[Albion] Dale Stephens

[BrickTamland]

So why were the they poor excuses for footballers last season, under Hughton, but playing to and above their potential now?

TB's investment is fantastic, but my understanding of FFP with all the Sunderland and Leicester money it was never going to be an issue, regardless with what happened to the threshold.

You can't come in as a manager half way through a season and make wholesale changes to the formation and the way the team plays, that needs time and preseason. What he did may have been 'conservative' but was completely necessary. Add to that we had too many loans and probably low morale (the poor and negative atmosphere at home games didn't help) and it's quite easy to see why we weren't playing as well then as we are now once Hughton has had proper time to implement his ideas and bring in the players to execute it. Anyone judging Hughton based on last season (where lets not forget he did steady the ship and keep us up) is plain crazy IMO.

 

[Stat Brother]

Kayal wasn't. Baldock was injured. Stephens just came back from injury.

Add to that that it's difficult for a player to do well when the rest of the team is doing badly.

Well if we were well under FFP last season (probably were) maybe Tony thought he'd let Sami get used to the Championship before giving him a massive wedge to spend.

I thought you might be referring to Bruno, KLL and even the substitute appearance of CoG.
That's a lot of players available last season who have been 'transformed' this summer.


I think most of us would be happier if a reasonable wedge was spent both summers, instead of famine and feast.

 

[KZNSeagull]

The way the team played from January onwards made Hughton very easy to grumble about.

I'm amazed how quickly he's turned it around, which does make me wonder why he appeared to sit on hands for the first 4 months of his tenure.

Sure 'they aren't my players', but he took over when things weren't working, changed nothing and flirted with relegation while over seeing some of the most lifeless football imaginable, with just 2 highlights (Leeds & Birmingham).

Now it's a very structured 4-4-2, with plenty to get excited about.

Why wait? Why stick with failure?

Because the squad were used to playing that way and we were in a relegation fight? In that situation any manager worth his salt his hardly going to change things rapidly.

 

[Stat Brother]

You can't come in as a manager half way through a season and make wholesale changes to the formation and the way the team plays, that needs time and preseason. What he did may have been 'conservative' but was completely necessary. Add to that we had too many loans and probably low morale (the poor and negative atmosphere at home games didn't help) and it's quite easy to see why we weren't playing as well then as we are now once Hughton has had proper time to implement his ideas and bring in the players to execute it. Anyone judging Hughton based on last season (where lets not forget he did steady the ship and keep us up) is plain crazy IMO.

But if you're going to hell in a hand cart, and you know you can do better, why wait?
Why sit on an absolute failure, do nothing, and wait 4 months.

He's changing players from god knows what to back to basics 4-4-2.
You write as if he's training them in bomb disposal, one mistake and everybody is dead.

Don't forget the team amassed 10 points from their last 12 games, scoring 8 goals.

He didn't steady a ship, the team got lucky that others sunk faster.

 

[severnside gull]

'many'? I don't think I've seen ONE single post wanting Hughton out, ever.

Seen plenty questionning his style, and his percieved negativity, but none qustinning his position.

Doesn't EnRest count?

No.

 

[GT49er]

'many'? I don't think I've seen ONE single post wanting Hughton out, ever.

Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that. I'm not going to waste my life trawling back to find examples, but I'm pretty sure there were quite a few. Some didn't want him in the first place, remember, and immediately placed their ultimate faith in the negative judgement of some Norwich fans.

 

[Stat Brother]

Don't get me wrong, I'm genuinely excited about this season.
I'm pleased with all the money spent.
I'm happy that I haven't got a clue who most of the signings are.
The structure and discipline is great and alludes to a confidence in Hughton than I don't think any other AMEX era manager has had.

All is good.

But please don't make out January to May was anything other than a car crash, while CH was driving.

 

[Machiavelli]

So why were the they poor excuses for footballers last season, under Hughton, but playing to and above their potential now?

Triggaaar has answered this in post 140. I also responded in post 133.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I thought you might be referring to Bruno, KLL and even the substitute appearance of CoG.
That's a lot of players available last season who have been 'transformed' this summer.


I think most of us would be happier if a reasonable wedge was spent both summers, instead of famine and feast.

4m+ on Baldock, Stockdale, CoG and Colunga is a famine? Spending money on players that underperformed is still spending money. What is our combined spending so far this summer on transfer fees? Not much more than that so far, that we know of.

 

[BrickTamland]

But if you're going to hell in a hand cart, and you know you can do better, why wait?
Why sit on an absolute failure, do nothing, and wait 4 months.

He's changing players from god knows what to back to basics 4-4-2.
You write as if he's training them in bomb disposal, one mistake and everybody is dead.

Don't forget the team amassed 10 points from their last 12 games, scoring 8 goals.

He didn't steady a ship, the team got lucky that others sunk faster.

Well considering you agree we got lucky and only survived as others sunk faster then surely one mistake could have been incredibly costly? I don't think we played terribly for a lot of the last 10 games, in fact against Bournemouth and Norwich we matched them but we couldn't take our chances and they did. Our options upfront were diabolical last year, how any manager could of got them scoring I don't know.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Hughton is a conservative manager, history bears that out. Some managers are good at motivating and geeing players up - Hughton is not that man. His strength is analysing the opposition's strengths and weaknesses, preparation, organisation, pragmatism.

What is encouraging is that we're scoring in every game without conceding more than one per game. Injuries permitting, once Murphy and Zamora are up to speed I fancy we'll have two goals per game in us against most of this division. At that point confidence will begin to grow because presently every match is a dogfight.

Hopefully Hughton will continue with two wide men and two attackers - Stephens is crucial because he can also pop up a nick a goal too.

One of the reasons I'm pleased we've signed Zamora is that all our coaches are former defenders, and Bobby has that experience to help and guide the other attacking players. I'm sure they'll all benefit from having him around.

 

[Triggaaar]

I thought you might be referring to Bruno, KLL and even the substitute appearance of CoG.
That's a lot of players available last season who have been 'transformed' this summer.

KLL performed well at times last season, but he's often injured, so it wasn't easy.
Bruno was brilliant when he joined us, poor last season, and has had a great start to this season. He's slow, and needs to work as part of an organised team, and last season we started too gung-ho. I can't explain his improvement at the begging of this season, but it's early days, let's not get carried away.
I thought COG was excellent at holding the ball up last season, I'm not sure if he did anything in that 10 minutes away to Huddersfield that he hasn't done before.

I don't think our players are really transformed, a lack of injuries is a big plus.

I think most of us would be happier if a reasonable wedge was spent both summers, instead of famine and feast.

I don't know, that could mean blowing £8m a year, and doing ok every year, or saving some up for a big splash and then getting promoted.

 

[Machiavelli]

Don't get me wrong, I'm genuinely excited about this season.
I'm pleased with all the money spent.
I'm happy that I haven't got a clue who most of the signings are.
The structure and discipline is great and alludes to a confidence in Hughton than I don't think any other AMEX era manager has had.

All is good.

But please don't make out January to May was anything other than a car crash, while CH was driving.

It wasn't a car crash. It was turgid. To be a car crash, we would be in L1 now. And CH had been given the keys to a poor car, which then lost several parts (Baldock, Tex, etc) while trying to cross the finishing line that was Championship survival.

 

[Sheebo]

'many'? I don't think I've seen ONE single post wanting Hughton out, ever.

Seen plenty questionning his style, and his percieved negativity, but none qustinning his position.

Seen loads of posts yes - particularly end of last season.

Stand by my opinion of this negativity thing being a myth - and do feel this season is proving that. 442 and very attacking...

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm one of those that @HKFC fingered for questioning CH's tactics/conservatism/tedium for last season's final 10 games.

eh?

I was chief amongst those, making such comments, myself.

Glad that he's starting to go some way to proving us wrong. Long may it continue.

 

[Stat Brother]

I thought COG was excellent at holding the ball up last season, I'm not sure if he did anything in that 10 minutes away to Huddersfield that he hasn't done before.

Perhaps I got so giddy with excitement seeing the whole team play so professionally v Forest, CoG just iced the cake, instead of someone coming along and crapping all over it.

 

[Machiavelli]

eh?

I was chief amongst those, making such comments, myself.

Glad that he's starting to go some way to proving us wrong. Long may it continue.

I wasn't excluding you from making similar comments.
I'm also glad that the football is now exciting at times, whilst also sufficiently flexible to incorporate tedious football if it means grinding out a result.

 

[Doc Lynam]

Hughton is a conservative manager, history bears that out. Some managers are good at motivating and geeing players up - Hughton is not that man. His strength is analysing the opposition's strengths and weaknesses, preparation, organisation, pragmatism.

What is encouraging is that we're scoring in every game without conceding more than one per game. Injuries permitting, once Murphy and Zamora are up to speed I fancy we'll have two goals per game in us against most of this division. At that point confidence will begin to grow because presently every match is a dogfight.

Hopefully Hughton will continue with two wide men and two attackers - Stephens is crucial because he can also pop up a nick a goal too.

One of the reasons I'm pleased we've signed Zamora is that all our coaches are former defenders, and Bobby has that experience to help and guide the other attacking players. I'm sure they'll all benefit from having him around.

My thoughts exactly and it was lovely to hear its a responsibility that he wants to have.

 

[DavidRyder]

If Dale is sold, I might weep a little

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I think we do Chris Hughton a disservice on this. Yes, the football was not entertaining, but the remit was (or should have been), 'keep the team in the division'.

He achieved it, and I for one don't care about the style. He inherited a team with little confidence and certainly no credible shape or style.

He has now been given the opportunity to shape 'his' team and so far it is going well. We haven't got to September yet, but he does deserve a chance IMO.