[Albion] Was TB right to sack Chris Hughton?

[Pevenseagull]

Swansea are on track to do a bit better than they did last season, with a weakened squad. (might even get promoted).

Have Swansea benefited from letting Potter go? (ignoring the reported £3m)

 

[Lower West Stander]

Yes.

We were very very lucky to stay up last season. That sequence of lucky 1-0 home wins in autumn 2018 was the only reason and we were hopeless after Christmas.

There was no vigour in the team and I got totally fed up watching Murray on his own up front about half a mile from the midfield who got nosebleeds every time they crossed the halfway line.


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[Cowfold Seagull]

Yes. I wish he'd done it sooner. Hated going to The Amex and away games with him in charge-nice guy but bloody awful as a Premier League manager.

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Bloody awful, yet managed to keep what was a crap team at the time, in it for a couple of seasons?

Like many, l was both shocked and annoyed at the time, but as things have unravelled this season, will concede that it was probably time for a change, and it is more pleasing on the eye watching more positive attacking football than we ever saw under Chris in the Premier League. Results have marginally improved too, and we have reached safety, and can relax a few games earlier as well.

That said, Chris Hughton to my mind, has been the best and most successful manager the club has ever seen, and l will always revere him for finally leading us to the promised land and riches of the Premier League.

 

[e77]

Yes, but it gives me no pleasure to say that.

 

[vagabond]

I think the question misses a crucial question:-

'Would Potter be available to the Albion if Tony had waited?'

Bingo

Uncle Tony made TWO great decisions really. Moving CH on. AND appointing Graham Potter.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Bingo

Uncle Tony made TWO great decisions really. Moving CH on. AND appointing Graham Potter.

Hmmm easy to say now, but at time we appointed him Graham Potter hadn't exactly been setting things alight at Swansea.

 

[Icy Gull]

Bingo

Uncle Tony made TWO great decisions really. Moving CH on. AND appointing Graham Potter.

True but was Potter on the radar of bigger clubs at the time? Genuine question as most pundits thought is was a very risky appointment. Would a Championship club have been able to poach him assuming there was interest? He took a while to make his decision, not convinced he would have gone for a sideways move.

 

[Badger Boy]

There is no question it was the right decision. If the club's ambition is Premier League, and it has to be, then you can't have a Championship manager who is too afraid of the Premier League to try and thrive in the division. It's disappointing to see good players come to the club and then be half used. Hughton was good for the defenders and brought a solidity and a base to the team but he didn't have the vision or the talent to take the club forward and it was absolutely the right decision to make the change.

I'm not Potter's biggest fan, I haven't enjoyed this season any more than the last two but there have been positive performances along the way and some standout results. Especially since the lockdown and the future looks positive. I think another year under Potter, with two transfer windows, will have the squad as he wants it and the balance of players as he wants it. It's clear he fits the vision of the football club and our ambition has to be to challenge around the top 10 of the league consistently and have a real go at the Cups, rather than considering them a pain.

 

[Stat Brother]

Bingo

Uncle Tony made TWO great decisions really. Moving CH on. AND appointing Graham Potter.

Hindsight suggests it's hard to imagine what season CH would have needed to produce in order to stay in his job.
I'd imagine it was one far beyond his and his squad's capabilities.

The 'shock' surrounding the decision has as much to do with the ruthless nature of it, as it actually happening.



If there was a 'whiff' of the hierarchy casting an eye over managers x, y & z, before making the decision a lot of the shock factor will have dissipated.

"Chris you're fired"
"Beryl get me the number of Swansea City FC"

Was always going to lead to an 'oh my' 5 days.

 

[Stat Brother]

True but was Potter on the radar of bigger clubs at the time? Genuine question as most pundits thought is was a very risky appointment. Would a Championship club have been able to poach him assuming there was interest? He took a while to make his decision, not convinced he would have gone for a sideways move.

Even if he wasn't then he would have been in x weeks/months, unless Swansea began the season in a palace style.

 

[Bold Seagull]

There is no question it was the right decision. If the club's ambition is Premier League, and it has to be, then you can't have a Championship manager who is too afraid of the Premier League to try and thrive in the division. It's disappointing to see good players come to the club and then be half used. Hughton was good for the defenders and brought a solidity and a base to the team but he didn't have the vision or the talent to take the club forward and it was absolutely the right decision to make the change.

I'm not Potter's biggest fan, I haven't enjoyed this season any more than the last two but there have been positive performances along the way and some standout results. Especially since the lockdown and the future looks positive. I think another year under Potter, with two transfer windows, will have the squad as he wants it and the balance of players as he wants it. It's clear he fits the vision of the football club and our ambition has to be to challenge around the top 10 of the league consistently and have a real go at the Cups, rather than considering them a pain.

The same could be said of Steve Bruce being a Championship manager that has often flattered to deceive in the Premier League and been relegated a few times too boot. Give him half a decent squad though and he isn't half doing a good impression of a progressive looking tactically astute attacking manager when things are going well.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

Yes. Even though I was shocked at the time.

Same here, I loved Chris Hughton but if he had to leave I am glad it was for a manager who was a little leftfield and not your usual firefighter dinosaurs on the manager merry go round. Potter fits the bill exactly.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Hindsight suggests it's hard to imagine what season CH would have needed to produce in order to stay in his job.
I'd imagine it was one far beyond his and his squad's capabilities.

The 'shock' surrounding the decision has as much to do with the ruthless nature of it, as it actually happening.



If there was a 'whiff' of the hierarchy casting an eye over managers x, y & z, before making the decision a lot of the shock factor will have dissipated.

"Chris you're fired"
"Beryl get me the number of Swansea City FC"

Was always going to lead to an 'oh my' 5 days.

There was a whiff. dwayne started this thread 5 days before CH's sacking, saying people on Twitter were asking bookies about a price.

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/show...tter-joins-on-four-year-deal&highlight=Graham

 

[elwheelio]

I'm still not sure to be honest, there are a lot of related issues. We were in a nose dive but I think there were things outside of CH's control which contributed to this. Remember that half way through last season we were doing great. We then changed our formation and it just all went wrong. From reading comments from Paul Hayward (Telegraph lead writer and Albion fan), he suggested CH was under pressure to change the style and, most critically, make more use of new signings (Ali J and Locadia were mentioned). He also said, correctly in my view, that when these players were given a chance they failed to perform. Where this pressure came from is up for debate and may have included players, board, Ashworth etc. Who knows but perhaps if CH had been left to his own devices we wouldn't have collapsed. It's impossible to know. I think he was hard done by and a lot of his failings, and our tough season for large parts of this year, relate to some really awful recruitment in recent years. If anything good has come out of CH's departure it does seem that we might have had a re-think about where we look for players. So, overall I'm sorry CH left, he's the best manager we've ever had.

 

[DumLum]

Yes. Even though I was shocked at the time.

It wasn't a shock because he had a terrible run in. It was sad because he had legendary status.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I was gutted to see Chris go.

I was and remain fiercely loyal to him for all he did for us

However, I felt that after the Bournemouth result last season we had to change.

The atmosphere amongst fans was turning pretty toxic and Chris would then be forever a bad result away from a slating.

That toxicity breeds.

If this season had started under CH in anything other than scintillating fashion, his reign would have ended and pre-season planning would be lost.

Long and short, he had to change it.

Right decision, right man to take over, especially given the Ashworth, Barber, Bloom triumvirate.

Wish we could get Chris back to a game as gust of honour in front of a packed Amex to say goodbye properly.

Exactly this. He should have been given another season, but so many fans had turned on him that it was always going to go nasty every time we didn't win.

I think we've got a better manager now though, so it's worked out alright

 

[Swansman]

Swansea are on track to do a bit better than they did last season, with a weakened squad. (might even get promoted).

Have Swansea benefited from letting Potter go? (ignoring the reported £3m)

Hmmm easy to say now, but at time we appointed him Graham Potter hadn't exactly been setting things alight at Swansea.

LMAO, to quote the youngsters.. of 1997.

Swansea did not benefit from "letting Potter go". The value of Roberts, Grimes and Celina is probably at best half of what it was last year. No player except for arguably Ben Cabango and Jordan Garrick have improved, and its questionable even in those cases.

Their squad is significantly better (especially more balanced) than last season:

They have a goalkeeper (Woodman). You could call Nordfeldt a goalkeeper and I could give you ten videos that prove you wrong.

They have one left back (barely, but still), which is one more than the zero they had for the last six months last season.

Sure, their central defenders are young and inexperienced, but at least they started the season with more than one defender who had ever played senior level football. This was not the case for Potter. who only had one (VDH).

They even have the luxuary of having had two or more strikers, very good ones as well, in the team for the whole season. Potter had one (1) to take them through the 46 games.

Sure, James & McBurnie should be considered great losses - but then you have to remember that neither of those were considered quality players before Potter pottered them. They've only lost one player (Leroy Fer) who was considered quality before Potter came, and he was out injured 21 games in Potter's season at Swansea.

And this is not just me as a Potter fan talking: head over to Planet Swans or the Swansea subreddit and ask them about "Potter vs. Cooper" and I promise you will see one of the very few occasions of fans reaching a consensus. Most will also agree that the extremely strong start to the season was Potter's heritage, and that it is baffling they have managed to get all these points despite Cooper and despite their generally abysmal football this season.

 

[Nixonator]

Cause for debate last year, not anymore.

I have my gripes with Potter, but at least I feel he is actually learning and adapting.

Who knows how well Chris could have done, I'm open to conceding the possibility that we may have been higher placed right now with him still in charge.

One thing is for certain though, it would have been more of the same on and off the pitch with little to no hope for kids to come through and very little appeal to tempt players here other than fat contracts (that we are not willing to give) and beating a dead horse about top facilities that other clubs are matching.

 

[amexer]

Fantastic we are staying up but Potter no wonder manager yet. Great experience for him and lets hope he pushes on next season.Dont forget spent £70m since Hughton left . Because of dire results by 4/5 teams in last 10 games we are now out of trouble. Dont forget before lockdown we hadnt won a game this year. I also think praise he gets for this possession game is overplayed. I would go as far as saying we have turned corner since going to a Hughton style game. Only possession game has been in first third and priority with great success has been to stop letting in goals

 

[MattBackHome]

Curry night?

Surely that was the most bizarre episode in the history of NSC. What was going on there? Lol hun x