[Albion] Albion (Hughton?) performance - the short term effect of Ashworth's appointment?

Bold Seagull said:

As [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION] has written on another thread, there are rumours that training focused on defending alienating the attacking players.

Now all the players would know Ashworth is the senior figure reporting back to Barber/Bloom on all footballing matters through the club, from the U8s up to the senior side. Suddenly from getting on with training, there is a senior person observing, asking players their opinions etc. on all things, and all of a sudden you can create a culture of 'yeah, come to think of it, we do spend too much time on the defensive side in training'.

Not saying that has happened, but it would be close minded not to consider the many angles that may have led 2019 to be such a disappointment.

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NooBHA said:

NooBHA thinks all this needs to remain confidential

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Sussex Nomad said:

If you don't know and you totally contradict yourself or try to sow seeds of doubt, what the hell is your thread actually about?

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Goldstone1976 said:

yep. It's one thing a fan positing a possibility; it's quite another a person who may have actual factual knowledge confirming or denying!

Are you planning to post on NSC mid-long term now? Or will you transfer your allegiance to Chris' new club (when that happens)?

I, for one, would miss your posts if you move on, and thank you for your contributions since you joined.

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Papa Lazarou said:

I hope Chris Hughton has the sort of personality that doesn't fall to pieces when a new person joins the management team.

So, to be clear, are you suggesting Ashworth's mere presence could have adversely affected Chris' ability to manage the team, or do you think Ashworth has said / done / promised something that has caused this?

Just trying to get a steer on what you are suggesting / insinuating here.

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Mouldy Boots said:

Surprised you're still here

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Goldstone1976 said:

I'm suggesting that prior to Ashworth joining, three people were covering the first team football-related tasks: Barber, Winstanley, and Hughton (with TB having final say, obvs). After his appointment, the number of people involved in those same tasks increased to four.

This increase in the number of people involved inevitably meant that the new guy (Ashworth) would have been rubbing up against the people who had previously done the bits of the tasks that he now wanted/had been told were his. This transfer of responsibility may have caused angst, &/or resistance, &/or a feeling of no longer being trusted. Those feelings, if felt, may have had a negative impact on the performance of one or more of the people so affected.

What is simply fact is that prior to Ashworth's arrival our PPG was 1.04. After his arrival, it fell to 0.75. That's a significant drop - but could be explained by other factors, sure. What is also fact is that there are countless examples of where a Director of Football (or similarly titled bod) has rocked up, and shortly after there have been departures of senior playing side of the club staff members.

We know that Chris is a decent human being. We know that he values integrity in himself and can therefore assume that he expects it from others. IF he felt that he hadn't been consulted appropriately about Ashworth's appointment, &/or about which of his tasks were going to be transferred to/heavily influenced by Ashworth, I don't believe it's a stretch to think that that would have negatively affected his performance.

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NooBHA said:

Stayed specifically to gain football knowledge from yourself

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Goldstone1976 said:

I'm suggesting that prior to Ashworth joining, three people were covering the first team football-related tasks: Barber, Winstanley, and Hughton (with TB having final say, obvs). After his appointment, the number of people involved in those same tasks increased to four.

This increase in the number of people involved inevitably meant that the new guy (Ashworth) would have been rubbing up against the people who had previously done the bits of the tasks that he now wanted/had been told were his. This transfer of responsibility may have caused angst, &/or resistance, &/or a feeling of no longer being trusted. Those feelings, if felt, may have had a negative impact on the performance of one or more of the people so affected.

What is simply fact is that prior to Ashworth's arrival our PPG was 1.04. After his arrival, it fell to 0.75. That's a significant drop - but could be explained by other factors, sure. What is also fact is that there are countless examples of where a Director of Football (or similarly titled bod) has rocked up, and shortly after there have been departures of senior playing side of the club staff members.

We know that Chris is a decent human being. We know that he values integrity in himself and can therefore assume that he expects it from others. IF he felt that he hadn't been consulted appropriately about Ashworth's appointment, &/or about which of his tasks were going to be transferred to/heavily influenced by Ashworth, I don't believe it's a stretch to think that that would have negatively affected his performance.

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Goldstone1976 said:

Dan Ashworth started work with the Albion on 12 Feb 2019.

There were 26 matches in the 2018/19 PL season before 12 Feb 2019. At that point we were 14th in the League, with 27 points. PPG = 1.04.

Since 12 Feb 2019, there have been 12 PL games. We finished in 17th, having achieved a further 9 points from those 12 games. PPG = 0.75.


And people said that the appointment of Ashworth wouldn't upset the applecart.

Some, including me, said it would, at least in the short term, and these stats would support the argument that it did. And, arguably, Hughton lost his job as a consequence.

Note: I am not saying that Ashworth's a bad bloke, nor that his appointment isn't in the best mid/long-term interest of the club as I simply don't know. Rather, I'm simply saying that I called it as a "fudge" at the time of his appointment (albeit with my predicted victim being Winstanley, not Hughton), and that (tongue firmly in cheek) "...after all there’s no history of an incoming Technical Director having caused internal ructions in other pro football clubs..."

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NooBHA said:

Of course I will continue to post

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Papa Lazarou said:

I hope Chris Hughton has the sort of personality that doesn't fall to pieces when a new person joins the management team.

So, to be clear, are you suggesting Ashworth's mere presence could have adversely affected Chris' ability to manage the team, or do you think Ashworth has said / done / promised something that has caused this?

Just trying to get a steer on what you are suggesting / insinuating here.

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Albion Prem said:

I think there are a number of people who will be looking over their shoulders when Ashworth is around, this is not going to be a happy period over the next two/three months

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Albion Prem said:

I think there are a number of people who will be looking over their shoulders when Ashworth is around, this is not going to be a happy period over the next two/three months

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Guinness Boy said:

Like who?

No one's claiming he actually got CH the sack. The very clear premise is that it accidentally disrupted things and allowed divisions that were there under the surface to fester, That's literally it. Based on two things, the stats that back it up and the OPs business experience.

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Stat Brother said:

and the stats don't even back it up.

The team had been shithouse since the middle of December.
Posters considerably more thoughtful than me were saying the team was shithouse throughout November's 1-0athons.

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