Stepping Stone Managers Vs. Happy To Settle Managers

[Row D Seat 7 0]

All NCFC fans know that our previous manager Paul Lambert used us as a stepping stone to reach bigger and better things.

A manager before Lambert who experienced success here was Nigel Worthington. Two very different managers. One, as I say, was using us as a stepping stone for better things. The other was our manager for almost 6 years and would''ve stayed longer had he not under-performed. Worthington was a settled manager.

Lately I''ve been thinking about the differences between a manager who is looking to reach the heights of the game and a manager who is happy at the level at which he''s currently operating and has no aspirations for anything more.

I believe Chris Hughton is a manager who is just happy to be in the Premier League. I don''t believe he has aspirations to achieve bigger and better things, like his predecessor. He would happily be our manager for many years to come.

Whilst we were all very hurt when Lambert left the club, we benefitted greatly from his stepping stone mentality. Quickly achieve success, move on. He had a time limit in mind and I believe he stayed with us a year more than he initially thought he would.

Of course there''s a lot to be said for clubs having the same manager for long periods. Moyes at Everton. Ferguson at United. Moyes wanted bigger and better things, he wanted to achieve things in the game, go as high as he could.

My point is that if Hughton had aspirations of managing a bigger club, I believe we would be more attacking, more positive, take more risks, but he see''s this as a safe job. He''s happy at this level. He would happily remain at this level (our club) for many years, perhaps the rest of his career, if we allowed him. Therefore he will more than likely go about things the way he has always has done. By playing it safe, preferring to play for the point instead of risking the loss of all three, but then losing all three anyway.

Maybe we are better off with an up and coming manager who has aspirations of being in that top bracket, so achieves as much success with us as he can, then moves on. Like Rogers did at Swansea. Like Laudrup will do at Swansea.

People may say that nobody was complaining when Worthington had us in the Premier League, but the fact is, people were complaining. His approach was defence, his signings (Ashton aside) rather poor. Maybe having a manager with bigger, hungrier aspirations would''ve kept us in the Premier League that season, rather than a safe, settled manager who wasn''t affected when we dropped back down the division.

Lambert would''ve been embarrassed to go straight back down with us again. It would''ve offended him. Angered him. Embarrassed him. I believe that when Worthington took us down, he probably just thought ''That''s a shame'', knowing he was keeping his job. I think Hughton would be the same.

Our final position last season completely flattered us. We were lucky. Just three wins in the second half of the season tells it''s own story. Three wins in the league this year!!! Our final two games were against teams who didn''t care what the outcome was, thank god for them. We got lucky. We had to rely on Swansea beating Wigan to keep the wolf (not that one) from the door.

Not beating Hull on Saturday told a big, boring, predictable story that I think will continue until someone within the club realises we have the wrong man in charge. A happy to settle manager.

[splutcho 173]

NURSE!

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="Row D Seat 7"]Not beating Hull on Saturday told a big, boring, predictable story that I think will continue until someone within the club realises we have the wrong man in charge.[/quote]You really should inform McNally. [:''(]

[TIL 1010 4,722]

Blimey that was a hard read and has left me rather confused as to what point the OP was trying to make. [:^)][*-)]

[can u sit down please 0]

Some good points.

I think a team does tend to reflect the personality of the man steering the ship.

We will be steady and unspectacular. A bit how I imagine mr Chris playing poker.

I wonder if he has salt and vinegar with his chips?

Probably not

[chicken 0]

It''s a little bit rubbish though isn''t it?

I mean, what you are really talking about is outward ambition compared to someone who is perhaps, more professional and modest who doesn''t state what his long term ambitions are or make them obvious for all to see.

How do you know that Hughton doesn''t want to manager at a higher level? He has clearly had the ambition in the past having managed Newcastle. Lambert had come from managing smaller teams and worked his way up - seeing Villa as a better launching pad for the next stage of his career.

Hughton has been assistant manager prior to moving into management - mainly involving work at Spurs.

I think the targets we have been strongly linked with this summer confirms the sort of ambition he has. Some managers want to achieve with the club they are at, others may be more ready to look for what they feel are better opportunities elsewhere.

There is no such thing as ''settled'' in modern football. There are precious few managers that last anywhere any length of time. Although there does appear to be a trend moving back in that direction.

Having said that ''settled'' is one word you could use for Sir Alex - didn''t do him or Man Utd any harm. Same could be said of Moyes at Everton until he moved.

You move to the other extreme and look at the clubs who have regularly turned over managers and see how they do.

[SeattleCanary 0]

One thing I''ll definitely agree with you on is the statements other clubs have made. Once Rodgers left, Laudrup was and is most definitely one of those managers that sees the Swans as a stepping stone. He is ambitious and I expect him to move on at some point.

Same could be said for Pochettino? at Southampton, I can''t see him thinking "this is my club for good now." Thats probably the difference between him and his predecessor, Adkins is similar to Hughton in that way. Southampton was probably his peak.

This is possibly part of the reason Holloway - Palace, Bruce - Hull will fail, because they haven''t managed bigger clubs and have been around the same standard long enough to "just do enough" in the past, to stay at the current level. Low Prem, high Champ level.

Interesting point this one. Never considered it before. But it makes a lot of sense.