Bluebeer said:Only a fortnight previously, a group of players, prominently featuring Brazilian Elano and Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim, called a team meeting with the express purpose of denegrating Hughes's tactics.
One player - no longer in the squad - recently went to Cook to complain (unsuccessfully) about the manager.
Against this background, it is clear why Hughes feels the need to shake up his squad and isolate those who appear to have lost the desire to play for him.
Michael Ball, Didi Hamann, Elano and Jo would not figure in another Hughes team in his ideal world.
Big G said:As said before, Sven's training was mainly football based, kick-a-bouts, 5 a side etc, after all they are footballers.
BillyShears said:Immaculate Pasta said: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.
The club who are currently top of the league have the most unapproachable, dogmatic, cold, manager in the league. Step forward Rafa Benitez. In fact, I remember an interview with one his Spanish contingent where the player talked about being chewed out by Benitez in his first couple of training sessions so badly that the poor lad wanted away even before he'd played a game...
It's widely known that the reason Stevie G wanted away was because Rafa refused to treat him like a star. I don't buy this notion that modern day managers need to molly coddle professional footballers. Just look at Capello...listen to what the England players say about the difference between his regime and Sven's or McClaren's.
Disturbance said:leewill31 said:something you seem not to be with your silly little snide comments atm.
Not sure what that's about but I suggest you put me on ignore cos I couldn't give a flying one what you think.
Oh, and you messed up your quote, genius.
bluemoon73 said:Petrov got injured because of the bulgarian manager didnt he?
leewill31 said:Disturbance said:Not sure what that's about but I suggest you put me on ignore cos I couldn't give a flying one what you think.
Oh, and you messed up your quote, genius.
my point proven!
BillyShears said:Blue2112 said:I don't know if his training methods are effective or not I suppose the proof will be shown over the next 6/12 months if he gets that time. One could argue that currently his training methods are failing as we seem to have a split camp. I know some of the things they've worked on, one in particular which is played at high tempo culminated with the Brazilians or more to the point one of them persistently slowing it down. He was on the bench the following day sat there with his trainers on. Other new ideas have been introduced that personally I see nothing wrong with and can only benefit the team and again some of them dont like it. Also I do know Hughes asks his defenders and forwards to each run a certain number of km's per game, same for his midfielders (think its 11 each for them) Ireland averages way above (14km's in some games) followed closely by Swp whilst Robinho, Elano etc fall way short, ok so they are different players with different attributes but its demanding for Ireland and Swp to continually run they're guts out each week for the others. Watch Stevie chase down midfielders time and again only to watch the ball passed sideways so that he has to run at least 10/20 yards to close another player down because his other midfielders aren't doing it themselves. They also have to run approx 3km at a fast tempo as a team unit, so all the short paced quick bursts of speed are added together, the idea is over a season this workrate will overpower most teams culminating in winning the ball more and winning more games.
Fascinating insight...cheers Josh...
One question...do you have any idea of whether there is much less work done with the ball under Hughes than there was under Sven?
Blue Mooner said:DOn't forget that Eriksson also spent circa £274 million under Lazio so anybody could have got success having spent that much.
mammutly said:leewill31 said:my point proven!
I wished I skated in a happy little world like you ;-)