[Albion] We are the idiots, not Hughton

[Uh_huh_him]

The players want to play more attacking and being told No, is what's reported in today's sun to https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8886609/brighton-hughton-facing-sack-relegation-premier-league/

And do we think it's a good thing that player's should be dictating the style of play and/or tactics?

 

[Mellotron]

It's rumoured, and nothing more than that, that Duffy is the one throwing his weight around in the dressing room? And you have to ask whether his new found role as a makeshift number 9, is the managers idea or him doing it against managers wish?

Surely Hughton would've pulled him off for Locadia on Tuesday if he wasn't happy that Duffy went and stayed upfront for the final 5/10?

 

[Justice]

And do we think it's a good thing that player's should be dictating the style of play and/or tactics?

Earlier in the season when we could play football we went away and lost anyway it’s pointless. Wembley a one off game go for it in the second half ffs.

 

[Nixonator]

Surely Hughton would've pulled him off for Locadia on Tuesday if he wasn't happy that Duffy went and stayed upfront for the final 5/10?

Even Duffy is more of a threat than that.

 

[b.w.2.]

Fully expect to be shouted down for this but I really don't care.

We had 25 points by Christmas and were sailing towards Premier League safety but fans weren't happy with the style of football we were playing. We weren't satisfied with gritty, defensive 1-0's here and there. So Chris eventually had us playing 4-3-3, trying to be more open and expansive. Has it worked? No. Why? Because of the constraints of the players he has to work with.

Now, he's rightly calling for us to be more defensive and to stop shipping goals i.e. return to what has made us so successful this season. The approach of trying to be attacking is clearly not working with the bunch of players we have. I think sometimes as fans we sit in our ivory towers and create some mental picture of the players we think AJ, Davy etc. could be, without having the slightest bit of knowledge about the players they actually are because we're not on the training ground with them day in, day out. Naylor, Paul Hayward and other journalists/pundits who are worth their salt can see this, but we're too blinded by where we imagine Albion should be.

Hughton's not a flaming idiot. Do people think he genuinely wants us not to score, to be relegated and to lose his job and the livelihood for his family? He played attacking football in the Championship but we are on a completely different level of play right now. The players we've got aren't going to play the football we want and get the results we need. Look at Fulham.

It's ironic that the attitudes we criticise Palace fans for when they've throw their toys out of the pram about Hodgson is precisely the same reaction many of us are having right now regards to Chris.

I'm as upset that we've sleepwalked to a relegation battle as anyone else. CH going back to what he knows this group of players do best is our best last chance of surviving. If he has at any point this season listened to us, he really needs to stop and have faith in his own ability rather than a bunch of armchair pundits.

This is utter bollox. Hughton made the decision to change to 4-3-3. It is HIS mistake. Don’t try to rewrite history you cretin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lawros left foot]

The question really is WHY haven't we got the players to adapt to a more offensive system or as back-up for Gross ? I understand why CH has such a pragmatic approach (ie do the best you can with what you've got) but I did feel uneasy at the end of the last transfer window when he came out and said that we were unlikely to recruit and he was happy with what he'd got.

I’m not going to have a pop, but, who do you suggest we should have signed? I think CH was told the budget available, and realised that we would not get anyone near good enough to make a difference for the fee and wages we could pay. As has been shown over the last 5 or 6 seasons it is very difficult to sign strikers who are Premier League ready, Bournemouth signed Solanke, he’s hardly set the division alight, Palace signed Batshuayi on loan, he’s only been average, and even Higuan at Chelsea hasn’t pulled up any trees.
All the above players would have been above either what we would pay in a fee for them, or wages.
We have to face the fact, in January it is hardly ever worth signing a striker, it very rarely pays off.

 

[BensGrandad]

Surely Hughton would've pulled him off for Locadia on Tuesday if he wasn't happy that Duffy went and stayed upfront for the final 5/10?

That begs the question why didnt he?

 

[Mellotron]

That begs the question why didnt he?

Either it was his decision, or he's lost the players. Neither answer is a good one.

 

[wolfie]

I’m not going to have a pop, but, who do you suggest we should have signed? I think CH was told the budget available, and realised that we would not get anyone near good enough to make a difference for the fee and wages we could pay. As has been shown over the last 5 or 6 seasons it is very difficult to sign strikers who are Premier League ready, Bournemouth signed Solanke, he’s hardly set the division alight, Palace signed Batshuayi on loan, he’s only been average, and even Higuan at Chelsea hasn’t pulled up any trees.
All the above players would have been above either what we would pay in a fee for them, or wages.
We have to face the fact, in January it is hardly ever worth signing a striker, it very rarely pays off.

Aren't we supposed to have cover in every position except No.10 ? Why wasn't it dealt with back in the close season ?

 

[Mellotron]

Aren't we supposed to have cover in every position except No.10 ? Why wasn't it dealt with back in the close season ?

We do. We bought a striker and don't play him. We bought a number 10 - the top scorer in his league in that position - and play him completely out of position, in a more defensive role on his wrong foot. We bought another striker/number 10 and play him on the wing on his wrong side.

I can't for the life of me think why it hasn't worked out with these new signings...

 

[BensGrandad]

We do. We bought a striker and don't play him. We bought a number 10 - the top scorer in his league in that position - and play him completely out of position, in a more defensive role on his wrong foot. We bought another striker/number 10 and play him on the wing on his wrong side.

I can't for the life of me think why it hasn't worked out with these new signings...

Very simple really the service to them is appalling and the defence losing their grip has cost us dearly.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The X Factor in all of this is whether we've really spunked £80mill on rubbish attackers or whether it's just Hughton's tactics that's constraining them.

 

[Mellotron]

The X Factor in all of this is whether we've really spunked £80mill on rubbish attackers or whether it's just Hughton's tactics that's constraining them.

Somewhere inbetween, perhaps? We've seen Hughton be a very good manager before. We've also seen pretty much all of these players play very well before they joined us.

 

[Trelford Mills Guide Dog]

Fully expect to be shouted down for this but I really don't care.

We had 25 points by Christmas and were sailing towards Premier League safety but fans weren't happy with the style of football we were playing. We weren't satisfied with gritty, defensive 1-0's here and there. So Chris eventually had us playing 4-3-3, trying to be more open and expansive. Has it worked? No. Why? Because of the constraints of the players he has to work with.

Now, he's rightly calling for us to be more defensive and to stop shipping goals i.e. return to what has made us so successful this season. The approach of trying to be attacking is clearly not working with the bunch of players we have. I think sometimes as fans we sit in our ivory towers and create some mental picture of the players we think AJ, Davy etc. could be, without having the slightest bit of knowledge about the players they actually are because we're not on the training ground with them day in, day out. Naylor, Paul Hayward and other journalists/pundits who are worth their salt can see this, but we're too blinded by where we imagine Albion should be.

Hughton's not a flaming idiot. Do people think he genuinely wants us not to score, to be relegated and to lose his job and the livelihood for his family? He played attacking football in the Championship but we are on a completely different level of play right now. The players we've got aren't going to play the football we want and get the results we need. Look at Fulham.

It's ironic that the attitudes we criticise Palace fans for when they've throw their toys out of the pram about Hodgson is precisely the same reaction many of us are having right now regards to Chris.

I'm as upset that we've sleepwalked to a relegation battle as anyone else. CH going back to what he knows this group of players do best is our best last chance of surviving. If he has at any point this season listened to us, he really needs to stop and have faith in his own ability rather than a bunch of armchair pundits.

Agree with the ‘fickle fans / be careful what you wish for’ message, but, there is no way Chris changed his approach based on the pretext of appeasing - some - supporters.

 

[Icy Gull]

On another board it was mentioned that Talk Sport the other day reported on a meeting between some players and the manager to discuss playing more attacking football (this was at the instigation and wish of these players) and Chris made it clear he was not going to change. So the idea that he has done anything under fan (or player) pressure is indeed silly.

However, this nevertheless suggests that some players are unhappy. I wonder if this might include a central defender who has recently taken it upon himself to go bombing forward, Stevie G stylee, only for the opposition to take advantage......said defender discussed on other threads.

So ultimately when players don't do what they are told do you blame the player or the manager? I guess what is important is what the manager does next. Keeping Hazard, and more recently, Pogba on the bench didn't work well for Maureen. There again....Duffy is no Paul Pogba. I'd be unsurprised, and possibly cheered to see Burn start against the wolves.

I’m no Premier League manager, so I may be wrong, but don’t you DROP players who don’t follow instructions, so yes, I blame the apparently untouchable manager if these shenanigans go on for more than one game

 

[boik]

"As a team, a club, a player, there is only one way we can ensure we stay up.It’s by fighting as hard as we can and making sure if we are not able to score, we are not conceding.”“It’s by fighting as hard as we can and making sure if we are not able to score, we are not conceding.”

FFS. When did we last not concede? How about MAKING SURE WE SCORE?

If you think we've got the players to start scoring more than we're conceding at the moment then you're delusional.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

Changing tactics to try and turn draws into wins seems perfectly plausible, and the points haul before the New Year has given us the chance to be a little more adventurous, especially away from home. To those who say we haven't been doing that, I would argue that performances against West Ham, Leicester, Fulham (1st Half) were examples where we played pretty well - for an hour against the 1st two and 45 minutes at Fulham. Palace was more workmanlike. Trying to make it work has seen different combinations, none of which, has made the impact that would have been hoped for. We have seen calls from players in the press over the last few weeks (not just the last two) to go "back to basics" - probably at odds with those new attack minded players who are feeling the pressure of being at a new club, and it not really working out. People suggest "going for it" - that for me is fine IF you have the defenders and defensive midfielder who can cope with 1 vs 1 on the break - I dont think we do : bernardo and Dunk yes, but Duffy is horribly exposed and Montoya/Bruno/Bong/Stephens/Propper equally struggle for me because of pace. So I am not sure it is simply about the attacking players quality - without the ability to cope on the break, we are better suited to stay tight, frustrate, look for crumbs when the opposition leaves space for us

 

[jamie the seagull]

The only issue we had was our formation/tactics “AWAY” from home.
He should have tinkered away games only as they are a free shot.
Instead we now have lost form at Home.

 

[NooBHA]

Changing tactics to try and turn draws into wins seems perfectly plausible, and the points haul before the New Year has given us the chance to be a little more adventurous, especially away from home. To those who say we haven't been doing that, I would argue that performances against West Ham, Leicester, Fulham (1st Half) were examples where we played pretty well - for an hour against the 1st two and 45 minutes at Fulham. Palace was more workmanlike. Trying to make it work has seen different combinations, none of which, has made the impact that would have been hoped for. We have seen calls from players in the press over the last few weeks (not just the last two) to go "back to basics" - probably at odds with those new attack minded players who are feeling the pressure of being at a new club, and it not really working out. People suggest "going for it" - that for me is fine IF you have the defenders and defensive midfielder who can cope with 1 vs 1 on the break - I dont think we do : bernardo and Dunk yes, but Duffy is horribly exposed and Montoya/Bruno/Bong/Stephens/Propper equally struggle for me because of pace. So I am not sure it is simply about the attacking players quality - without the ability to cope on the break, we are better suited to stay tight, frustrate, look for crumbs when the opposition leaves space for us

I have one major gripe about something which happens in the midfield of the pitch and I only noticed it in the last 2 games - When there is a loose ball bobbing about in the air. Neither Stephens or Propper try to win it. They try to let it drop in the hope that their presence is enough to stop their opponent winning it and then if it is lost then they are caught up ahead of the ball and that is leaving the defence exposed.

I would like to see them told to stop that and for them to go ad try and win those Arial 1 v 1s in the middle of the pitch - They are not the only ones who seem to have a fear of heading the ball. Only Murray, Andone and the two Centre backs seem comfortable in Arial duels. Every other player in the team seems unwilling to head the ball.

 

[portlock seagull]

The X Factor in all of this is whether we've really spunked £80mill on rubbish attackers or whether it's just Hughton's tactics that's constraining them.

I've seen enough to believe it's more they're not sufficiently skilled for this level e.g. Ali J is no bridled thoroughbred constrained by a whip. He's just a pit pony.