MUTINY by players.Konspiracy??.... We will see

[moomba]

If we look at Blackburn under Hughes, they came on stronger second half of the season = improved fitness

True, they averaged .26 of a point per game better after the new year. About an extra point every 4 games, with 18 matches left we should manage an improvement of at least 3 points from pre new years results.

 

[Disturbance]

If we look at Blackburn under Hughes, they came on stronger second half of the season = improved fitness

True, they averaged .26 of a point per game better after the new year. About an extra point every 4 games, with 18 matches left we should manage an improvement of at least 3 points from pre new years results.

Excellent, we should just about manage to avoid relegation. A roaring success that will be. Obviously all the players fault that we've spent > £100m to go backwards :/

 

[Superhands]

Some of our players are old dogs, who don't like to be taught new tricks, it would appear ,who just prefer to stay in their own comfort zones.

Spot on.

And Ball, Hamann & Dunne for sure are all smokers who are gonna be fagged out after a testing work out.

So instead of quitting the ciggies they'll complain that the manager expects too much of them in training.

interesting point - Dunne and Hamann are both supposedly smokers

 

[slbsn]

What would we be saying now if the Arabs hadn't turned up and he was still under the orginal constraints that were present when he accepted the job?

"I can't work with these but wait 5 years until the small transfer budget has allowed me to replace 3/4s of them and we might do better than a relegation battle?"

I think we get what you are saying JMA!! I suspect the truth, as always, is somewhere in between.

I asked the same question yesterday as above. When Hughes took the job he had no knowledge that the Arabs would come along and allow wholesale change. I guess his answer would be that "if the Arabs hadnt have come I wouldnt have been under such pressure to produce winning football." How wrong he is - he would just have one less excuse.

 

[Anonymous]

To be honest, i have heard similar "rumours" as said in the OP but didn't want to say anything because to be honest it really does smell like bullshit, i dismissed it as bullshit but if other people are saying they have heard it aswell there must be some element of truth in it.

To me Hughes is trying to force something he can't on the team. I said weeks ago that in today's modern day premier league football you need to discipline your side, give them boundaries they cannot cross and standards that you expect to maintain 100% but you also need to moddy cuddle some players as well. Footballers are at their best when they are enjoying it, they can express themselves and their ability will come through. If your treating it as army like boot camp and a place of work and no joy then players will hate coming into training.

I think Hughes does not have the respect of the players, they see him as the strict maths teacher who's lesson you hated and would do everything to wag instead of the cool Science teacher who made your lesson fun and respected you as a pupil which meant you learnt more.

Treating the training ground as a "football factory" or a boot camp is great for the likes of Blackburn and Bolton with the players they have, but when you have the likes of Robinho and Elano, talents this club has never ever seen you need a balance of hard work and enjoyment. Sadly that is something Hughes cannot seem to address. He has no balance in his management skills, no balance in his training methods and no balance in his team selection.

 

[Bluebeer]

Until the end of last season, when everyone has to admit that there were excpetional circumstances, these players have consistently been hardworking professional players, not scared of hard work and willing to put everything in for the shirt they are playing in.

hey john.
thats a fair point but i remember when Shauny left to go to chelsea, at the time he was regarded as one, if not our fittest player.........when moved to chelsea they were surprised how unfit he was compared to their players.

what im basically saying is i dont think our club has ever had a training program which is on par with the top 4 club till now, and my guess is the players arnt used to it and dont like it.

 

[Blue Mooner]

I thought it was interesting to hear Beckham talk on SSN saying that as you would expect at a top club like AC Milan the training is 'Very hard' but that he was enjoying it and enjoyed working hard - that's what top players do.

Not sure of the truth in this rumour but if Hughes is making the training hard I can't see any downside except for the shirkers who got used to the Butlins holiday camp under Sven.

It was also interesting to note that when Paul Ince started there were murmurings amongst the players that training lacked the professionalism and modern techniques of that employed by Hughes.

I am certain that Hughes is being undermined by certain 'professional' players within the team. If they were professional they would get their head down and work their backsides to prove they should be part of the new era.

The fact they have chosen to take the opposite tack and try and engineer Hughes sacking is disgusting and if allowed to work will prove that this club will never be allowed to move forward until these bad eggs are removed. Hughes should be allowed to do that imo.

 

[Anonymous]

Not really sure what your point is.

Hughes has every right to move on players as he sees fit.

If someone is causing trouble they will be the first ones moved on.

I was making reference to the point below...

A bad leader will just ignore criticism, and scapegoat those that question him.

Obviously you feel that the players have been scapegoated by Hughes via the media. However the word coming from within the dressing room, (speculation, albeit, practically from the horses mouth), is that no-one's being scapegoated. Just some of the senior players simply don't give a fuck anymore. They don't like Hughes or his training methods, know they're going to be shipped out, so aren't putting the performances in. I've said before, this is a fuck up on Hughes's part certainly, for letting it be known that he didn't fancy certain players. But they still pick up a fat wage, and as such, should be putting their all into their performances.

 

[slbsn]

Treating the training ground as a "football factory" or a boot camp is great for the likes of Blackburn and Bolton with the players they have, but when you have the likes of Robinho and Elano, talents this club has never ever seen you need a balance of hard work and enjoyment. Sadly that is something Hughes cannot seem to address. He has no balance in his management skills, no balance in his training methods and no balance in his team selection.

This isnt correct. As was said yesterday, each of the top four (perhaps Arsenal in a different) are both a boot camp AND an academy of excellence, skill and football. The ONLY way to play 70 top class games a season is to be schooled like this.

 

[moomba]

Obviously you feel that the players have been scapegoated by Hughes via the media. However the word coming from within the dressing room, (speculation, albeit, practically from the horses mouth), is that no-one's being scapegoated. Just some of the senior players simply don't give a fuck anymore. They don't like Hughes or his training methods, know they're going to be shipped out, so aren't putting the performances in. I've said before, this is a fuck up on Hughes's part certainly, for letting it be known that he didn't fancy certain players. But they still pick up a fat wage, and as such, should be putting their all into their performances.

Personally I think the idea that no players have been scapegoated (whether they have asked for it or not) is ridiculous. And the idea that all our problems are down to players who can't be arsed is equally ridiculous.

But who am I to argue against Hughes PR.