The Hughton Era

[Chirping Canary 0]

I very rarely post on this site, but I am a very keen reader of the many topics on here.

It is the first time in an extremely long time I don''t feel optimistic about my beloved club staying up, but this is not down to the playing ability of the current squad, our financial limitations compared the monstrous budgets of Manchester United, Man City, Chelsea etc or the spirit within the current crops of players, but simply down to the management or more to the point lack of management of the club!

I believe it would be an absolute disaster if we go down this season, not just because of the obvious enjoyment and pride of being a Premier League club, but because this is in my humble opinion the best squad we have had in years and without a doubt capable of staying in the Premier League. If you look at the starting eleven today, I would say up to 8 of them I would rather have than the Villa team and the vast majority of our squad our mid to bottom half Premiership quality players.

This begs the questions why are we in free fall?!!

To me the simple answer is the ultra defensive tactics, we set out to draw games, NEVER to win them and what happened today I am sad to say has been a disaster waiting!

There has been so many signs of our ultra defensive tactics:

- Two defensive midfielders all season

- One striker

- No players up when opposition has a corner, just comes straight back again

- Bradley Johnson playing almost every game this season even when poor

- Money only spent on defence

- Full backs never overlapping

- Lack of subs or squad rotation

There is nothing wrong with being tight in defence, but as they say attack is the best form of defence and we simply have to throw everything (and the kitchen sink) at WBA next week or we are completely sunk!

I really do believe it is too late to change the manager now, but the blame lays fully at Hughton''s door and IF we stay up then Hughton has to go regardless, it is the only way to move the club forward.

What is everyone''s thoughts?  

[barclaystand 0]

Well written, I agree with about 98.25% of it.

[Guest]

Not much to disagree with there.I would add that the board/McNally have to shoulder some of the blame for failing to invest in a more balanced manner during the transfer windows.  We all expressed dismay when Harry Kane was our only striker signed in the summer. Then again in January when only Kamara and Becchio arrived.Fail to prepare = prepare to fail.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,202]

I think Hughton looked at the players he inherited (whether he watched those DVDs or not) and thought - Not good enough.

Consequently he decided a shut-up shop and hope for the best approach would be best until he could get better players in.

Lambert released these players potential, got them playing above their real ability perhaps.

Rather than utilise this, he seems to have decided this season was about hanging on in there until he could get better in.

Massive massive error in my opinion.

His approach to games was never going to yield results with the players he had to work with. Counter-attacking football only works if you have brilliant individuals with pace (see Agbonlahor yesterday for evidence of this) or a team which gambles with bravery - something we did effectively under Lambo last year (at the expense of leaving the back door open) and something Hughton clearly felt he had to put a stop to.

I think the problem is that Hughton was a defender, so naturally defence is his business.

If he did watch those DVDs, he probably would have had a heart attack at some of our defending. But was that the biggest mistake?

In being so interested and invested in the defence, did he fail to appreciate how that helped this bunch of players score. Had a manager with attacking pedigree as a player (Di Canio for instance) watched those DVDs, would he have been less interested in the leaky defence, and more invigorated by our attacking flare?

Last season I didnt worry when we conceded goals because we knew it would happen, but I always felt we could score, I always thought it could come.

This season if they score it feels like game over.

Even the Luton game had a sense of inevitabilty about it. They were 5 divisions below us, yet we defeated ourselves, and that goal had a real sense of inevitability about it.

We''ve been our own worst enemies this season, and unfortunately the responsibility for that lies at CH''s door.

Im not saying he is a bad manager, but I think he was guilty of failing to understand what had underpinned the success of the team he inherited, guilty of not believing in what his players were capable of, and guilty for adopting a system that did not play to the strengths of those players.

PL set them free, CH locked them up.

Back him til the end of the season, back him next season. But there is no doubt massive mistakes have been made this season for which he is accountable, and needs to learn from.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,035]

[quote user="The Great Mass Debater"]I think Hughton looked at the players he inherited (whether he watched those DVDs or not) and thought - Not good enough. Consequently he decided a shut-up shop and hope for the best approach would be best until he could get better players in. Lambert released these players potential, got them playing above their real ability perhaps. Rather than utilise this, he seems to have decided this season was about hanging on in there until he could get better in. Massive massive error in my opinion. His approach to games was never going to yield results with the players he had to work with. Counter-attacking football only works if you have brilliant individuals with pace (see Agbonlahor yesterday for evidence of this) or a team which gambles with bravery - something we did effectively under Lambo last year (at the expense of leaving the back door open) and something Hughton clearly felt he had to put a stop to. I think the problem is that Hughton was a defender, so naturally defence is his business. If he did watch those DVDs, he probably would have had a heart attack at some of our defending. But was that the biggest mistake? In being so interested and invested in the defence, did he fail to appreciate how that helped this bunch of players score. Had a manager with attacking pedigree as a player (Di Canio for instance) watched those DVDs, would he have been less interested in the leaky defence, and more invigorated by our attacking flare? Last season I didnt worry when we conceded goals because we knew it would happen, but I always felt we could score, I always thought it could come. This season if they score it feels like game over. Even the Luton game had a sense of inevitabilty about it. They were 5 divisions below us, yet we defeated ourselves, and that goal had a real sense of inevitability about it. We''ve been our own worst enemies this season, and unfortunately the responsibility for that lies at CH''s door. Im not saying he is a bad manager, but I think he was guilty of failing to understand what had underpinned the success of the team he inherited, guilty of not believing in what his players were capable of, and guilty for adopting a system that did not play to the strengths of those players. PL set them free, CH locked them up. Back him til the end of the season, back him next season. But there is no doubt massive mistakes have been made this season for which he is accountable, and needs to learn from.[/quote]

do you really believe that if he takes us down as a result of his negatve tactics he deserves a chance to be here next season?!?!?!?

all I''d say is ,if he is still here in the Championship........he''d have to get off to a VERY good start...........and I''m talking a winning te first 5 games good start...........he''s a dead man walking

[The Great Mass Debater 1,202]

GJL - I think we''re committed. As I''ve said in other posts I dont think Hughtons approach this season is indicative of his overall view of how the game should be played, I think its a damning (and unfair I feel) verdict on the players he inherited.

I think he has a long term plan to make the team in his own image. I think we should see that out as I dont hink the brand of football we are seeing at the moment is where he ultimately wants to take us.

I think he inherited a squad of players that he dismissed, mainly due to having no interest in Norwich before his appointment, so probably having no real insight into what they are capable of. Everyone outside of Norfolk wrote the team off from Day 1 of Lamberts reign. As a non-Norwich man he probably did too and took no notice of any of the achievement at the time.

He then walked into a club he had very little base knowledge of and made what was probably a dismissive assessment.

Lambo did the same when he came in, jettisoning most of Gunn''s signings and replacing them with what he knew.

Look at how Lambert ditched the big names at Villa, Given, Ireland, Warnock, Hutton, Bent all out in the cold. Thought that would be his undoing but it seems they will survive now.

I think he was the wrong manager for the job when he was appointed, we needed someone similar to Lambert so the baby wouldnt be thrown out with the bathwater (I personally would have given Culverhouse the job, to allow the project to continue - though I am aware of what happened when Deehan took over from Walker), but Hughton was too big a departure.

That said, its happened, Hughton has made some very good signings, and despite the huge mistakes he has made, with his own players I think we will see the team move forwards. Sack him and I think we will simply compound the error. Let him complete his plan