Jose Mourinho.

[Soulboy]

Genuine question do you think Hughes can ever win us the title?

Yes. But it is going to take a very long time to do so but once we are at that level we will stay at that level and that is the difference between Hughes and Mourinho. If you want short-term success then go with Jose, if you want sustained but eventual success go with Hughes.

I think our owners are very patient people who, as long as their targets are met, will not fire the manager (hopefully). We have always lacked continuity and fired manager after manager and if we do the same again then we haven't really learnt much and we're just starting again really aren't we which was the same under Pearce, Sven etc.

Mourinho likes to travel and he always needs a fresh challenge which is why he isn't staying at Inter Milan (allegedly) so what makes anyone believe that he'd stick it out here and we wouldn't have the same problem yet again of a manager leaving us and a new man coming in and us starting again? It happens time and time again.

Genuine question... how many times is it now this season that you have changed your mind either for or against Hughes? Six? Seven?

Good job the owners have more backbone.

 

[hgblue]

Genuine question do you think Hughes can ever win us the title?

Yes. But it is going to take a very long time to do so but once we are at that level we will stay at that level and that is the difference between Hughes and Mourinho. If you want short-term success then go with Jose, if you want sustained but eventual success go with Hughes.

I think our owners are very patient people who, as long as their targets are met, will not fire the manager (hopefully). We have always lacked continuity and fired manager after manager and if we do the same again then we haven't really learnt much and we're just starting again really aren't we which was the same under Pearce, Sven etc.

Mourinho likes to travel and he always needs a fresh challenge which is why he isn't staying at Inter Milan (allegedly) so what makes anyone believe that he'd stick it out here and we wouldn't have the same problem yet again of a manager leaving us and a new man coming in and us starting again? It happens time and time again.

Genuine question... how many times is it now this season that you have changed your mind either for or against Hughes? Six? Seven?

Good job the owners have more backbone.

Either that, or their chosen replacement wasn't available until the end of the season.

 

[Cambridgeblue]

Genuine question do you think Hughes can ever win us the title?

No but then again I can't see any manager doing that for us next season... we are no way near that yet. Personally I think a top 5 finish next season and a trophy (carling cup, FA cup or Europa cup [assuming we're in it next season) would be a phenomenal achievement.

I honestly think Hughes should be given another season to build the club and then judge him from there. We need to consolidate and build strength and depth more than we need to sign Kaka or Messi right now and I think Hughes is the man to do that for us. If we'd had a squad with more strength in depth I think we'd probably have done much better away to Hamburg and would probably have another 6-9 points at least in the league.

It wasn't about next season it was do you think he can ever win it for us?

Does it matter - one season at a time is the way to play it. Whatever your view on Hughes we'll have a far better idea of his potential to take the club to the top this time next year.

 

[Cheltblue]

Mourinho is the wrong choice. He gets bored with jobs and has left every club he has managed in dissaray.

Im with you 100% on this one 115.

There are other managers that can come here, win us trophys, and stick around to build a lasting legacy with the club. HM can undoubtedly bring trophys but wouldnt it be good to have a manager who not only grows the club, but eats, drinks and sleeps City.

 

[OB1]

I understand what you're saying but to be fair Spurs and Newastle have bought over-rated expensive shite, if we're already targetting the Kaka's and failing then I'm presuming we're going to do two things, either get somebody in who can attract them or go for the next step down, players like Henry, Eto, Ribery etc...Players that on paper should make us a top four and realistically challenging for a title. We keep hearing there's going to be surprises well then I don't expect it to be Peter Crouch or RSC (although that would fucking surprise me) and I'm thinking of a higher standard.

I don't buy the we cant go straight to stage 2 philosophy, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one and in any case I actually think that we're well on the way to being a top 6 team and already are an established top 10 side and have been there or thereabouts for the last two seasons and only the Thaskin affair and then the takeover have disrupted that a little. I don't see the gap betwen us and Arsenal that ununapproachable and given the money available should be relatively easy to bridge. That puts us in the top 4 bracket and within another 12 months we should be able to catch up with the other three clubs.

Again, talk to people in the game (and I did recently) and they will tell you that the top players, the ones that will win us the league and European trophies, will not come for money alone. What motivates them is winning things. No matter who the manager is, unless we can prove we can win the big trophies they will not come. This is why we have to do the 2 stage process whether we like it or not.

I don't disagree with you that it might be better at the stage when we can think about attracting the top players to have a more charismatic manager however.

But surely a proven manager and a bag full of cash might convince some that we have the resource to win things and persuade them to come on board. We don't need huge numbers to be of that mind but we might have to play a numbers game finding them and accept that we will get plenty of rejections along the way.

 

[Blue2112]

I understand what you're saying but to be fair Spurs and Newastle have bought over-rated expensive shite, if we're already targetting the Kaka's and failing then I'm presuming we're going to do two things, either get somebody in who can attract them or go for the next step down, players like Henry, Eto, Ribery etc...Players that on paper should make us a top four and realistically challenging for a title. We keep hearing there's going to be surprises well then I don't expect it to be Peter Crouch or RSC (although that would fucking surprise me) and I'm thinking of a higher standard.

I don't buy the we cant go straight to stage 2 philosophy, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one and in any case I actually think that we're well on the way to being a top 6 team and already are an established top 10 side and have been there or thereabouts for the last two seasons and only the Thaskin affair and then the takeover have disrupted that a little. I don't see the gap betwen us and Arsenal that ununapproachable and given the money available should be relatively easy to bridge. That puts us in the top 4 bracket and within another 12 months we should be able to catch up with the other three clubs.

Again, talk to people in the game (and I did recently) and they will tell you that the top players, the ones that will win us the league and European trophies, will not come for money alone. What motivates them is winning things. No matter who the manager is, unless we can prove we can win the big trophies they will not come. This is why we have to do the 2 stage process whether we like it or not.

I don't disagree with you that it might be better at the stage when we can think about attracting the top players to have a more charismatic manager however.

Again I accept what your saying whilst puting forward the case that generally big money transfers and wages usually end up this day and age with success and so its a means to an end. We already have Robinho, we have an attractive stadium, we have an attractive ownership, we are a top 10 English Premiership team and possibly even higher than top 10, we are a world reknowned football club, we are on the European football map, we are a passionate club with a passionate and large supporter base. I genuinely think as supporters we underestimate our own club and see too much of the negativity when the reality is if Hughes walked out tomorrow we would be innundated with applications to manage from top managers.

The footbal world is increasingly becoming smaller in terms of clubs being successful and realistically there's only a handful of clubs ever going to win the top honours consistently and with the money available to break those rules that players only come for success - everyone has a price - then it wont be too long before some are tempted by the challenge of actually making a team become successful rather than continuing to be succesful.

It's all about how we sell the club and I currently don't see that many other clubs in world football with as much as an attractive position as Manchester City F.C. if the manager is up for the challenge and legendary status beckons.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Apart from Hughes saying so is there anything to suggest that he's some kind of extraordinary club builder?

Blackburn now are in worse shape than when Souness left, and while he did well with them I'm struggling to see the lasting legacy of Hughes time there. Don't recall a load of kids coming through the ranks, and I don't think that they're any better placed for sustained success as a result of his time there.

Very good point but there's another factor at play I believe. Some managers get clubs to punch above their weight while some can't get clubs to even punch at their weight. So a manager has a natural limit and a club has a natural limit and a good manager will take his club to where HE can take them, which may be further than they could expect to go.

Curbishley at Charlton was a great example. Took them from League 1 to the Premiership and kept them there. He went and now they're back in League 1. In the current Premiership, Moyes, Hodgson & Bruce have taken their clubs to or beyond their limits. Hughes at Blackburn & Allardyce at Bolton were the same. Bobby Robson at Newcastle was another "achiever".

So Hughes took Blackburn beyond their level and they're now back there. I don't think that's a negative reflection on him.

 

[Cambridgeblue]

I understand what you're saying but to be fair Spurs and Newastle have bought over-rated expensive shite, if we're already targetting the Kaka's and failing then I'm presuming we're going to do two things, either get somebody in who can attract them or go for the next step down, players like Henry, Eto, Ribery etc...Players that on paper should make us a top four and realistically challenging for a title. We keep hearing there's going to be surprises well then I don't expect it to be Peter Crouch or RSC (although that would fucking surprise me) and I'm thinking of a higher standard.

I don't buy the we cant go straight to stage 2 philosophy, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one and in any case I actually think that we're well on the way to being a top 6 team and already are an established top 10 side and have been there or thereabouts for the last two seasons and only the Thaskin affair and then the takeover have disrupted that a little. I don't see the gap betwen us and Arsenal that ununapproachable and given the money available should be relatively easy to bridge. That puts us in the top 4 bracket and within another 12 months we should be able to catch up with the other three clubs.

Again, talk to people in the game (and I did recently) and they will tell you that the top players, the ones that will win us the league and European trophies, will not come for money alone. What motivates them is winning things. No matter who the manager is, unless we can prove we can win the big trophies they will not come. This is why we have to do the 2 stage process whether we like it or not.

I don't disagree with you that it might be better at the stage when we can think about attracting the top players to have a more charismatic manager however.

But surely a proven manager and a bag full of cash might convince some that we have the resource to win things and persuade them to come on board. We don't need huge numbers to be of that mind but we might have to play a numbers game finding them and accept that we will get plenty of rejections along the way.

Why the hurry - we'll get there but does it really matter if it's one or two years or three or four? We've been waiting 30+ years for this... I would rather we have a solid platform that gives us success for years to come than that we run before we can walk and risk blowing it.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I understand what you're saying but to be fair Spurs and Newastle have bought over-rated expensive shite, if we're already targetting the Kaka's and failing then I'm presuming we're going to do two things, either get somebody in who can attract them or go for the next step down, players like Henry, Eto, Ribery etc...Players that on paper should make us a top four and realistically challenging for a title. We keep hearing there's going to be surprises well then I don't expect it to be Peter Crouch or RSC (although that would fucking surprise me) and I'm thinking of a higher standard.

I don't buy the we cant go straight to stage 2 philosophy, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one and in any case I actually think that we're well on the way to being a top 6 team and already are an established top 10 side and have been there or thereabouts for the last two seasons and only the Thaskin affair and then the takeover have disrupted that a little. I don't see the gap betwen us and Arsenal that ununapproachable and given the money available should be relatively easy to bridge. That puts us in the top 4 bracket and within another 12 months we should be able to catch up with the other three clubs.

Again, talk to people in the game (and I did recently) and they will tell you that the top players, the ones that will win us the league and European trophies, will not come for money alone. What motivates them is winning things. No matter who the manager is, unless we can prove we can win the big trophies they will not come. This is why we have to do the 2 stage process whether we like it or not.

I don't disagree with you that it might be better at the stage when we can think about attracting the top players to have a more charismatic manager however.

But surely a proven manager and a bag full of cash might convince some that we have the resource to win things and persuade them to come on board. We don't need huge numbers to be of that mind but we might have to play a numbers game finding them and accept that we will get plenty of rejections along the way.

They will need to see clearer evidence. So maybe if we finish 7th this season (but certainly next close season) we will I believe, be able to demonstrate we are a serious force. Then we'll be able to attract those players.

 

[rastus]

If we are serious about challenging for a top 4 spot then we need the likes of Mourinho, like it or not.