Progress and why Hughes should stay!

[Grand Master Ram Rod]

I posted this a few weeks ago and I've decided I'm gonna keep bumping and updating this as much as I can to put across the point that thing's aren't all doom and gloom and that we are progressing nearly every game and that Hughes should definitely be staying for now.

I don't see the point in getting rid of a manager that keeps improving and that is still very much on way to reaching the owners and most fans targets.

As well as the obvious arguments of we have a game in hand over everyone above us bar Arsenal and that we have only lost one game all season in all comps, I have also got the results from last year, which compared to this year have all improved or been the same outcome bar one:

Blackburn (A) - 2-2 / 0-2 = improved.
Portsmouth (A) - 0-2 / 1-0 = improved.
Arsenal (H) - 3-0 / 4-2 = same.
Scum (A) - 0-2 / 3-4 = same.
West Ham (H) 3-0 / 3-1 = same.
Villa (A) - 2-4 / 1-1 = improved.
Wigan (A) - 1-2 / 1-1 = improved.
Fulham (H) - 1-3 / 2-2 = improved.
Liverpool (A) - 1-1 / 2-2 = same.
Hull (H) - 5-1 / 1-1 = worse.
Chelsea (H) - 1-3 / 2-1 = improved.
Bolton (A) - 0-2 / 3-3 = improved.

Add to that, that we're in the semi final of the Carling Cup, which we got knocked out of last year by Brighton in the second round and once again we have improved.

All the players he has brought in have improved us and the position they took over bar one, if you compare them to the players they replaced, we have improved yet again:

Tal Ben-Haim - shite = bad signing.
Vincent Kompany - better than Hamann = good signing.
Shaun Wright-Phillips - better than Ireland on right wing = good signing.
Glauber Berti - clearly wasn't a signing to improve us yet became a cult hero anyway = ok signing.
Pablo Zabaleta - better than Corluka = good signing.
Wayne Bridge - better than Garrido/Ball = good signing.
Craig Bellamy - better than Jo/Caicedo/Benjani = good signing.
Nigel de Jong - better than Fernandes = good signing.
Shay Given - better than Hart = good signing.
Gareth Barry - great player = good signing.
Roque Santa Cruz - target man we'll need in certain games = ok signing.
Stuart Taylor - Hart wasn't going to sit on the bench = ok signing.
Carlos Tevez - better than Jo/Caicedo/Benjani = good signing.
Emmanuel Adebayor - better than Jo/Caicedo/Benjani = good signing.
Kolo Toure - better than Dunne = good signing.
Sylvinho - better back-up than Garrido = good signing.
Joleon Lescott - better than Onuoha = good signing.

Also he put Ireland in the attacking midfield role, which was like a new signing - better than Elano. And he has got rid of the trouble makers holding us back.

Add all that to the fact that changing managers every five minutes has never worked and it just seems pointless to get rid of a manager who's improving in everything he does and is well on track to reach the target set.

I think the money has gone to fans heads tbh and a few are expecting too much, too soon. We just have to be patient and it will come, to get rid of yet another manager now who's doing nout wrong would just be daft and then we'd all have to wait even longer as the new manager rebuilds his team and starts all over again. As one of the younger fans, I'm desperate for some silverware, but we just have to be patient and support the team and manager.

If we don't finish in the top 6, then I'd agree he'd have to go but we have to give him this season yet to see what he can do.

 

[CockneyBlueTheFirst]

I'll agree with most of what you say apart from the signings.
Dunne is better than toure and lescott is a Donkey who should be in the Championship and not in our back 4.

 

[salfordtrueblue]

Good post mate,,,shame that it needs spelling out to some. bump

 

[bizzbo]

that's a good post mate, not quite enough to convince me, but they are good points and well made.

the one thing that I will pass comment on is the ireland bit. he so obviously got this right last year, ireland at AM and robbie on the left was the best thing about us, so why tear it up and start again this year?

 

[hgblue]

that's a good post mate, not quite enough to convince me, but they are good points and well made.

the one thing that I will pass comment on is the ireland bit. he so obviously got this right last year, ireland at AM and robbie on the left was the best thing about us, so why tear it up and start again this year?

It's Tevez isn't it? I mean that is Tevez's best position, and he has to play. Ireland has to adapt to accomodate this. But he can, and he will. He's that good.

 

[johnny crossan]

I posted this a few weeks ago and I've decided I'm gonna keep bumping and updating this as much as I can to put across the point that thing's aren't all doom and gloom and that we are progressing nearly every game and that Hughes should definitely be staying for now.

I don't see the point in getting rid of a manager that keeps improving and that is still very much on way to reaching the owners and most fans targets.

As well as the obvious arguments of we have a game in hand over everyone above us bar Arsenal and that we have only lost one game all season in all comps, I have also got the results from last year, which compared to this year have all improved or been the same outcome bar one:

Blackburn (A) - 2-2 / 0-2 = improved.
Portsmouth (A) - 0-2 / 1-0 = improved.
Arsenal (H) - 3-0 / 4-2 = same.
Scum (A) - 0-2 / 3-4 = same.
West Ham (H) 3-0 / 3-1 = same.
Villa (A) - 2-4 / 1-1 = improved.
Wigan (A) - 1-2 / 1-1 = improved.
Fulham (H) - 1-3 / 2-2 = improved.
Liverpool (A) - 1-1 / 2-2 = same.
Hull (H) - 5-1 / 1-1 = worse.
Chelsea (H) - 1-3 / 2-1 = improved.
Bolton (A) - 0-2 / 3-3 = improved.

Add to that, that we're in the semi final of the Carling Cup, which we got knocked out of last year by Brighton in the second round and once again we have improved.

All the players he has brought in have improved us and the position they took over bar one, if you compare them to the players they replaced, we have improved yet again:

Tal Ben-Haim - shite = bad signing.
Vincent Kompany - better than Hamann = good signing.
Shaun Wright-Phillips - better than Ireland on right wing = good signing.
Glauber Berti - clearly wasn't a signing to improve us yet became a cult hero anyway = ok signing.
Pablo Zabaleta - better than Corluka = good signing.
Wayne Bridge - better than Garrido/Ball = good signing.
Craig Bellamy - better than Jo/Caicedo/Benjani = good signing.
Nigel de Jong - better than Fernandes = good signing.
Shay Given - better than Hart = good signing.
Gareth Barry - great player = good signing.
Roque Santa Cruz - target man we'll need in certain games = ok signing.
Stuart Taylor - Hart wasn't going to sit on the bench = ok signing.
Carlos Tevez - better than Jo/Caicedo/Benjani = good signing.
Emmanuel Adebayor - better than Jo/Caicedo/Benjani = good signing.
Kolo Toure - better than Dunne = good signing.
Sylvinho - better back-up than Garrido = good signing.
Joleon Lescott - better than Onuoha = good signing.

Also he put Ireland in the attacking midfield role, which was like a new signing - better than Elano. And he has got rid of the trouble makers holding us back.

Add all that to the fact that changing managers every five minutes has never worked and it just seems pointless to get rid of a manager who's improving in everything he does and is well on track to reach the target set.

I think the money has gone to fans heads tbh and a few are expecting too much, too soon. We just have to be patient and it will come, to get rid of yet another manager now who's doing nout wrong would just be daft and then we'd all have to wait even longer as the new manager rebuilds his team and starts all over again. As one of the younger fans, I'm desperate for some silverware, but we just have to be patient and support the team and manager.

If we don't finish in the top 6, then I'd agree he'd have to go but we have to give him this season yet to see what he can do.

nicely put, but what about Robbie?

 

[moomba]

I'm not sure progression is enough really.

If you're skint and have a car that breaks down twice a week. Then you win the lottery and buy a £50k car, but it breaks down once a week then you're not going to be happy even though you're driving a better motor.

We should be judging against what we are capable of, not just moving forward a step at a time.

At the moment we're behind where we should be IMO, but not drastically. So while theres reason for concern I don't think theres reason for change at the moment.

 

[mad zab]

I'll agree with most of what you say apart from the signings.
Dunne is better than toure and lescott is a Donkey who should be in the Championship and not in our back 4.

Don't talk shit! There where plenty of posters on here last year slating Dunney and calling him a donkey.

IMO Dunney is relishing a new challenge and is happier playing in a team that is tighter and less offensive. Lescott has been our best defender and its Kolo that has me worried. I don't fault his attitude, but his positional sense worries me.

 

[Krieng_Thai OSC]

We played totally 15 matches but in the list is only 12 matches
If I understnad correctly, 3 matches were against promoted teams like Birmingham, ...
Draw to promoted teams could considered as worse to my book plus we spent $$$ during summer

 

[Unknown_Genius]

We are making progress. What I like about us most, is the fighting spirit that has now been instilled, we are now a tough team to beat, where as last season and the season before, we had a soft centre.

I think alot on here underestimate how competitive the league is now. Its almost probable the team who wins the league will win it with the fewest point total in years. Anyone who expects us to go and just hammer teams has very unrealistic thinking.