Hughes the next Premiership Managerial Casualty?

Sizzler

Bottom 3 going into the Christmas period with a squad that contains the likes of Robinho, Jo, SWP, Micah Richards and The Honeymonster.

Simply not good enough. Regardless of the commotion of the takeover which was understandably a little unsettling all I have been hearing come from the club and worringly from Hughes for the past 2-3 months is how they are going to strengthen in the transfer window.

I'm sorry but this is no reason to take your eye off the ball with the 'day job' and Hughes only seems worried about who he can sign after Christmas. Granted, he hasnt suggested the likes of Kaka etc. but he has peddled the notion that he needs more players. This is a LOB imho.

Get on with the task in hand, you have a pretty decent squad there Mr.Hughes and you don't need to be worrying about who you need to sign, this hasnt been just in the last fortnight, it's been over a sustained period.

You don't hear the likes of Gary Megson / Phil Brown bang the transfer window drum and they have so called "lesser" squads, just get on with it!

If the axe does fall, I think this will be one of the main reasons, he's made excuses and simply hasnt addressed the task in hand, i.e. working with what you have.

Mr Alan

most likely.

be the wrong decision but that hasnt stopped many clubs before.

Vokes

Read a good article this weekend in some paper about the players that he's inherited that he's very unhappy with. To summarize:


Richards: Not a good trainer. Prefers to spend his time in the gym bulking up, unnecessarily so.

Jo and Vassell: Aboslute donkeys or somesuch. Feels Jo was a waste at 18mil.

Dunne + Hamman: Old-schoolers with their approach to pre-match preperation. i.e. Very poor at doing their warm-ups and stretches, etc.

Elano: Lazy. Not a Hughes' type player obviously.


I don't think he'll be given the time though to move the above dead wood on and get more his kind of players to add to his own buys: Zabeleta, Robinho, Kompany.


Article: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/hughes-toils-on-rocky-foundations-of-divided-city-to-build-for-future-1204882.html

JPA

SofaK wrote: »

Read a good article this weekend in some paper about the players that he's inherited that he's very unhappy with. To summarize:


Richards: Not a good trainer. Prefers to spend his time in the gym bulking up, unnecessarily so.

Jo and Vassell: Aboslute donkeys or somesuch. Feels Jo was a waste at 18mil.

Dunne + Hamman: Old-schoolers with their approach to pre-match preperation. i.e. Very poor at doing their warm-ups and stretches, etc.

Elano: Lazy. Not a Hughes' type player obviously.


I don't think he'll be given the time though to move the above dead wood on and get more his kind of players to add to his own buys: Zabeleta, Robinho, Kompany.


Article: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/hughes-toils-on-rocky-foundations-of-divided-city-to-build-for-future-1204882.html

Robinho his own buy? More like, "We want to sign a big star, Robinho sound ok?" Hughes: "Hell ya!"

Charlie

I reckon Xavi has been dying for weeks for a thread like this to pop up, but didn't want to be the man himself to start it.

LuckyLloyd

Mr Alan wrote: »

most likely.

be the wrong decision but that hasnt stopped many clubs before.

Being honest, I don't think it's the wrong decision at this point. Hughes did a very good job at Blackburn and came in to Eastlands on a certain type of platform - bring some toughness to a talented, yet somewhat lightweight squad; get them performing towards their best on a more consistent basis; and get a chance to continue finding value in the transfer market with a larger kitty at his disposal. Probable medium term goals were to get into the Champions League conversation after two - three seasons.

But with the change of ownership, the job is now asking a manager to oversee a radical overhaul of the squad from top to bottom - with the incoming players being whoever can be gotten for the silliest amounts spendable. And the new medium term objective is to win it all within two - three seasons.

Now, understanding that - think about whether:

- Mark Hughes would have been your manager of choice for such an assignment;
- Whether you would expect any incumbent manager to weather the storm and come out the other side of such an extensive transitional period;

Hughes is unlucky in many respects - for he signed up to run one club and quickly got another. And the current poor form is largely a product of the financial context underpinning everything - which causes players to be looking over their shoulder or wondering where they will be playing their football next season. But ultimately I think he will go - one of many casualties at the club over the next couple of transfer windows. Interesting times ahead.

Bounty Hunter

they should have never sacked Sven

mike65

When WBA dispatch you having got back on level terms, that should be it. Hughes is not a bad manager but he is a passenger at a club thats in a dangerous state of flux.

PHB

I'd say he'll be gone, but he shouldn't be.

He deserves time. Personally I think a lot of City players are massively overrated, and most of them are nowhere near ready for the premiership. That said, he has done poorly, no doubt about that. But he needs to bring in his own players and then you judge him. 2-3 good signings (defensive in reality) and they could still make UEFA cup.

Melion

Does he really not like Richards?
How much would it take to get him to Anfield?

raven136

richards is terribly overrated and wouldnt want him near liverpool.

If they really are going to spend upwards of 150m then keeping sven would have been a great idea,no better man to make multimillionaire players feel good about themselves and be sure of a starting place.

In all honesty the squad at city should be too good to be in this positon.

Ince and Ramos werent badly treated just by their boards more so by the players.If you are a professional player then there has to be a onus on you to try your best even if you disagree or dislike the manager.The spurs players are the worst,just couldnt be bothered trying a leg for ramos(not saying him not learning english etc was clever either).

eirebhoy

Give Richards a chance, he's only 20.

JPA

eirebhoy wrote: »

Give Richards a chance, he's only 20.

That's the problem.

Xavi6

Sadly there are signs that Richards is going to turn out to be more of a Titus Bramble than a Sol Campbell. Both goals yesterday were partly as a result of his poor positioning. He's a great athlete but has an aswful football brain. He does spend a lot of time in the gym and is becoming very top heavy. He definitely has the ability to be a great defender, but he needs to be dragged to one side and given proper defensive coaching.

As for Hughes, well I've supported him all season, the same way I supported Sven while he was at the club. However there comes a time when you have to question your own judgement and right now Hughes is making even his supporters do that. The results have simply not been good enough, and league position does not lie.

Galvasean

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

they should have never sacked Sven

I agree. I felt Sven was doing a fine job and was harshly dismissed.

Boggles

I GuanYin wrote: »

Sadly there are signs that Richards is going to turn out to be more of a Titus Bramble than a Sol Campbell.

Jaysus I remember saying that almost verbatim some months back and you leathered me.

Hughes is lucky enough the table is a bit mental this year, you could throw a tea towel over 12 clubs.

His next run of games are.

Hull (h)
Blackburn (a)
Pompey (a)
Wigan (h)
Newcastle (h)
Stoke (a)

18 points up for grabs, he needs at least 11-12, come Jan he needs to bring in more modest players to steady the ship instead of 100m stars.

City play Hull and Blackburn before the window opens, if he gets nothing from them, I don't think he will be there to play monoply with the Arabs cash.

Xavi6

Boggles wrote: »

Jaysus I remember saying that almost verbatim some months back and you leathered me.

A few months ago though he was playing well. Now he just seems to be going backwards.

Boggles

I GuanYin wrote: »

A few months ago though he was playing well. Now he just seems to be going backwards.

No, he has always had the Titus in him, he just had Super Dunne making him look good.

herbieflowers

They should just keep him at right-full, he's not intelligent or aware enough to play in the centre.

Xavi6

herbieflowers wrote: »

They should just keep him at right-full, he's not intelligent or aware enough to play in the centre.

Spot on. England under 21 captain Nedum Onouha should be playing in the centre.

The problem though is that Zabaleta is just so bloody good. Not a hope of Richards playing right full over him.

herbieflowers

I know. Zabaleta has been excellent this season. Richards' explosive athleticism and power (which is what alerted everyone to him in the first place, aside from the fact that he was a young English player) are more suited to the right-back role.

Dave!

I'd say he'll be given til after January, but yeah he'll be feeling it

herbieflowers

I think Hughes'll come good, he's a good manager. It wouldn't surprise me to see him go, but you'd have to wonder about destabilising the club further by getting shot of the manager.

Xavi6

Dave! wrote: »

I'd say he'll be given til after January, but yeah he'll be feeling it

That would be pointless though. Let him buy players in January then sack him? If someone is to come in then they need to be at the club by January 1. If not then wait til the end of the season.

Dave!

I agree, but I reckon the arabs are just of the belief that if they buy every other player in the world then they'll be grand!

brayblue24

I GuanYin wrote: »

As for Hughes, well I've supported him all season, the same way I supported Sven while he was at the club. However there comes a time when you have to question your own judgement and right now Hughes is making even his supporters do that. The results have simply not been good enough, and league position does not lie.

Agree 100% but after that display yesterday? I see now he says he doesn't rate Elano. Maybe till the end of January and see what he comes up with. If he got rid of Elano and Jo even on loan deals it would put an end to the rumoured Brazilian clique running the dressing room atm.
Have to agree his own buys do look good-Zabaleta, Kompany, the returned SWP and even (when he's in the mood) Robinho.

Bubs101

The team is far too good to be where it is. He should be sacked. He's pretty much scuppered the owners plans for a massive transfer influx this winter because I doubt the likes of Gigi Buffon and Kolo Toure are going to join a club in the relegation zone.

Ironically Sven would have been perfect for the Arabs. He was given a truckload of money for Lazio and made them the cities first team for a while and won the league in a fairly similar situation

Sizzler

Here we go again, he's talking of new signings FFS.

City's strikeforce only cost the guts of £50m !

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/12/22/SOCCER_Man_City_Nightlead.html

Any chance you manage the squad you have Mark :rolleyes:

xbox36016

danny miles the next city manager

mike65

OT

You can get Scolari at 17/1 to be the next casualty. Hmmmmm.

Bobalicious93

I can see Avram Grant getting the City job, I don't think there'e any doubt that Hughes won't last the rest of the season

bigstar

ramos, ince and keane have gone so there is no reason hughes should keep his job, but who would be a better replacement. svens form in the second half of last season was similar to this. this is the same team that beat pompey 6-0, arsenal 3-0 and topped their uefa group. we have to beat blackburn and hull or i cant see him being there in jan. the worst thing about hughes is the excuses, we have at least as good a squad as bolton, boro and the rest so he should stop talking about transfers. ive spent weekend fuming every time i talk about city, but really hughes cant have just turned into a **** manager. how many managers have we had while utd have had fergie, and how **** have we been while theyre the best in the world. hes proven himself in the PL, unlike ramos ince or keane.