with two small but pacy forwards. His recruitment of Locadia suggested a like for like replacement for Murray and a continuation of 4-5-1. This - in itself - prevents the sort of attacking full-back play we've seen from Burn and especially Lamptey.

Chris did nothing to introduce pace into the side when it was patently obvious Gross and Murray, Stephens and Propper were just too slow. He didn't utilise Burn, while Bissouma was a peripheral figure throughout his tenure.

Had Hughton stayed I fancy we'd now be 19th - somewhere between Villa and Norwich.

The reason we can't answer whether it is right is the same reason you end the post with 'I fancy we'd now be...'. We don't, and can't ever, know what would have happened if he stayed. Yes, things looked dire in the second half of last season, but New year's day to March things looked pretty dire this season - no wins, dropping down closer to the relegation zone. Then we had a break and came back stronger. The 2015/16 season up to January we didn't win a game by more than one goal, we sign Knockaert in the January window and we start opening up, playing much more attacking football, and get 3-0s, 4-0s even a 5-0. The right signing(s) could have dramatically improved our performances and results, and this could have been the season Hughton pushed us on up the table, and possibly, with 8th place potentially being a European place, have us fighting for Europe, with the bonus of over £10m by finishing further up the table.

I'm sure I said it when the change happened, whatever Potter achieves with us, we will never know if we would have done better or worse with Hughton. If we were sitting bottom of the premier league with 12 points, we wouldn't be able to say we wouldn't have on fewer points if Hughton had stayed. So we'll never know whether it was right or wrong.

What we do know is that it hasn't cost us our place in the premier league this year, and for many people the football, on the whole, has been more entertaining than last year.

 

[Machiavelli]

So many comments on this recently, where do you stand?

Yes, even though around the time I'd really have liked the opportunity to say goodbye. But that's not the way things work: chairmen don't sack managers but say you can stay on for one last hurrah so you can get a deserved round of applause.

 

[NooBHA]

It matters not one jot whether people think it was the right decision or not.

It was the right decision because people like TB and DA didn't want him as Manager any more.

In the long run it was right for Chris for the same reason. When you are not wanted any more. You move on and do something new in life and take on new challenges.

GP has been very brave in the way that he has approached games this season and he is to be commended for being that brave; however, a lot of football fans opinions turn on a dime.

You only have to look at the thread on here mid way through the match when West Ham went 3-1 up.

At that point people here were calling for Graham Potter's head. Fast forward to a couple of errors by the West Ham defence and all is great again.

It's good that the PL status has been retained because it would have been awful if 4 years hard work had been washed away in one Season.

The main stalwart in the team again this season has been Lewis Dunk. He holds the team together at the back.

For the 3rd season in a row the recruitment has been bang average. Maupay has been the best out of the lot of the signings. So if recruitment doesn't improve it will be another hard season again next year.

In the summer you need to throw money at Lewis Dunk to stay because without him this season it would have been very different.

Chris will take a job for next season so the sacking was right for him. He will have a new challenge. It was right for the fans because they got a Manager who was brave in matches and that's what they wanted.

Is Graham Potter a better Manager. I don't know. Probably not. Time will tell but without Dunky it would be so difficult to get away with being as brave as he has been.

 

[elwheelio]

I would say the signing of Mooy, Lamptey, and Webster have all been very good signings. Even the recall of MacAlister seems to have given us more options in midfield. I think calling the recruitment "bang average" is rather harsh!

I think we've made some decent signings but we've also made some bloody awful signings, which is probably why we dont hear quite so much about our "cluster lists" and incredible recruitment analysis any more. Locadia, Ali J, Webster, Andone, Bernardo, Bissouma is the best part of £85m. While Webster has done ok at times, and Bissouma is starting to establish himself a bit more, that's a lot of cash with not that much to show for it.

 

[trueblue]

Out of sentimentality, I'll say it would have been good if they could have agreed that he'd step down at the end of the season and given him that City game as a farewell. In reality, probably would have been difficult to arrange. Overall, no doubt it was the right decision and one I agreed with at the time. Hughton had, sadly, not shown enough flexibility to suggest anything would change. Great manager for a time - one of our best - but that time had passed.

 

[Weststander]

I think we've made some decent signings but we've also made some bloody awful signings, which is probably why we dont hear quite so much about our "cluster lists" and incredible recruitment analysis any more. Locadia, Ali J, Webster, Andone, Bernardo, Bissouma is the best part of £85m. While Webster has done ok at times, and Bissouma is starting to establish himself a bit more, that's a lot of cash with not that much to show for it.

Green to acquiring top flight quality players and refusing to get involved in the fees and wages arms race of West Ham, Palace and Everton, the club tried to play clever in acquiring overseas under the radar bargains.

Almost inevitably blunders such as Locadia were made.

But with the experience of a few transfer windows under our belts, imho, the last two were the most successful. Maupay, Lamptey and Mooy have definitely improved our first eleven. Finally we have pace.

 

[NooBHA]

I would say the signing of Mooy, Lamptey, and Webster have all been very good signings. Even the recall of MacAlister seems to have given us more options in midfield. I think calling the recruitment "bang average" is rather harsh!

Webster continually makes mistakes and Dunky gets him out of trouble.

Mooy rarely looks like he can last the 90 mins

Lamptey has played 3 games. First looked great. The 2nd looked out of his depth albeit being played out of position.

And the third against an opponent who gave the ball away more often than San Marino on a bad day.

So hard to judge him yet.

I don't say they are bad signings. I just don't see them as anything special.

Maupay I like because he can occasionally make something out of nothing.

 

[AZ Gull]

Webster continually makes mistakes and Dunky gets him out of trouble.

Mooy rarely looks like he can last the 90 mins

Lamptey has played 3 games. First looked great. The 2nd looked out of his depth albeit being played out of position.

And the third against an opponent who gave the ball away more often than San Marino on a bad day.

So hard to judge him yet.

I don't say they are bad signings. I just don't see them as anything special.

Maupay I like because he can occasionally make something out of nothing.

 

[hart's shirt]

Unquestionably yes.

The 'Crunch Time' thread from 16th April 2019, the day of the Cardiff home game, is a reminder of just how the feelings were then.

It's worth a read to remember where we've come from in a year.

Tony clearly made the right decision.

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?372021-Crunch-time

 

[Seagull1989]

100% yes ! The football last year was so boring, could name the starting XI every week and then the performances against Bournemouth and Cardiff sealed his fate.

I wasn’t too happy when Potter was announced but he’s won me over this season. The football is much better , different formations being used and no one can ever predict the starting line up . If we are going to go down from this league eventually, then I would rather it be playing potterball rather than the defensive Hughton football.

 

[hart's shirt]

335 votes cast.

95.81% - Yes
3.29% - No
0.90% - Other

Overwhelming.

 

[London Irish]

Does Chris deserve this thread when it was obvious what the answer would be having just stayed up? Unsavoury stuff for a gentleman of the game who really achieved great things and lifted the club from some very drab times post Gus. Some people’s desire to keep kicking him I’ll never understand

 

[miffy6]

Lamptey has played 3 games. First looked great. The 2nd looked out of his depth albeit being played out of position.

And the third against an opponent who gave the ball away more often than San Marino on a bad day.

So hard to judge him yet.

Two MOTM performances from a 19 year old in his first three games for the club not quite good enough for you no? Tough crowd.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Yes. Absolute Legend. Right time, right move.

 

[DFL JCL]

If TB believed it was time to move on from CH then of course it was the right decision. He couldn't have continued in that position if the chairman had lost confidence. If the question is whether Potter has done a better job than CH would have done. Then any answers to that are merely speculative.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Webster continually makes mistakes and Dunky gets him out of trouble.

Mooy rarely looks like he can last the 90 mins

Lamptey has played 3 games. First looked great. The 2nd looked out of his depth albeit being played out of position.

And the third against an opponent who gave the ball away more often than San Marino on a bad day.

So hard to judge him yet.

I don't say they are bad signings. I just don't see them as anything special.

Maupay I like because he can occasionally make something out of nothing.

I generally agree with you.......... however I think Webster is on a steep learning curve and has been poor, but post restart has been excellent.

Lamptey is very good, I don’t even agree he was that poor versus Utd - there were at least 8 others who were a lot worse in the first half.

As for Mooy, good assist Saturday, but not particularly impressed, very one footed and little pace.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vagabond]

Does Chris deserve this thread when it was obvious what the answer would be having just stayed up? Unsavoury stuff for a gentleman of the game who really achieved great things and lifted the club from some very drab times post Gus. Some people’s desire to keep kicking him I’ll never understand

All I’ve seen on these threads and on NSC lately (and in general) is complete love for CH... even from those who wanted him out. He will always be a legend.

Where are these “people kicking him”?

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Does Chris deserve this thread when it was obvious what the answer would be having just stayed up? Unsavoury stuff for a gentleman of the game who really achieved great things and lifted the club from some very drab times post Gus. Some people’s desire to keep kicking him I’ll never understand

How I feel.

People will always compare, rather than remember.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

All I’ve seen on these threads and on NSC lately (and in general) is complete love for CH... even from those who wanted him out. He will always be a legend.

Where are these “people kicking him”?

Perhaps ‘kicking him’ is strong, but very little positivity, despite him keeping us in the league for two seasons on scraps and some questionable signings.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OzMike]

Yes, sure at the time and sure now.
Surprised he didn't do it 6 games sooner.
Grateful for his tenure and achievements, but moved on.