Clubs Mindset

Absolutely not we have suffered the likes of Adams/Bowyer in the past
MH will get us promoted eventually (when he realises his players are not Barcelona standard) !!!!
Premier league teams look nervy whilst trying to play out from the back

 

No, I've said in my other post I don't think he should br sacked. He should be backed again for another season, hopefully with some constructive scrutiny from Sparks and Rupp as to what went wrong so he's challenged on how to make corrections in the summer. If he doesn't deliver next season, it may be a different story. But whilst he'll have failed if we don't go up, he's not come so short that we should be starting again. We have to break that cycle, however that shouldn't detract from a reasonable critique of how he's performed.

 

I have my own doubts, but they're not firm conclusions. There'd be more risk with starting again in my opinion.

 

Di you think he might be struggling with the gap between Pl players and Lg 2? He thinks it is decision making? I think that plus lack of consistency.

 

No club ever gets all its targets. And yes we've improved, which is why I wouldn't want Hughes to be sacked - albeit, I think he's done reasonably rather than particularly well. Context is important - Leyton Orient finished on identical points to us last season and have the 5th highest agent spent compared to us in 6th. They've romped it. Stevenage finished 21st and clearly have a smaller budget and have been top 3 all season.

Hughes has been outperformed by a number of managers and I maintain a view that he's underperformed. Not hugely, and it feels like it's largely self inflicted, but he's underwhelmed slightly in my opinion.

 

Possibly. I know he's commented before that the gap in talent between PL and L2 isn't as big as most people think. Its a statement of the bleeding obvious that Hughes has experienced and achieved more in the game than any of us, but I personally disagree. Or at least, he wouldn't be the first top player to make the mistake as a manager of assuming capability with lesser players that came naturally to him. I actually applaud the attempt to 'play football'. Other teams at this level have done it, and done it well. But I think he's taking it to an extreme that doesn't work. I don't think he needs to abandon his principles, but a few tweaks would help in my view. I don't think he's a million miles away, but on the other hand our home form hasn't been good enough all season long, and I worry that the reliance on Cook (who may not be here next season) will expose a reality that shows we're further away than people might think. Either way, he should be backed to go again.

If we're in L2 next season, which I expect us to be, I think the keys are:

1. A slightly smaller squad with more emphasis on quality. We've gone from too small a squad, to too large a squad without enough outright quality. Trim the overall numbers by 3 or 4, and bring in a couple of real difference makers.
2. Drop the passing out goalkick routine. Play out from the back generally, go backwards and sideways in open play to recycle possession, I'm fine with all that. But playing out from goal kicks does nothing but invite pressure and leave us exposed when we prove to be unable to play around the opposition press. And then we're completely disjointed for the counter attack. It builds confidence and momentum for opponents, not us.
3. More urgency and intensity, especially at home, and to keep the pedal to the floor until we have a 2 goal lead, not sit off with a 1 goal lead. Far too risky and the number of dropped points in injury time is proof.

All of this is do-able and we have a really good platform to build on in the summer. But if we just do the same things, we'll have a similar season. Maybe even worse, without Cook.

 

At what point does he realise that though? That's the question. Big name managers have big egos and huge confidence in their judgement, sometimes to a point of ignorance.

 

That is a great summary of what happens next, this should go straight to the manager and board as the plan for next season.

 

I'm not sure Stevenage will have a smaller budget. 12 months ago, after some investment, their Chairman said they could compete for any player in League 1 or 2.

 

This is where a problem lies
We have a young very inexperienced CEO and with respect a chairman who in football terms has just learned we attack a different end in the 2nd half
No one at the club has the where with all to correct him !!
It's a patience job am afraid

 

Individually maybe. I wouldn't know for certain but I'd be amazed if their budget was as big as ours.

 

I'd be surprised too but I also can't see Evans going there if he didn't have a decent budget.

 

No promotion this season equals budget cut for next. You know it...

 

If we're self sufficient, on what grounds?
Season ticket sales up
Commercial revenue up
Ifollow users up
On the day spectators up

Why would the budget go down?

 

When you luck is in….

Watched the highlight of Stevenage v Swindon.
Stevenage 2 chances in 90. Swindon 5.

Stevenage’s were no easier nor harder than our 5/6 chances at Swindon .

They put one in, we went for Hollywood! That makes me angry. Another opportunity blown.

 

The only player we have that's clinical is Cook. Watching Banks, Chapman, Walker and Gillead shoot is exasperating.

 

I disagree, the club cannot cut back and drive for promotion.

 

If we miss out on promotion you can’t sack Hughes. We brought in 14 new faces, lost severel key players - Vernam, Watt, Paudie - and have undergone a major rebuild.

I would rate Hughes’ season 7/10 - capable of better. Our lack of ambition has cost us an automatic promotion place. Evans or Wellens would have taken us up automatically, I have no doubt, but we have made progress neverheless, on the field and off the field, where we seeming to be booming commercially.

the fantastic uptake of ST is a marker of that progression. If we duck out of the top 7 in these final weeks, the goodwill in the bank may soon be eroded, but I think that Hughes deserves another year if we miss out.

The problem is our key men Cook and Lewis may not be here next year. Both would be extremely difficult to replace if they moved on, so we really do need to make the most of our current chance.

the Mansfield loss last night was a big boost. Go for it, lads!

 

Chances are we will need 78 points to get into the playoffs. By my reckoning that's the highest (possible joint highest) points total by a City team since 1999. Given Hughes took over a squad that had been battered and abused by Deluded Derek, that's not a bad achievement.

Like all of us I will be gutted if we don't make (and win) the playoffs, but we have something to look forward to next season.

 

perhaps 76/77 imo, Salford and Mansfield both have to win both games to get to 78 and we only need one of them to be the fall guy. Goal diff might play a part here though and can't be overlooked, it's worth a point.

Its an exciting end to the season and a great achievement to still be in the mix.