In defence of Mark Hughes

[Blue2112]

For the past 24 hours Ive thought long and hard about the position of our manager, I think its well know Ive never wanted him here in the first place and I still dont. However putting my own personal opinions to one side I honestly think that we have to stick with him at the very least until February/March to see if we can get out of this mess. If we're still struggling then we'll probably need a new manager to give us the impetus to get out of it.

Why my sudden change of heart, well its not really a change of heart but more a taste of realism, its true we have problems with certain players that wont or dont want to fall in with the party line, I can't blame Hughes for that as he is the manager and the manager must have the final say on how he wants to run the playing side of the club or else its going to lead to all sorts of problems. If certain players dont like his style then either they should fuck off or buckle down to some small hardships of hard graft and buy into the team ethic. Theres things about my job I dont like but hey thats fucking life.

The reason why Hughes needs at the very least one transfer window is to try and weed out some of the players that are
a bad influence, with the January signings lets see if he can improve the results and if he does then he should be allowed the summer to rid the club of those he couldn't move on this coming January. If he can't improve things by mid February then fair enough pay him off and move on.

 

[gman07]

For the past 24 hours Ive thought long and hard about the position of our manager, I think its well know Ive never wanted him here in the first place and I still dont. However putting my own personal opinions to one side I honestly think that we have to stick with him at the very least until February/March to see if we can get out of this mess. If we're still struggling then we'll probably need a new manager to give us the impetus to get out of it.

Why my sudden change of heart, well its not really a change of heart but more a taste of realism, its true we have problems with certain players that wont or dont want to fall in with the party line, I can't blame Hughes for that as he is the manager and the manager must have the final say on how he wants to run the playing side of the club or else its going to lead to all sorts of problems. If certain players dont like his style then either they should fuck off or buckle down to some small hardships of hard graft and buy into the team ethic. Theres things about my job I dont like but hey thats fucking life.

The reason why Hughes needs at the very least one transfer window is to try and weed out some of the players that are
a bad influence, with the January signings lets see if he can improve the results and if he does then he should be allowed the summer to rid the club of those he couldn't move on this coming January. If he can't improve things by mid February then fair enough pay him off and move on.

my only fear with that is that it might be to late to turn the tide... and as you i see life as you seem to do when it comes to things at work... some part of it is fun others not... and football is a team game that needs a team working to get results... i think Hughes is a good manager for some players and not at all good with others... many managers are flexible to manage more types of players... this isnt Hughes though... he needs his characters... so if the owners stick with Hughes let him buy what he needs... but im not sure january is big enough to get all the players in that is needed

 

[Citysmith]

Well put and that some up about exactly how I feel. I'm hoping that we finally have a manager with a big pair, that needs to change the culture of Manchester City. If it goes tits up, I'll hold my hands up and admit I was 100% wrong.

Well put Blue2112

 

[Jim Tolmie's Underpants]

Well thought out and considered opinion.

A refreshing change from the all too many Hughes Out threads.

I'm with you, brother!

In Hughes We Trust.

 

[Anonymous]

If certain players dont like his style then either they should fuck off or buckle down to some small hardships of hard graft and buy into the team ethic. Theres things about my job I dont like but hey thats fucking life.

Just to pick this bit out. I don't agree with it. Just because he is manager does not mean he is right. He could go to Chelsea and Lampard, Terry, Anelka, Deco and Carvalho (i.e all their top players) might not like his style, would you say that they should fuck off if they don't buckle down to his style of training or how he wants them to play and work?

Having that hard man and hard work ethic approach will get the best out of journeymen and average players to play above their ability at clubs like Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn and that will get them to 6th-mid table but when you want to progress even further and be successful you need players who will win a game for you and provide that bit of skill that could do that, you need a mixture of flair players and hard workers. Chelsea and the rags have that. They both have players who will work hard for the team and are valuable members that never get the praise they deserve sometimes such as Essien, Mikel, Terry, Drogba, Hargreaves, Rooney, Tevez ect but they also have the flair players that will not work as hard as the ones mentioned above but will provide the flair and skill to win games such as Ronaldo, Deco, Anelka, Berbatov, Kalou ect. They both have that in abundence which is why both teams have been at the top for the past few years and is why Arsenal who have lots of flair and skillfull players but no hard working players and Liverpool who have lots of hard working players but hardly any flair and skillful players have not been as successfull as Chelsea and the rags.

I get the impression that Hughes wants a team like he did at Blackburn and Wales. Eleven players who will work hard for him and be tough to beat but that will only get us flirting between 6th and 10th. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who wants a player like Robinho in your side which you need if you want to be successful.

The question we have to ask ourselves is what do we want? Do we want 2-3 years of being mediocre and flirting between 6th and 10th and having that stability we all crave for while playing negative football but getting the results which Hughes will give us or do we want to aim higher and be ambitious which the money we have available allows us to be because with Hughes in charge we won't do that. I prefer doing the latter and that is why i don't want that rag twat in charge of us.

 

[Blue2112]

If certain players dont like his style then either they should fuck off or buckle down to some small hardships of hard graft and buy into the team ethic. Theres things about my job I dont like but hey thats fucking life.

Just to pick this bit out. I don't agree with it. Just because he is manager does not mean he is right. He could go to Chelsea and Lampard, Terry, Anelka, Deco and Carvalho (i.e all their top players) might not like his style, would you say that they should fuck off if they don't buckle down to his style of training or how he wants them to play and work?

Having that hard man and hard work ethic approach will get the best out of journeymen and average players to play above their ability at clubs like Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn and that will get them to 6th-mid table but when you want to progress even further and be successful you need players who will win a game for you and provide that bit of skill that could do that, you need a mixture of flair players and hard workers. Chelsea and the rags have that. They both have players who will work hard for the team and are valuable members that never get the praise they deserve sometimes such as Essien, Mikel, Terry, Drogba, Hargreaves, Rooney, Tevez ect but they also have the flair players that will not work as hard as the ones mentioned above but will provide the flair and skill to win games such as Ronaldo, Deco, Anelka, Berbatov, Kalou ect. They both have that in abundence which is why both teams have been at the top for the past few years and is why Arsenal who have lots of flair and skillfull players but no hard working players and Liverpool who have lots of hard working players but hardly any falir and skillful players have not been as successfull as Chelsea and the rags.

I get the impression that Hughes wants a team like he did at Blackburn and Wales. Eleven players who will work hard for him and be tough to beat but that will only get us flirting between 6th and 10th. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who wants a player like Robinho in your side which you need if you want to be successful.

The question we have to ask ourselves is what do we want? Do we want 2-3 years of being mediocre and flirting between 6th and 10th and having that stability we all crave for while playing negative football but getting the results which Hughes will give us or do we want to aim higher and be ambitious which the money we have available allows us to be because with Hughes in charge we won't do that. I prefer doing the latter and that is why i don't want that rag twat in charge of us.

I think the players you mentioned Lampard, Terry Carvalho etc have an entirely different mindset to the players I was thinking of like Johnson, Elano and Jo. The Chelsea players are at Chelsea and not City simply because not only do they have immense talents but their mental strength is in an entirely different league. I dont believe we can turn City around to win league titles in the next 12 months, firstly we need to rid ourselves of those less talented for instance Beh haim, Ball, Vassell, Benjani to name a few and then lose the ones who have the talent but wont for whatever reason implement it and I'm thinking of Elano, Johnson, Jo and possibly even Robinho. Other players will raise they're game and with the return of confidence from winning games hopefully the likes of Richards, Ireland Hart and SWP will be an integral homegrown piece of the final jigsaw.

This simply wont happen overnight and I think Hughes is now engaging on the first part of his mandate for a hopefully successful future for the club. Those that are good enough and WANT TO BE A PART OF IT can do so if they get on board.

 

[BobKowalski]

Just to pick this bit out. I don't agree with it. Just because he is manager does not mean he is right. He could go to Chelsea and Lampard, Terry, Anelka, Deco and Carvalho (i.e all their top players) might not like his style, would you say that they should fuck off if they don't buckle down to his style of training or how he wants them to play and work?

Having that hard man and hard work ethic approach will get the best out of journeymen and average players to play above their ability at clubs like Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn and that will get them to 6th-mid table but when you want to progress even further and be successful you need players who will win a game for you and provide that bit of skill that could do that, you need a mixture of flair players and hard workers. Chelsea and the rags have that. They both have players who will work hard for the team and are valuable members that never get the praise they deserve sometimes such as Essien, Mikel, Terry, Drogba, Hargreaves, Rooney, Tevez ect but they also have the flair players that will not work as hard as the ones mentioned above but will provide the flair and skill to win games such as Ronaldo, Deco, Anelka, Berbatov, Kalou ect. They both have that in abundence which is why both teams have been at the top for the past few years and is why Arsenal who have lots of flair and skillfull players but no hard working players and Liverpool who have lots of hard working players but hardly any falir and skillful players have not been as successfull as Chelsea and the rags.

I get the impression that Hughes wants a team like he did at Blackburn and Wales. Eleven players who will work hard for him and be tough to beat but that will only get us flirting between 6th and 10th. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who wants a player like Robinho in your side which you need if you want to be successful.

The question we have to ask ourselves is what do we want? Do we want 2-3 years of being mediocre and flirting between 6th and 10th and having that stability we all crave for while playing negative football but getting the results which Hughes will give us or do we want to aim higher and be ambitious which the money we have available allows us to be because with Hughes in charge we won't do that. I prefer doing the latter and that is why i don't want that rag twat in charge of us.

I think the players you mentioned Lampard, Terry Carvalho etc have an entirely different mindset to the players I was thinking of like Johnson, Elano and Jo. The Chelsea players are at Chelsea and not City simply because not only do they have immense talents but their mental strength is in an entirely different league. I dont believe we can turn City around to win league titles in the next 12 months, firstly we need to rid ourselves of those less talented for instance Beh haim, Ball, Vassell, Benjani to name a few and then lose the ones who have the talent but wont for whatever reason implement it and I'm thinking of Elano, Johnson, Jo and possibly even Robinho. Other players will raise they're game and with the return of confidence from winning games hopefully the likes of Richards, Ireland Hart and SWP will be an integral homegrown piece of the final jigsaw.

This simply wont happen overnight and I think Hughes is now engaging on the first part of his mandate for a hopefully successful future for the club. Those that are good enough and WANT TO BE A PART OF IT can do so if they get on board.

I don't disagree with you but I am with IP on this as well.

We all know that the mentality of the club has to change and that we need players with the mental strength as well as the ability to get us into the top 4 let alone actually winning anything substantial. If Elano is not up to speed then you drop him and if he doesn't respond in a positive way then you move him on. This applies to any player (or it should but with Robinho I suspect it doesn't).

What is annoying me is the way this is now being conducted through the press and that is unnecessary. Hughes has received 100% backing from the new owners and the mandate to take the club forward. He has the power to identify those players that have what it takes to move us forward and cut those that cannot. He has the absolute authority to do it ruthlessly and if he has any sense he would do it quietly and with the minimum of fuss. At the same time he has to balance the long term objective with our immediate needs. A player may not be good enough in 2 years time if all goes to plan but he may be able to do a job for you right now so use the asset and when it has served its purpose move it on. It is this balance that is out of step. People bang on about Fergie but it took him several seasons/years to bring the squad and the club as whole to the point where winning is as natural as breathing. Hughes appears to be trying to do it in 6 months. Elano is a difficult customer so use him, exploit his talent and when the time is right sell him (Fergie did this with Lee Sharpe). The art of management is to extract the best from what you have whilst simultaneously taking the club forward. I question Hughes not over the fact that he is right about what is needed at the club but that has the ability to make those changes - oh and at the same time not putting us 18th at Christmas.

My whole problem with Hughes rests on my belief that the job is too big for him. Very few individuals are big enough for the job in fairness which is why winning managers are at a premium.

And for the first time we can afford that premium.

 

[il padrino]

wake up and realise we are on the brink disaster thanks to Hughes
there is no chance of us salvaging this season under him
no respect from the players
no team spirit
bad tactics
we need a new manager and 6 new players in january

 

[NPBlue]

Leeds' United players had a revolt against Brian Clough, got him the sack, so he went to Forest where he won the league and two European Cups.

City's players had a revolt against Ron Saunders, got him the sack, so he went to Villa where he won the league and the European Cup.

I don't know what is going wrong at City at the moment, but I have more faith in the manager bringing in players who will play for him than the current crop.

Let them revolt against him, but this time, lets sack the players and keep the manager.

There is going to be a huge clearout of, erm, talent, soon, and the sooner the better.

Hughes knows it, the owner knows it. The players know it.

I remember reading a few years ago after Paul Jewell had taken over as manager at Wigan when results were not going in their favour, Jewell had a meeting with their chairman, Dave Whelan, and he confessed he was at a loss as to how to motivate the players.

Whelan went to the training ground, gathered the players around him, and told them in no uncertain terms that Paul Jewell was the manager, that whatever happened on the pitch Paul Jewell would still be the manager, and it was them, the players, who were playing for their futures.

Wigan got promoted to the premier league.

Reading the statements from City over recent weeks, the players ought to learn a lesson from this.

All the backing from the owner is for the manager. I don't remember reading about the owners backing the players. Indeed, far from it.

They have collectively stated that any weaknesses will be addressed.

I trust they will.

I want to see City win something before I die, and with the new regime in charge, I have total faith in their collective ability to deliver.

That means most of the current crop of players are simply not up to the task, and the performances and results prove it.

Yeah, I'm with Hughes and the backing he deserves from the owners.

Lets get some players in who can deliver, who for a change deserve our support, who can send us home happy.

 

[Bill]

Leeds' United players had a revolt against Brian Clough, got him the sack, so he went to Forest where he won the league and two European Cups.

City's players had a revolt against Ron Saunders, got him the sack, so he went to Villa where he won the league and the European Cup.

I don't know what is going wrong at City at the moment, but I have more faith in the manager bringing in players who will play for him than the current crop.

Let them revolt against him, but this time, lets sack the players and keep the manager.

There is going to be a huge clearout of, erm, talent, soon, and the sooner the better.

Hughes knows it, the owner knows it. The players know it.

I remember reading a few years ago after Paul Jewell had taken over as manager at Wigan when results were not going in their favour, Jewell had a meeting with their chairman, Dave Whelan, and he confessed he was at a loss as to how to motivate the players.

Whelan went to the training ground, gathered the players around him, and told them in no uncertain terms that Paul Jewell was the manager, that whatever happened on the pitch Paul Jewell would still be the manager, and it was them, the players, who were playing for their futures.

Wigan got promoted to the premier league.

Reading the statements from City over recent weeks, the players ought to learn a lesson from this.

All the backing from the owner is for the manager. I don't remember reading about the owners backing the players. Indeed, far from it.

They have collectively stated that any weaknesses will be addressed.

I trust they will.

I want to see City win something before I die, and with the new regime in charge, I have total faith in their collective ability to deliver.

That means most of the current crop of players are simply not up to the task, and the performances and results prove it.

Yeah, I'm with Hughes and the backing he deserves from the owners.

Lets get some players in who can deliver, who for a change deserve our support, who can send us home happy.

i feel the same way regarding we have to wait and see how he does, obviously if things dont pick up soon, very soon, we need to look for a new manager.we will still have the diruotive players but hopefully they would have joined by 3 or 4 of high quality.

ps. it was tony barton that was manager of villa when they won the european cup:)