[Archived] Hughes Out

[Manchester Blue]

Just to put this post into context for everyone, most of it is a sly dig at me based on a conversation/argument we had last night on the train back from the Chelsea game. So here I am responding to the bait.

Well considering it was my post then I think it should fall to me to put it in it's true context. If you seriously think I would waste my time posting sly digs at you then you know nowt. The comments about the respect and awards were made in reponse to Mark/Bellamy. I'm not having a go at individuals but it annoys me to see people opinions derided on a basis of length of posting, etc. Mock them for being crap by all means but not because they don't have respect.

Secondly I don't believe Hughes can be judged yet and haven't said that, I think he should not be above criticism is my view. I've always been of the opnion that a manager/player should be given time before you form a valid opnion. It was that contradiction I was referring to which another poster highlighted.

Finally as I've said before there is no way that team is that bad but on current form we are on a one way ticket to the nationwide. You found positives from Villa, but I found positives from Southampton and Manyoo. The point is I won't accept that this team is that bad but you already know that.

[Scotty]

Just to take a slight tangent, on the T4E disappearance thread you said:

"I'm dead proud of the "Best Football Contributor 2002" award I got last year, and intend to continue as before without "taking a chill pill"."

That's a quote from one of Tris's posts.

[Flopsy]

well I was "2nd Funniest Contributor 2002" if we are showing each other our medals

[trueblue]

I know me posting only adds to the rubbish I have been reading all weekend but for gods sake lets leave conspiracy theories, insults and hilarity out of the messageboard.

Hmm... a message board with no posts on it !

[Hughesy]

I agree with the fact that things need changing. Playing Bothroyd and Gally or Bothroyd and Stead might bring us goals.

Dickov is great at working hard but im sorry he just doesn’t get goals.

The defence obviously needs changing and I think giving todd and Johanson could be an option. I would also love to see Jay McEveley and Jemal Johnson given a chance in the 1st team. Weather it be as sub or whatever,

I do not however agree with this topic title and I will back mark Hughes all the way. I expect things to pick up soon we just need 1 piece of luck in a game and take the lead.

If we could hold out in the 1st half on Saturday and then get an early goal in the second half then I think you will see a right fight from the Blackburn players.

We have 3 midfielders who are all playing better than under souness; Emerton, Reid and Ferguson.

Give Hughes time FFS. Rovers WILL stay up! Keep the faith

[Jolly Giraffe]

I am as depressed as the next man with our current form but I could not believe my eyes when I saw this thread.

It's not Hughes's fault he's been given a side with no skill, spirit or backbone.

To enter a Premier league campaign without addressing the most crucial weakness in the side (our defence) was scandalous by Souness.

For some reason Gray's form has dipped this season, Niell plays like he is concussed and the middle two is the root cause of all our problems.

Amo should never have been allowed south of the border, Matteo is a dirty player who is not even subtle enough to mask his dirty tackles and Short is simply too old for another season in the top flight.

When Souey was out acquiring us two left-sided midfielders and another striker he should have gone back to basics and concentrated on the back four.

Having said all that the problem is easy to see but not so easy to fix, Hughes must address the defence as a priority in January. If we can tighten up in the second half of the season and build confidence from the back then we may just survive.

[thenodrog]

Anyone seriously questioning Hughes's appointment after the few games he's been here needs their head examining.

I actually didn't want Mark Hughes to come in the first place and said so on here. Smashing bloke by all accounts but for us in the position we were in to appoint somebody totally unproven in club management and even more incredibly the 'players choice' ( ffs I have never heard anything so stupid as comments attributed to the players at that time callng for Hughes to be appointed ) was at best foolish and probably suicidal.

Having said all that i do recognise the fact that the players he has been left with are poor, but so are the players at Everton, Soton, Palace. WBA and Norwich and they are all above us! A Moyes, Allardyce, Megson etc would at least have instilled some fight into the team. This lot (Dickov and Brad excepted) just lie down and die at the first available opportunity. So up to now I can see no sign of any motivational ability in the new management team.

Still I have reason to believe that something major may be in the offing by Dec / Jan, so there may still be hope.

[thenodrog]

When January comes he will be able to sell the layabouts and buys some quality players.

Oh aye, and just who is going to take underperforming, unfit players aged 30+ on massive wages from us? Get real.

[bob]

IF we are still in this position (Bottom) at Christmas then we are down (Or as good as) so talking about the January transfer window as if it’s ok to wait until then is not the way, Mark needs turn things around with the players he has an quickly.

Reid – Bad buy by GS IMO is an average division 1 player drop him and put either de predro, Pederson or Matty on the left and let Emmo go back on the right.

Matteo – Get him out of the team he is having a terrible season.

We need to change the forward two as it’s just not working, as for sacking the manager after just 5 games then no but things have got to pick up quickly

Edited October 25, 2004 by bob

[Blueboy Downunder]

flopsy

lets take stock of the situation for a moment. most of the players, all but one i think....where actually signed by graham souness. mark hughes has nothing to do with that whatsoever, so he can select what ever players and formation he feels is right, but at the end of the day it is the same players that he has been left with. can't do anything about it until january.....so a knee jerk reaction, indeed it is yes.

further more - anybody see the comment that craig bellamy made to souness on the team bus back to newcastle after the charlton game?? it was a little snippett in the news of the world.

[roversmum]

further more - anybody see the comment that craig bellamy made to souness on the team bus back to newcastle after the charlton game?? it was a little snippett in the news of the world.

No, didn't see it. Do tell

[Blueboy Downunder]

well mother....apparently bellamy had a swipe at souness by alledgedly saying "you left that club in such a dire state, to come here"....

draw your own conclusions to that possible statement......but what has been left for hughesy to get back off the floor, is not the best of squads, but still rather talented.

[Ossydave]

Hughes out - ridiculous statement to make, stick to your Friday (un)funnies.

However Hughes isn't totally blameless like some people are making out, presumably because they wanted him to be the manager and fail to see his weaknesses. The squad he was left with is better than a lot of the teams above us, end of story.

[Blueboy Downunder]

if that is the case ossydave...why then are rovers near to the foot of the table, mate?? you may say cause we have played defended badly at times which is true, but this is due to the seeming lack of quality players that we have at our disposal right now.

[des]

come on message board members lets have a big breath of air and start again

for players for me there are judged over a whole season and a manger over two.

the team that MH has is not too hot, its cannot defend nor can it score, however for the first 37 mim of the last game they were playing quite well

Nevertheless to changes things in the long term it does take time, we have to fight and pick up points until jan and then see who we can buy.

There is one more important factor, I do hope that we do not buy players for the sake of buying them, if the right players are not there lets wait still next season, the mnoey we have can only be spent once.

[Ossydave]

if that is the case ossydave...why then are rovers near to the foot of the table, mate?? you may say cause we have played defended badly at times which is true, but this is due to the seeming lack of quality players that we have at our disposal right now.

Odd/non-existent tactics.

A complete lack of understanding of the offside trap.

Low morale/confidence.

Above all I don't think Hughes knows his players properly yet.

[Blueboy Downunder]

i certainly agree that he don't know his players yet, but come january he will certainly know which ones he don't want to be at this club any longer.

i think or sounds ok to have dunny, henchoz and danny gabbidon...at rovers in january.

[broadsword]

Dunn's hardly played a game for Brum, the last thing we need in a sdogfight is a player who spends 75% of his time on the treatment table, and the other 25% swanning around the pitch losing the ball.

We're in such deep doodoo that I don't care who we sign as long as it helps, I'm even prepared to see Savage don the blue and white if it gets us out of the muck.

"Dunn for Rovers" sounds like more of an emotional response that a considered one.

[Shaddy]

Having said all that i do recognise the fact that the players he has been left with are poor, but so are the players at Everton, Soton, Palace. WBA and Norwich and they are all above us! A Moyes, Allardyce, Megson etc would at least have instilled some fight into the team. This lot (Dickov and Brad excepted) just lie down and die at the first available opportunity. So up to now I can see no sign of any motivational ability in the new management team.

And so would have Souness IMO.

And so will Hughes... eventually. Once he learns that man management is all about holding these players to professional contracts and not how pleased they are with him. That was one of the biggest criticisms of Souness (upset players), but I believe it was his biggest asset (he had the courage to ruffle their feathers). The problem is... will the learning curve prove to steep to climb in time to save Rovers.

[Ricky]

Too early to blame Hughes yet. He's trying to make do with the @#/? he has been left by Souness.

Hartson, Henchoz, Brown, and Savage in January please.

[Blue blood]

Hughes isn't blameless and our performances under him haven't been good. But to sack him after 5 games would be plain stupid. Obviously things are worrying but could anyone else have done better with the dross that we have? The squad these days has first division written all over it. Given the fact we had IMO the worst defence last season and are now lacking a leading striker it's not that suprising that we are where we are. If you look at the team how many of our players would get in, say, the birmingham side? Not many.

Hughes however has to address some key weaknesses that he has not rectified as yet. I think the fans however, have the benefit of hindsight having seen these mistakes for over a year. Things like Emerton on the left, an aging midfield, an appalling defence, the need for two strikers up front are all problems that we've witnessed week in week out as Rovers fans. Hughes by comparison has had only a few weeks to realise the futility of playing Emerton on the left, that Amoruso can't defend etc. To me how fast he learns these weaknesses and comes up with a viable solution to get us through to January will be the key to his success as Rovers manager. Hughes has the potential to become a good manager for Rovers, but that potential may come too late.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Hughes isn't blameless and our performances under him haven't been good. But to sack him after 5 games would be plain stupid. Obviously things are worrying but could anyone else have done better with the dross that we have? The squad these days has first division written all over it. Given the fact we had IMO the worst defence last season and are now lacking a leading striker it's not that suprising that we are where we are. If you look at the team how many of our players would get in, say, the birmingham side? Not many.

Hughes however has to address some key weaknesses that he has not rectified as yet. I think the fans however, have the benefit of hindsight having seen these mistakes for over a year. Things like Emerton on the left, an aging midfield, an appalling defence, the need for two strikers up front are all problems that we've witnessed week in week out as Rovers fans. Hughes by comparison has had only a few weeks to realise the futility of playing Emerton on the left, that Amoruso can't defend etc. To me how fast he learns these weaknesses and comes up with a viable solution to get us through to January will be the key to his success as Rovers manager. Hughes has the potential to become a good manager for Rovers, but that potential may come too late.

Excellent post BB

And going along with AlanK's on the 'Steward/fans relationship thread' one of the best posts on here by far for ages.

[The Gull]

Hughes has been left with an average squad full of players who don't seem to give a damn.

The only thing Hughes may be guilty of at this early stage in his management of our club is not knowing which players he can rely on, and he will soon learn this as I am sure many have already made an impression on him and his coaching staff.

Unfortunately he has to hope that some of those players pull their socks up and battle until January when he can bring some of his own faces in to the team.

The only other option is an extremely bold one, which is to play players who have no, or very little, premier league experience and hope they shine and make a difference.

The vote usually goes with the experienced pro's.

It was a bad time for him to take over, post January should be a lot more interesting but will it be too late to play catch up?

One final point is we have played Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and we have Liverpool coming up, in my opinion the top six teams in the league, games should get a little easier.

[CAPT KAYOS]

One final point is we have played Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and we have Liverpool coming up, in my opinion the top six teams in the league, games should get a little easier.

I knew somebody would come up with this sooner or later.

Hasn't it been the case though that over the seasons our letdown has been how we do not perform against the so called lower teams and perform against those at the top end of the league.

Doesn't hold up any hope the way we have been playing thus far, working on the principal that the games should be easier Gull.

It could well be we will reverse the trend this season ,... but then again looking at our performances against WBA/Charlton and Portsmouth and the way we have performed recently it doesn't look like it.

[American]

If Hughes doesn't work out, we should hire the manager of Slovenia. After all, he did beat Italy.