[Football] West Ham to move for Chris Hughton?

[Stat Brother]

Is anyone saying anything new about the end of Chris' tenure at the Albion?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

If you've been watching football long enough, you'll know you can't live off past glories.

I've been watching football for over 50 years, and of course they can't! I even agreed with Tony Bloom's decision to axe Hughton.

My point is that l don't like to see Chris Hughton's name vilified by certain people on here. He did very well for us for a long time, and dragged us into the Premier League. A massive achievement wouldn't you say?

 

[drew]

I've been watching football for over 50 years, and of course they can't! I even agreed with Tony Bloom's decision to axe Hughton.

My point is that l don't like to see Chris Hughton's name vilified by certain people on here. He did very well for us for a long time, and dragged us into the Premier League. A massive achievement wouldn't you say?

I'm not sure there is anyone vilifying CH (although I stand to be corrected). And yes, promotion was an achievement. The problem is that last season we played one way and it wasn't attractive. We were criticised left right and centre from pundits, the media and other fans and we didn't seem to have a plan B. It was on the cards CH would go but there are a couple of posters with 'close connections' that think he should have been given more time and bigging up his prospects for Prem job.

 

[dazzer6666]

I'm not sure there is anyone vilifying CH (although I stand to be corrected). And yes, promotion was an achievement. The problem is that last season we played one way and it wasn't attractive. We were criticised left right and centre from pundits, the media and other fans and we didn't seem to have a plan B. It was on the cards CH would go but there are a couple of posters with 'close connections' that think he should have been given more time and bigging up his prospects for Prem job.

I think the greater problem for CH was the long-term direction the club wanted to take - very much focus on youth etc - and that wasn't Chris' style. For whatever reason he'd failed to blood any youngsters in a meaningful way (I accept he might have been unlucky with some injuries etc though) and he showed little outward sign of being willing to do so. Add this to the very obvious drop-off in form and negative tactics in the second half of the season and it's at least clear why TB made the decision (whether you agree with it or not). What's shouldn't be in dispute either is what he achieved - safety after the Sami debacle, missed promotion by a whisker, comfortable promotion playing some fantastic football and PL survival twice. The two things aren't mutually exclusive - to me, he did a great job but his time had run it's course to enable the club to pursue it's wider strategy. Time will tell whether TB has got it right or not.

I'd be surprised if CH got another PL job frankly (unless he's brought in to keep up a team up come what may - Saints perhaps), but if an aspiring Championship Club wants a manager to give them a decent chance of promotion, with the right backing he's yer man - his record proves that.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Is anyone saying anything new about the end of Chris' tenure at the Albion?

Not so far, but the thread is young.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

I'm not sure there is anyone vilifying CH (although I stand to be corrected). And yes, promotion was an achievement. The problem is that last season we played one way and it wasn't attractive. We were criticised left right and centre from pundits, the media and other fans and we didn't seem to have a plan B.

What would you suggest should have been 'plan B' with the squad that was available?

It was on the cards CH would go but there are a couple of posters with 'close connections' that think he should have been given more time and bigging up his prospects for Prem job.

I don't have any 'close connections' with Hughton, apart from having lived around the corner from where his mother was born and having met him once when he was with Ireland - I do hold the view that he is a very under-rated manager - his teams have always punched above their weight and achieved more than the sum total of their parts.

I do believe that he should have been kept as manager - this is nothing against Potter (except the fact that he is far from a proven manager whose reputation at this time is more hype than substance) and I hope he works out - but Hughton had succeeded in getting Brighton past the two year relegation window for promoted clubs and had built the foundations for progress. The is a mistaken assumption that if Hughton remained in charge he would have just followed on from last season with the same type of football - all the evidence suggests the opposite with all of the clubs that he has managed.

I think he should have been given the opportunity with £70million to spend - and Connolly and Alzate coming through (and possibly White and Molumby as well later this season). I would argue that with an improved squad and two years experience in the PL, the approach of Hughton would have been different. Unfortunately - nobody will ever know.

As for 'bigging up his prospect for a PL job' - Hughton has proved himself as a PL manager - his teams have always overachieved - he has 5 years of experience as a PL manager - he will never get a job with a top club because he is too much of a gentleman and doesn't play to the crowd - but he would be an excellent appointment for any team outside 4 big clubs. In my opinion he actually would have been a far better choice for Spurs than that narcissist who got the job. Nobody can work miracles - but any club that appoints him as manager gets someone who knows what they are doing, knows how to get the best out of his players and is a proven manager and coach.

 

[NooBHA]

I imagine you’re right and I’m not suggesting he’d get it, just that it would be interesting to see how he approached games once he got the defence sorted. Personally think he gave too much respect to every other team we played in the PL. even when we won it was based around everyone behind the ball once we were in front in 9 out 10 games. We are being told by JRG and to a lesser degree NooBHA that he would play differently if he had the players Potter now has. I don’t think he would which is why I think it’d be interesting to see what he’d do at WHU who have better players than us.

I wish him all the best in his search for a PL job too, why wouldn’t I?

I actually don't say that he would play differently with the players at Graham Potter's disposal - I actually don't think they are any better than what Chris had. I actually think the recruitment has been very average again.

Look at what Chris was given in terms of new recruits last year. None of them are regularly in the team except Dan Burn - Two of the Big Buys shipped out on Loan and the other hardly able to get in the match day squad.

The style of football is what the fans and the Chairman and other Hierarchy want - They could have said to Chris that they wanted him to play that way. That would have been a discussion to be had.

Chris has moved on he left a good legacy thats it and if Potter succeeds, he succeeds playing his way. The early signs are good but there are tough tests ahead and this difficult run of games will will see his style of play tested. If he comes though that then I think PL status will be preserved again this year. Lose 3 or 4 in a row then there will be a decision to make in terms of style of play v picking up points.

The problem Potter has is. He was appointed on a ''mandate'' to play a certain way. Would he have the courage to change if it stops yielding points for any length of time. To date he has not had that dilema because things are working OK.

 

[jessiejames]

Of course Hughton kept Brighton in the PL - the table doesn't lie - picking one game out of 380 games and suggesting that that one game determined the outcome of the season is nonsense.

Was the football dire - yes it was - was there a lack of goalscoring opportunities - yes their were - was the objective to stay in the PL - yes it was - did Hughton succeed - yes he did.

The Brighton squad last season was primed for relegation - it had the third lowest pay bill in the PL (Southampton who finished just above Brighton had 11 players on more money than the highest paid Brighton player). Hughton did a remarkable job keeping the club in the PL for two seasons and build a solid foundation that the club is now benefiting from.


It is debatable whether the PL is stronger this season that last - Liverpool and Leicester certainly are - not so much the rest. Quite a few teams have gone backwards (which has benefited Brighton.) Even taking that it is a stronger division - I have repeatedly argued that you have to run to stand still in the PL.

You are correct that some players came in and some left - again - that happens every year - are you suggesting that the Brighton squad isn't as strong as last season?

In the summer transfer window Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton, Leicester, Man C, Man U and West Ham spent more than Brighton - Wolves and Spurs spent roughly the same - the other 10 teams spent less than Brighton (some spent practically nothing e.g. Norwich, Liverpool and Palace).

Was there 'dire football' in the second half of last season - yes - was there a downward trend in results - yes - do you seriously think that if Hughton played a more expansive brand of football that the results would have been better?

For promoted teams that survive the first season, the second season is nearly always a nightmare - first season up teams don't know what to expect (Sheff Utd - although the wheels could still come off there) - second season teams know you, you squad is still a work in progress and very easily these teams slip into relegation trouble. In the last 6 seasons between 2013-2018 in the PL out of the 15 teams that were promoted - 9 were relegated in either their first or second season in the PL (Cardiff and Hull went up and down twice) - the 6 who survived are Leicester, Burnley (got relegated and promoted again), Bournemouth, Watford, Palace and Brighton - If Wolves survive this season (which they probably will) then they will make it 7 out of 18 clubs (with Norwich likely to go down and Villa struggling all season).

Hughton knew what was going on - he had been through this before at Norwich - he knew what was needed to survive (Norwich panicked and sacked him) - and he succeeded in the objective of keeping the club in the PL. Would he have liked to play a more expansive brand of football like Brighton played in the Championship - bet your a*se he would - as a player he was a very stylish footballer who played in that type of a team at Spurs with the likes of Hoddle, Ardiles, Ricky Villa, Perryman, Gareth Crooks, Mabbutt, Clive Allen, Nayim and Linekar. However, the squad last season (and the season before) were bottom three - and Hughton acted in a way to ensure that with the players at his disposal he kept the team in the PL.

What he would have done if he had remained Brighton manager this season we will never know - but with £70million to spend and a couple of kids coming through I suspect that you would not have seen the same defensive football as last season. And by the way - someone mentioned earlier that Brighton have conceded the same number of goals as at this stage last season - but despite the passing game of Potter, Brighton have only scored one more goal than last season (and 9 of the 15 scored came in 3 games).

I'm not quoting one game, from the Southampton on March 30th, we had 9 games to go, 4 of which at home against relegation candidate's. None of them we won, only picking up 1 point against Newcastle. In that period the only other points were against Wolves where we spent 90 mins in our own half defending for dear life and Arsenal the day after we had secured survival by Palace beating Cardiff. IMHO if Cardiff had beating Palace we would have been relegated.

 

[AmexRuislip]

As for 'bigging up his prospect for a PL job' - Hughton has proved himself as a PL manager - his teams have always overachieved - he has 5 years of experience as a PL manager - he will never get a job with a top club because he is too much of a gentleman and doesn't play to the crowd - but he would be an excellent appointment for any team outside 4 big clubs. In my opinion he actually would have been a far better choice for Spurs than that narcissist who got the job. Nobody can work miracles - but any club that appoints him as manager gets someone who knows what they are doing, knows how to get the best out of his players and is a proven manager and coach.

CH did wonders for the Albion, but we needed to grow and progress, which never was going to happen with him in charge.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

CH did wonders for the Albion, but we needed to grow and progress, which never was going to happen with him in charge.

That is your opinion - not one I agree with - and by the way, Mike Ashley said the same thing when he sacked Hughton at Newcastle - hopefully it will work out better for Brighton.

 

[AmexRuislip]

That is your opinion - not one I agree with - and by the way, Mike Ashley said the same thing when he sacked Hughton at Newcastle - hopefully it will work out better for Brighton.

Mike Ashley is a complete ****, whereas Tony Bloom is not.

 

[Icy Gull]

Mike Ashley is a complete ****, whereas Tony Bloom is not.

Yep, shit comparison.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

I'm not quoting one game, from the Southampton on March 30th, we had 9 games to go, 4 of which at home against relegation candidate's. None of them we won, only picking up 1 point against Newcastle. In that period the only other points were against Wolves where we spent 90 mins in our own half defending for dear life and Arsenal the day after we had secured survival by Palace beating Cardiff. IMHO if Cardiff had beating Palace we would have been relegated.

If my aunt had a b*llocks she would be my uncle - a season isn't decided with one game - it is decided over the entire 38 games - Brighton stayed up and Cardiff went down.

And incidentally - in that game between Cardiff and Palace - Palace had over 60% of the possession - Cardiff's first goal was a very, very fortunate own goal and Palace were 3-1 when Cardiff scored in injury time to bring it back to 3-2. Cardiff had a few chances in the second half but Palace could have put six past them in that game. After losing to Cardiff in April, Brighton drew three of their next four games - Cardiff lost 3 in a row and going into the last game of the season Brighton were five points ahead. Over the season Brighton scored more goals and let in fewer goals than Cardiff. Over the final 20 games of the season Brighton took 19 points - Cardiff took 20 points - Over the last 12 games Brighton took 9 points - over the last 12 games Cardiff took 9 points (including 3 points in the last game when nothing was on the line). In fact - the form team in the relegation dogfight over that 12 game stretch were Southamption who won 4 and drew 3. Like I said - Hughton got the job done - Warnock didn't.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Mike Ashley is a complete ****, whereas Tony Bloom is not.

I wasn't making any such comparison - I was pointing out to AmexRuislip that his opinion of Hughton was the same as Ashley's.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I wasn't making any such comparison - I was pointing out to AmexRuislip that his opinion of Hughton was the same as Ashley's.

I think you've quoted the wrong person, that AmexRuislip blokes a right nobber

 

[swindonseagull]

Yep have a listen to TB’s podcast he wanted to sack him after Bmouth but felt the Cardiff game was to close.

Whats the podcast please.

 

[blue-shifted]

It's fair enough to make the point that Hughton's tenure probably did run it's course and Bloom most likely made the right decision for the long term growth of the club.

What isn't fair enough is the sheer lack of class in words and tone on this thread for someone who showed nothing but class the whole time he was with us. It's exactly the same on the thread about Knocky and the one about Duffy. Absolutely no reason to be putting the boot in to these servants who have given us some of our finest moments since the late 70s.

Show some respect

 

[Nottseagull]

I don't have any 'close connections' with Hughton, apart from having lived around the corner from where his mother was born and having met him once when he was with Ireland -

I thought he qualified for Ireland through his mother's birthplace. I know his Dad was Ghanaian, so was it her father who was born there?

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

I thought he qualified for Ireland through his mother's birthplace. I know his Dad was Ghanaian, so was it her father who was born there?

I live in Ireland - his mother was born in Limerick - Christine Bourke from Ballinacurra Weston - I lived in Carey's Road at one time (around the corner).

 

[jessiejames]

If my aunt had a b*llocks she would be my uncle - a season isn't decided with one game - it is decided over the entire 38 games - Brighton stayed up and Cardiff went down.

And incidentally - in that game between Cardiff and Palace - Palace had over 60% of the possession - Cardiff's first goal was a very, very fortunate own goal and Palace were 3-1 when Cardiff scored in injury time to bring it back to 3-2. Cardiff had a few chances in the second half but Palace could have put six past them in that game. After losing to Cardiff in April, Brighton drew three of their next four games - Cardiff lost 3 in a row and going into the last game of the season Brighton were five points ahead. Over the season Brighton scored more goals and let in fewer goals than Cardiff. Over the final 20 games of the season Brighton took 19 points - Cardiff took 20 points - Over the last 12 games Brighton took 9 points - over the last 12 games Cardiff took 9 points (including 3 points in the last game when nothing was on the line). In fact - the form team in the relegation dogfight over that 12 game stretch were Southamption who won 4 and drew 3. Like I said - Hughton got the job done - Warnock didn't.

Fair point I said that it was my honest opinion we only stayed up due to Palace. I had always supported CH up until the last few games of the season. When I hear 2 first team regulars saying that the brief going into the last few games against relegation rivals was not to concede that's worrying.
The problem with C H is that because he is well liked people seem to think he can't do wrong. Good luck to him in the future, I will always be great full with what he done for us, and the promotion season was one of the best and most enjoyable seasons watching us, if he returns with another club I was applaud him, but the club made the correct decision to get rid of him.