01 Oct 2018 09:12:24
What's everyone thinking then?

Last year I was a big believer in giving MP time to work. This year I'm torn. On one hand I want us to do the same with Hughes and not become a team that just switches manager with every run of form. On the other hand, I didn't think Hughes was the right man when we hired him, didn't think he was the right man when we extended him, and still don't think he's the right man now!

We have looked completely anaemic, and but for Danny Ings would really be in the thick of the relegation zone right now. I fear even the shot in the arm that Ings gave us could wear off with too much more of this. What worries me most is hearing Hughes talk post-match. No responsibility or accountability, we're always unlucky and he seems to take some bizarre pride in not getting hammered! He loves to say we don't 'manage games' well - I think the issue is the exact opposite. Stop trying to manage games and gauge your intensity according to the situation. Play football with intensity for 90 minutes in every game, and results will come.

My approach - Hughes has a month to turn things around, then I say get someone else in with some time to evaluate the squad before January. I don't like saying this because it's not typically how you move a club forward, but then neither is hiring Mark Hughes so desperate times!

1.) 01 Oct 2018
01 Oct 2018 10:49:52
As you know, I feel exactly the same as you. I don’t rate MH and after 15 games in charge, his points and good record is worse than MP2. Has he made a difference? I don’t think so. Looking at teams like Chelsea and West Ham, with new managers coming in over the summer, new styles of play and looking to get that message across to the players, they were inconsistent at the start of the season (albeit successful as far as Chelsea goes), but the last week has seen them starting to bring things together, be more cohesive and play the new style with more consistency and direction. So surely, if MH was changing things we would see it by now.

Since Koeman, our defence has eroded at a frightening pace. The half court press under his watch was balanced by a stronger attack. Under Puel, that similar approach looked lopsided as our attack faltered. MP2 again took a similar approach but teams had cottoned onto our lack of firepower and could be more adventurous against us. Now, under MH, we commit more bodies forward but that’s leaving us wide open at the back. It was exactly the same problem he had at Stoke. He wants to outscore the opposition every game but fails to see the flaws in the set up of the team. He blames losses on our failure to convert chances, rather than acknowledging too our failure to stop the opposition scoring.

I’m not an advocate for sacking managers after 7 or 8 games if things aren’t going well because I think the club needs stability now. The problem is, they keep on hiring the wrong person as they’ve completely lost touch with the vision and unity that got us back to the Premier League in the first place.

Football has evolved massively in the last decade and I am adamant that some of the old timers have been left behind. Their coaching methods, tactics and approach to the game is no longer good enough to keep up with the new coaching methods brought in by the new generation both home and abroad. Pep is no secret, Julian Nagglesmann, Sarri, Tuchel, Klopp, MP etc. They’re not all young by the way. They are just the new breed of coach/ manager who are looking to innovate and progress and have all found ways of making their teams better and changing the football landscape.

If we want to avoid following the likes of West Brom, Stoke, Sunderland, Newcastle, Swansea, we must look to bring in a new head coach with the ability to revolutionise the way we play football. To create a system and style that will be our blueprint for years to come. Us aside, that’s also what brought Swansea such success but their fate was sealed when they left it behind and went through a string of managers simply hoping for Prem survival each season. We are now in a cycle where we are doing exactly the same. So as far as timing goes, the sooner we correct this error in judgment, the better.

So in my view, our next appointment must be a head coach or manager with an innovative approach who likes the team to play in a way that’s easy on the eye and can make a team better than the sum of its parts. They don’t need to have Prem experience. We then need to give them the time to make the changes they need and give them off the field support to do it. Or endure more torrid football and relegation if not this season then in the near future.

2.) 01 Oct 2018
01 Oct 2018 19:40:34
I agree that we need someone with a new approach but we need to give him time which surely means giving MH his P45 soon. I think that MH is too set in his ways and is unable to change his approach. He has very little idea of how to set up his defence and even though he was a pretty good striker himself he doesn't seem able to get the strikers we have scoring.

3.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 08:28:30
I agree. Young manager with energy, fresh ideas and ambition. The club needs a shake up. The problem is, that is something which is more effectively done over the summer. So I can see an argument that if we think Hughes will keep us up, we should stick with him until then.