[Archived] Sparky - Not A Great Manager?

[Billy Castell]

Well he absolutely needs to stop buying forwards and get some half decent defenders and midfielders in. Obviously.

[gumboots]

Well he absolutely needs to stop buying forwards and get some half decent defenders and midfielders in. Obviously.

Since when has Tevez been one of the top strikers in world football?

[Billy Castell]

Why are you asking me?

Since he played for Man Utd obviously. He was highly rated when he was in Brazil, but loads of players down there get hyped up.

[Tom]

I'm sorry but even if City win the league this season it's not a reflection of Hughes' abilities as a manager.

It's like he's playing Fifa or something and just going for all the obvious players, some come off some don't.

what he did at Rovers was far more of an achievement than anything he can do at City I think.

I honestly think Paul Ince and Ray Mathias could have done what Hughes has done at City.

[Billy Castell]

Now steady on TCO..............That last line was stretching it a bit.

[Tom]

I don't think it is, Hughes hasn't made one imaginative signing so far.

Though to be fair I think apart from Roque and maybe Barry they aren't Hughes' signings at all

[DeadlyDirk]

I don't think it is, Hughes hasn't made one imaginative signing so far.

Though to be fair I think apart from Roque and maybe Barry they aren't Hughes' signings at all

Regardless of who came up with them though I think any manager would have been happy to have signed Robinho and now Tevez.

Adebayor is an interesting one to see who wants to bring him in, for me while a talented player he misses an awful lot of chances, a lot of which are relatively simple. Great on his day but consistency isn't an asset of his.

Edit: I'm sure he read that he fought hard to get De Jong as well so that could well have been his choice, not that he's been terrific but certainly looked like he could do a good job over here and improve now he's adapted a bit more.

I think this season will certainly show how good Hughes is, you have to start expecting results now he's had 12 months in the job and an unlimited cheque book, even if he doesn't choose all the players then that's just the pro's and con's of the job, it's not like he's in the dark about it, he has to take full responsibility now. Any excuses afterwards of not being able to sign his own players won't cut it for me as if he doesn't like how things are operated then he should walk as I certainly don't think he'd be trying to shift the credit to Gary Cook or whoever as his players if they do come off and become succesful! You can't have your cake and eat it.

[CrazyIvan]

I've got to see how Sparky is going to juggle the egos he has signed up front. For a team needing some decent players in places all over the pitch there seems to be a hugely disproportionate amount of money being spent up front. What the hell is he going to do with all those forwards?

[philipl]

Heck, if City win the League with the Fred Karno's circus they've got at the moment, he'd be regarded as one of the best managers of all time.

Sign a couple of serious defenders then he will still have a massive man management task but winning the title would be possible if he gets the supply right. Even so Chelsea are starting a significant distance ahead because of their awesome midfield.

[Lurid Coat]

I wonder what our boy Craig thinks now that City have landed Tevez and Santa Cruz, and are on the verge of signing Adebayor. I can't for the life of me understand why they splash so much cash on strikers. I can understand the signing of Tevez, and to an extent Santa, but Adebayor seems like a pointless acquisition. Surely a frontline of Robinho, Tevez, Santa, Bellamy, Caicedo, Bojinov etc. will suffice? They even have the 18m (?) Jo on loan to Everton. Ridiculous.

[BRFC4EVA]

City need a big overhaul - there defence is nowhere near the level of any of the top 4 clubs.

There midfielders they spent big on i.e. De Jong or whatever, are just not worth the money.

Upfront they really could do with someone like Tevez & Santa Cruz.

Impressive with the front line guesses there! Or maybe it just shows that to be manager of City you need no more then fans knowledge....

[Hughesy]

Think he has been reading what I said!

He needs to do the rest now like I said - top defenders & maybe another quality midfielder

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Why is Leslie Hughes not asked about this ?

Sorry...I have just been sick...watching Tevez's staged entrance at Man City...please!

It was indeed sickening Nicko.

Instead of the media having their heads firmly up the backside of Leslie Mark Hughes, with some of the assembled hacks appearing to rejoice in the amount of money that the Arabs are throwing around in the transfer market, I wish that the media would ask one or two questions of a more serious nature.

Firstly, why was Leslie Mark Hughes so happy to fling his arms around a disgusting murderous corrupt tyrant like Thaksin Shinawatra last summer and secondly, following Shinawatra's departure, why is Leslie now happy to work for the ruling torturing Abu Dhabi family.

Man City's current owner is - to give the bugger his full name - His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. His brother is the vile and disgusting Sheikh Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Issa and his murdering henchmen, including a uniformed policeman, have been caught on video torturing a man by beating him with a nailed plank and lashing him with whips, pouring salt into his wounds, abusing him with an electric cattle prod, setting fire to his genitals with lighter fluid and running him over with a Mercedes.

Are you happy with that Leslie? Are you proud to work for this bunch - because frankly it makes me absolutely sick.

Nicko, if you ever have the misfortune to be at a Man City press conference, I feel it's the duty of the media to ask some serious questions about the vile torturing antics of these disgusting Arabs and ask Leslie Hughes why is he so happy to work for the Nahyans - the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, who have engaged in the most abhorrent torture imaginable.

A report in the Observer newspaper in May said that there was more than two hours of video footage available showing Sheikh Issa's involvement in the torture of more than 25 people.

I'd like the media to put a quote to Leslie Hughes from Jim McGovern, the co-chairman of the Human Rights Commission. Mr McGovern said that the video footage showing Sheikh Issa torturing a man is "one of the most horrific things I have ever seen in my life".

Are you proud to work for this family Leslie?

Any decent football fan worth his salt should feel utter revulsion towards Manchester City football club as long as the revolting Abu Dhabi family remain in charge.

[BuckyRover]

To be fair, a lot of people on this messageboard want Joey Barton and his brother murdered somebody with an axe.

[CrazyIvan]

To be fair, a lot of people on this messageboard want Joey Barton and his brother murdered somebody with an axe.

Joey Barton isn't his brother though. Joey Barton isn't all sweetness and light mind...

[LeftWinger]

Nicko, if you ever have the misfortune to be at a Man City press conference, I feel it's the duty of the media to ask some serious questions about the vile torturing antics of these disgusting Arabs

I certainly wouldn't have the balls to ask! Not if they're going to set fire to them anyway!

[alexanders]

Hughes urges John Terry to re-ignite his career

"We would like to think we could offer him a different challenge," said Hughes.

What challenge? No European cup and trying to break into the top 4?

It is not a question of money. It's about a different challenge, a different stage in his life and career, and maybe that's why there hasn't been a response because John is seriously thinking in those terms.

What stage? Backwards?

City seriously think they are worldbeaters. They have something to prove before they can start all this bragging.

[Parsonblue]

Personally, I think City are simply doing what we did when Jack first arrived at the club. People made similar remarks when Shearer opted for the Rovers over Manchester United when he arrived from Southampton. I suspect that as well as the money - not that any other motivation would be needed - players are attracted to City because they suspect that the club is going to be a major force in the coming years and want to be part of it. We were able to attact the likes of Shearer, Newell, Batty, Le Saux, Flowers and the rest because they believed that the Rovers were going places with Jack's financial clout and the management duo of Dalglish and Harford.

I believe that Mark Hughes, Bowen, Niedzwiecki, Hitchcock and Hodges are a good managerial team who will do well at City if they are given the time. Obviously they need to take City into the top four this season and I think that if they can bring in a couple of good defenders they will do that. It has to be good that the cartel of United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are finally going to have a serious challenger for a top four place.

I'm just glad that the City owners had stood by Hughes and given him the chance to prove himself without bringing in a big name manager from abroad. He did an excellent job at Ewood and deserves his chance at a club with serious financial clout.

[den]

Hughes urges John Terry to re-ignite his career

"We would like to think we could offer him a different challenge," said Hughes.

What challenge? No European cup and trying to break into the top 4?

It is not a question of money. It's about a different challenge, a different stage in his life and career, and maybe that's why there hasn't been a response because John is seriously thinking in those terms.

What stage? Backwards?

City seriously think they are worldbeaters. They have something to prove before they can start all this bragging.

Just a day or two after the club said they keep these things in private?

[dave birch]

I don't care whether he's a great/good/crap manager. He's not the manager of the Rovers.

If we were really concerned, we'd have a thread about RFW, or Wenger, or the latest import at Chelsea.

Guys, he's gone. not coming back.

[Darth Paul]

I don't think you can compare what Rovers did to what City are doing at all.

I was discussing this with a mate yesterday, funnily enough, and we came to the conclusion that whilst City are going around buying established, globally recognised players, all of whom are top, established internationals, Rovers, with probably the exception of David Batty, bought up and coming, yet largely unproven potential.

Shearer - fair enough, the hottest property in the country at the time and a transfer record, but only 21 with a couple of caps under him, and to many of us at the time a gamble, who had us lamenting David Speedies exit.

Flowers - similar to Shearer, biggish name, but limited or no internatonal experience and from an unfashionable club.

Sutton - transfer record again but pure potential. 21 year old centre half with about 30 games as a striker behind him.

Le Saux/Berg - Who? (At the time) - Small transfer fees.

Sherwood/Hendry - B-list players at best at the time who came up from Div 2 with us. Sherwood couldnt get a game before we went up and ended up being a Premiership winning captain.

Super Atko - Probably the most underrated holder of a Premiership title medal to date. £45k from Scunthorpe - need I say more?

Tony Gale -36 years old, free transfer who was training with Barnet prior to joining. This sort of thing just does not happen now.

A quick look through the typical 94/95 starting 11 challenges a few preconceived ideas about us having a star studded team. There were a couple of gems amongst a side of workers and players no one had heard of and it worked. Beautifully.

Where is Man City's Mark Atkins, Ian Pearce, Tony Gale or even Jason Wilcox?

The established view is that Rovers just spent, spent, spent, but the educated analysis is different. Only King Kenny could have pulled off that success along with Ray Harford in that way. It was about quality coaching, quality tactics and an eye for talent.

City, and to a lesser extent Chelsea, are the footballing equivalent of Bob Geldof putting together the Live Aid line up. The big names are there, but they are no ones favourite band. And just like Live Aid, there's gonna be tears...

I could do what Sparky is doing. It is wrong, it is boring and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

[JC4LAB]

Still got the same naff defence as last year...All that money spent and bet he doesnt do much more than he did at Blackburn.getting to a couple of semis at best

[Parsonblue]

I don't think you can compare what Rovers did to what City are doing at all.

The point I was trying to make was that both clubs had the financial clout to enable the managers to cherry pick the players they wanted. Kenny was able to use Jack's money to smash transfer records for Shearer, Flowers and Sutton. Batty, Gallacher and Le Saux were established names in the top flight at the time while Sherwood and Newell were signed to help us win promotion. The likes of Ripley, Berg etc were brought in to fill specific roles because we had the financial power to do it. Look at the way in which we signed Duncan Shearer in the closing stages of the promotion campaign and then allowed him to leave a few months later. Without Jack's money we simply couldn't have done that.

I remember that throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s we struggled because of the lack of spending power. With it, coupled with an excellent management team, we reached the top of English football.

However, the game has moved on since Jack's time and owners now want instant success. Hence Hughes having to adopt a 'Real Madrid' approach to spending.

Of course money doesn't always buy success and we were fortunate that we had Kenny and Ray as our management team. However, Hughes proved himself as an excellent manager here on limited funds. Hopefully, he will prove himself just as successful with the riches he has available at City.

[Darth Paul]

The financial clout we had was greater than anyone elses, that is a fair point. I do feel however that where Hughes is playing fantasy football, we went about it the right way.

I just hope for the sake of football he doesnt succeed at City, and nor does anyone else.

[Parsonblue]

The financial clout we had was greater than anyone elses, that is a fair point. I do feel however that where Hughes is playing fantasy football, we went about it the right way.

I just hope for the sake of football he doesnt succeed at City, and nor does anyone else.

While I agree totally with your sentiments about the game and money I fear it is too late. Football sold its soul for cash a long time ago.