The Chris Hughton barometer

[Canary02 IV 0]

Following a hugely successful manager is possibly the most difficult job in football. Very few managers pull it off. Bob Paisley is the only one that springs to mind. So Chris Hughton was always going to be taking on a massive challenge.

5 mths in and we''re 13th in the league, got to the league cup q-final and had a humiliating fa cup debacle. We have had a much-heralded 10 game unbeaten streak, and beaten Arsenal, Man Utd and Spurs at home. We''ve also had two awful runs of defeats and poor results and have been thumped by Liverpool home and away, and Fulham.

Chris Hughton''s remit was just to survive in the division, in a year when financially it means everything to do so.

On paper then it seems like he''s performing.

The reality at the moment is that we''re in freefall. We are devoid of confidence, devoid of attacking ideas, not making chances even against the likes of Luton, and not taking the few chances we do grind out. Tactically we seem constipated, pushing the same crap out every time. Players that have performed well at Premier League level before look like League 2 rejects. Everything screams for change, and everyone is increasingly frustrated by Hughton''s apparent inflexibility and inability to see the problems and plot solutions.

It''s tempting to just blame Hughton and call him tactically inept and ridiculously stubborn. VERY tempting. And I''m not convinced that this isn''t the case.

However, there is one possibility I will "kind of" accept at this stage. A last "get out of jail free" card that keeps me from joining the Hughton-Out brigade at the moment.

Hughton''s inflexibility could be down to a lack of trust in his players, or more specifically, in Paul Lambert''s players. Perhaps he feels that his options are limited by the players we have and that he misjudged what they were capable of when he took over. He believes in his tactics and won''t throw them out just because the players can''t adjust. So January gives him a chance to bring in players who will. Players who were successful under Lambert''s open, risky style aren''t disciplined enough to play in Hughton''s more competitive top-level set up and that''s what''s killing us. He can rectify that. Again, I''m not totally convinced that''s the root of the problembut I''m willing to consider it as an option.

Hughton can bring in replacements by the end of the window and if those replacements slide into his formation and we start picking up as a result, fair enough. Or if signing these players means that he''s confident enough to allow a variation in tactics because he has more players available he believes in, great. I''d even be happier than I am now if he didn''t sign anyone but at least took the tactical shackles off and rotated some of the players and formations to suit the opposition, because at least this would be an acknowledgement of the need to change.

What we can''t and shouldn''t accept is the same tactics and same results for too much longer. I''m not happy at all at the moment and much of that stems from being unconvinced that Hughton has what it takes to adapt and change, or to accept that there even is a problem. He has an opportunity now to replace before the end of the window, or adapt. What we cannot do is continue to fester unchecked as we''re only headed in one direction at the moment and momentum is everything in football.

[Clint 221]

He''s turned confident players who looked good into players who look terrible and devoid of confidence - the ultimate result of that seems fairly obvious. This is without going into the lack of sensible tactics, plan B etc....

[First Wazzock 1,010]

[quote user="Canary02 IV"]Following a hugely successful manager is possibly the most difficult job in football. Very few managers pull it off. Bob Paisley is the only one that springs to mind. So Chris Hughton was always going to be taking on a massive challenge. 5 mths in and we''re 13th in the league, got to the league cup q-final and had a humiliating fa cup debacle. We have had a much-heralded 10 game unbeaten streak, and beaten Arsenal, Man Utd and Spurs at home. We''ve also had two awful runs of defeats and poor results and have been thumped by Liverpool home and away, and Fulham. Chris Hughton''s remit was just to survive in the division, in a year when financially it means everything to do so. On paper then it seems like he''s performing. The reality at the moment is that we''re in freefall. We are devoid of confidence, devoid of attacking ideas, not making chances even against the likes of Luton, and not taking the few chances we do grind out. Tactically we seem constipated, pushing the same crap out every time. Players that have performed well at Premier League level before look like League 2 rejects. Everything screams for change, and everyone is increasingly frustrated by Hughton''s apparent inflexibility and inability to see the problems and plot solutions. It''s tempting to just blame Hughton and call him tactically inept and ridiculously stubborn. VERY tempting. And I''m not convinced that this isn''t the case. However, there is one possibility I will "kind of" accept at this stage. A last "get out of jail free" card that keeps me from joining the Hughton-Out brigade at the moment. Hughton''s inflexibility could be down to a lack of trust in his players, or more specifically, in Paul Lambert''s players. Perhaps he feels that his options are limited by the players we have and that he misjudged what they were capable of when he took over. He believes in his tactics and won''t throw them out just because the players can''t adjust. So January gives him a chance to bring in players who will. Players who were successful under Lambert''s open, risky style aren''t disciplined enough to play in Hughton''s more competitive top-level set up and that''s what''s killing us. He can rectify that. Again, I''m not totally convinced that''s the root of the problembut I''m willing to consider it as an option. Hughton can bring in replacements by the end of the window and if those replacements slide into his formation and we start picking up as a result, fair enough. Or if signing these players means that he''s confident enough to allow a variation in tactics because he has more players available he believes in, great. I''d even be happier than I am now if he didn''t sign anyone but at least took the tactical shackles off and rotated some of the players and formations to suit the opposition, because at least this would be an acknowledgement of the need to change. What we can''t and shouldn''t accept is the same tactics and same results for too much longer. I''m not happy at all at the moment and much of that stems from being unconvinced that Hughton has what it takes to adapt and change, or to accept that there even is a problem. He has an opportunity now to replace before the end of the window, or adapt. What we cannot do is continue to fester unchecked as we''re only headed in one direction at the moment and momentum is everything in football.[/quote]

 

Good post.

 

 

[Hannibal II 0]

we''ve been beaten by 3 or more goals on 6 occassions this season out of 30 competitive games and been beaten by a team 5 leagues below us. we only lost by more than 3 goals on 4 occasions in the whole of the last season.

As far as i can see we have taken a step backwards from last season. I might be slightly bias as i never wanted him in the first place but i want him even less now. All common sense in the summer says we should of done like what Swansea done and brought in a manager to suit the style of play we had been used to rather than trying to reinvent the wheel in the most important season to stay in the league since the 90''s when we also got relegated.

[jed exodous 0]

[quote user="Hannibal II"]we''ve been beaten by 3 or more goals on 6 occassions this season out of 30 competitive games and been beaten by a team 5 leagues below us. we only lost by more than 3 goals on 4 occasions in the whole of the last season. As far as i can see we have taken a step backwards from last season. I might be slightly bias as i never wanted him in the first place but i want him even less now. All common sense in the summer says we should of done like what Swansea done and brought in a manager to suit the style of play we had been used to rather than trying to reinvent the wheel in the most important season to stay in the league since the 90''s when we also got relegated.[/quote]

 

Who would you have gone for then?  I think Hughton was pretty much most peoples choice.  A good upcoming manager, who''d done well in difficult circumsances at 2 clubs.  Not sure there were too many other serious candidates at the time.  I agree with whats being said.  We''re in a rut where we''re trying to play the same football that got us results before, but we''re just not solid enough at the back and in midfield.

 

I think its too late for wholesale changes and we have to stick by the manager and hope we can find 3 or 4 wins that can keep us up.  As much as I''m not enjoying NCFC at the moment, we must back the players and the coaches as much as possible.

[Hannibal II 0]

I wanted Poyet in the summer and nothing has changed my mind on that. He plays football in a very similar way to Lambert and has done really well with Brighton. He would of been mad not to of seen the move to Norwich as an upward step and most likely would of jumped at the chance to manage in the prem.

[Baracouda 47]

Povet would have been a good shout, I personally was more in favour of Owen Coyle, so what do I know... thinking he had the reputation like Lambert, before that starting going wrong for Coyle.

Nevertheless, with Lambert struggling at Villa, and Coyle staying at Bolton and struggled. Both similar in reputation at the time, and just proves it may not have worked out whether Lambert had stayed.

Personally, I was relived when Lambert left, I didn''t fancy having a whole summer, and then season when managers leave, of is it this job he''s going to, or the next.

Hughton, while not setting the world on fire, has done a solid job at Norwich, admittedly in one spell, and the games before we generally played ok.. Newcastle away, QPR at home.

If CH''s transfers are what we are judging going forward, and how Norwich will/could progress, the likes of bassong/turner/garrido/whittaker/tettey/snoddy are all doing well, kane/butterfield have both had injury problems.

I like his transfers of bring in better quality players, and moving current first teamers to the bench. Where as Lambert seemed to be buy very similar level players, and play the inform ones, which worked last season.

All, I keep thinking is if CH brings one or two similar quality players this time round, and maybe another two or three in the summer, and also improving the depth of squad a bit. Next season could be very promising.

[City 2nd 193]

Canary 02:

and beaten Arsenal, Man Utd and Spurs at home!

Did I miss the Spurs win, thought wecplaybthem Wednesday night!

[pablofarmer 0]

We beat them in the COCup.

I think the OP was just adding it as it showed we had confidence.

[can u sit down please 0]

Agree with poyet. He''s who I wanted.

Like the swansea move, he would have kept the foundations and built on them.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,708]

Excellent OP and some good points made.