[Archived] Hughes Up For The Chop

[broadsword]

Personally I'll give him January,

How very generous of you Eddie, I'm sure Mark will be appreciative.

[Eddie]

So, lovely, plenty of words, but no substance and certainly no answer to the question I posed to you.

10 games.

[Flopsy]

so you'ld bring a manager in with no chance of buying new players? nah you sack them in the summer or November/ early december.

[broadsword]

France. Throwing in the towel comes easily.

[FourLaneBlue]

I find the level of defense for the man to be unbelievable. Whenever someone dares to question his decisions or position they are met with fierce responses.

We do have to be careful with this...it was similar to Souness and Hodgson. When a manager has some success it does make it difficult to come to terms with if it should end. Hodgson's side had been woeful for about eight months before he left and we all know about how we were all in denial about Souness...some for less long than others admittedly but we all thought he was the bees knees when we beat Spurs 4-0 at White Hart Lane (even Jan and Jim said nice things about him then)! In reality that was his summit and if he had only been poached then we would still think he was one of our greatest ever managers...rather than the more mixed-bag of a Rovers career that he left us with

That said...I'm totally sure that Hughes is the right man for the job. The way he conducts himself is so much more professional and considered than any Rovers manager I can remember. In fact I wish he'd calm down about the refs slightly...he exudes confidence otherwise and that puts a tiny dint in it. I like the way he keeps slightly aloof and unruffled during interviews and saves his passion and outbursts for during the game when it matters. Many other managers seemingly have difficulty remaining calm long after the game and just appear like they lack self-control even then, rarely a good sign in a manager unless it is the exception of the human volcano still in charge at Old Trafford.

The troubles Hughes has had this season should keep the vultures away for a while...which is good because in the previous two years the second half to the season has been far superior to the first. I fully expect that to be true as well this season.

I'm not greedy...a top half finish and a trip to Hampden on the night of May 16th will suit me just fine...

By the time Hughes leaves (hopefully some years off) I think we will be debating how great he was for us rather than heaving a collective sigh of relief like we have for the departure of the four managers before him.

[stuwilky]

10 games.

From when?

What would be your success criteria?

[Eddie]

From when?

What would be your success criteria?

Starting from now. To me the most important thing is the level of the performance. What worries me most isn't the fact that we find ourselves in the league position that we do or that we have picked up so few points in recent weeks, but more the fact that the performances, with one or two exceptions, have been horrible. We haven't had the fight or energy that we have come to expect, even when quality was lacking we could always fall back on that, recently that hasn't been there. Now there isn't much point in me debating this to be honest, all it is going to involve is 10 people insulting me and me going over what I have already said, so this will be my final post on the topic. I just think that the man is beyond reproach in many people's opinion and that isn't a position that football managers should ever be in.

[Flopsy]

so there

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Starting from now. To me the most important thing is the level of the performance. What worries me most isn't the fact that we find ourselves in the league position that we do or that we have picked up so few points in recent weeks, but more the fact that the performances, with one or two exceptions, have been horrible. We haven't had the fight or energy that we have come to expect, even when quality was lacking we could always fall back on that, recently that hasn't been there. Now there isn't much point in me debating this to be honest, all it is going to involve is 10 people insulting me and me going over what I have already said, so this will be my final post on the topic. I just think that the man is beyond reproach in many people's opinion and that isn't a position that football managers should ever be in.

You're dead right on some things Eddie, our performances have been poor this season, I 've been concerned about several coaching related issues.

1 Our passing and (in some ways more crucial ) running off the ball is second rate and is the no1 cause of our problems, we insist on giving the ball away all over the pitch.

2 Marking from free kicks and corners, we're the softest touch in the Premier League and have been all season.

3 Attacking free kicks and corners, why is we are in more danger of conceding than actually scoring from our own corners, Bolton seem to score from at least one set piece every game, why can't we get one goal this way?

4 The way teams can regularly un-zip us with one long aimless punt either up the middle or from one diagonal to another.

5 Why do we insist on playing our most creative player mainly in our own half, 5 seconds of magic yesterday showed what can happen when your most perceptive passer of the ball actually plays where he can hurt the other team.

These are all coaching issues that have been going all season and some longer. I like Sparky and I want him to stay but NOBODY should be above constructive criticism.

[RevidgeBlue]

so there

Don't get too smug flops, I remember you starting your own "Hughes out" thread when results didn't immediately improve when Sparky first took over!

[stuwilky]

Starting from now. To me the most important thing is the level of the performance. What worries me most isn't the fact that we find ourselves in the league position that we do or that we have picked up so few points in recent weeks, but more the fact that the performances, with one or two exceptions, have been horrible. We haven't had the fight or energy that we have come to expect, even when quality was lacking we could always fall back on that, recently that hasn't been there. Now there isn't much point in me debating this to be honest, all it is going to involve is 10 people insulting me and me going over what I have already said, so this will be my final post on the topic. I just think that the man is beyond reproach in many people's opinion and that isn't a position that football managers should ever be in.

So, you are proposing to give him a further 5 matches without the benefit of two of our most influential players of recent times (Nelsen and Reid) and potentially without the benefit of any January signings for that period.

Then five further matches (some of which we will still be without either/or/and of the two mentioned above).

And youd be happy with us playing well but not picking up that many points?

And I havnt insultedf you, nor have I asked you to repeat yourself. If you dont want to discuss it, then fine, but its not worth starting something if you dont intend to finish it.

[American]

I will stick with him through thick and thin.

Longevity breeds success

Yep, look at the success Sven had after being in charge for so long...

I think that we would be hard pressed to find a better manager. Is he perfect? Far from it. Doesn't substitute enough when we need a spark, starting to complain too much (lady luck anyone?). But we are in a position where we might be up and down in the table each season, but under Hughes it will remain the Prem table.

[gumboots]

Whilst Hughes has made some mistakes, I don't know of any other manager who hasn't. Those who moan about lack of signings in the summer do not know which players we tried to sign and couldn't get. You only hear about those the club want you to know about or the odd one that the media get leaks about. We may have made enquiries about any number of players whose club did not want to sell at any reasonable price, the players themselves may not have fancied a move to Rovers, or the move may not have happened for some other reason. I don't think Hughes does not know what is needed and I don't think he has any lack of ambition personally or for his club. I can't think who would do a better job at the moment and certainly the players would appear to be still playing for him after yesterday's performance ( and yes, I do know we could easily have lost it but that's how it goes sometimes). I don't think he has an indefinite term as our manager but it does seem to me that on balance I'd rather have him as manager at the moment than any other available manager I can think of and than a large number of unavailable ones.

[thenodrog]

so this will be my final post on the topic.

err could you make the final three words of that quote into 'on any topic' please eddie?

[langhoblue]

Who on earth could possibly think that getting rid of the best manager we have had since Kenny would be a good idea? Moron.

[Fife Rover]

Just playing devil's advocate, but this is exactly what was said about Souness and aguably the Scot had more of a claim to 'turning the clubaround'. Promotion, a Worthington cup and achieving sixth place in 2003 with one of the finest attacking Rovers side ever produced. Everybody, well nearly everybody, thought he was outstanding. And then things change.

Theres no dout Souness did out standingthings for the club: Our team today is partly built around Souness signings (Freidal, Neill, Reid, Pedersen and, of course, Tugay) and he won us a trophy. Yet eventually its time to part. I sincerely hope, and believe, this isn't going to happen with Hughes, but you cannot apply blind faith. It comes down to results.

Surely the difference lies in the fact that Souness was a good manager in so far as achievments and good signings for the club is concerned, but eventually he really DID "lose the dressing room " (dreadful cliche').

Whereas MH has so far achieved more or less the same as Souness, but without the finance that he had and with a hugely improved relationship with his staff and players.

[Tris]

And I havnt insulted you, nor have I asked you to repeat yourself. If you dont want to discuss it, then fine, but its not worth starting something if you dont intend to finish it.

Stu - this is Eddie you are referring to.

Start something + not finish it?? France?? Ring any bells??

And if you don't want to insult him well I certainly do.

However for the sake of good order, I will wait until the morning. 8 hours to drive from Blackburn to London and Cook just threw his wicket away for 20 - now's not the moment for insults.

[Hughesy]

No chance of Hughes leaving under our terms, hes the right man for the job 100%

[CircoW]

I have no doubt that Hughes is the right man for the job. Admittedly, I have been concerned with the manner of some defeats this season (Charlton immediately springs to mind) and the fact that we seem to bemoan refereeing decisions rather than take a look at our own frailties but have every faith that Hughes will turn it around. Judge him at the end of this season - if he makes the right moves in the January transfer window (a left back, a midfielder and a striker) and we get three key players fit (Nelsen, Reid and Roberts), the second half of the season should be a lot more fruitful than it has been to date.

[mjs]

I don't believe I am reading all this crap.

This thread is an insult to the fantastic job Mark Hughes has done at this club.

[cn_barlow]

If we win our next 2 matches then we're pretty likely to be in the top half come 5pm new years day...who'll still be complaining then?

[Flopsy]

Don't get too smug flops, I remember you starting your own "Hughes out" thread when results didn't immediately improve when Sparky first took over!

And I did it as a tounge in cheek thread. Dont forget it was after back to back 4-0 thumpings. I would like to say that I doubted hughes' ability to manage at the top flight level, after what I saw as atailing off of the Welsh team after a bright start. And thankfully I was proven wrong. However I so have issues with his substitutions (usually too little too late) and sometimes what I feel is an inability to change the tactics to suit the opposition. However, he kept us up and got us into Europe (and got us WINS!!!) so im willing to cut him some slack, especially due to the injury situation.

But a lot of what eddie is true, even if how he said it isnt probably the best way of going about it.

[T4E]

If we win our next 2 matches then we're pretty likely to be in the top half come 5pm new years day...who'll still be complaining then?

...............with a game in hand.

Some of you lot need to get a grip. Maybe next year we wont manage to beat Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool at home in league games. What for Hughes then? Castration?

[Exiled_Rover]

Yep, look at the success Sven had after being in charge for so long...

I think that we would be hard pressed to find a better manager. Is he perfect? Far from it. Doesn't substitute enough when we need a spark, starting to complain too much (lady luck anyone?). But we are in a position where we might be up and down in the table each season, but under Hughes it will remain the Prem table.

Exactly how I'd have typed it. Well, not quite as I would never start a sentence with but.

We're not going to do much better than Hughes.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Exactly how I'd have typed it. Well, not quite as I would never start a sentence with but.

We're not going to do much better than Hughes.

Time to bury this thread I suggest