Most liked posts in thread: Sparkie Out

I don’t want him out, I want him to try something different at home.

 

That Northampton team just missed out on playoffs last season yet they’ve stuck with Brady and now look to have a team capable of going up automatically.

We’ve got a manager who has the highest possible pedigree we could ever attract and he’s assembled a good squad. Considering we’ve been in a torrid state for the last few years (and most of the last 20 years) I can’t understand all the negativity. Did people think we’d be top of the league and running away with it? Hughes needs time, we won’t get anyone better and considering we’re firmly in the race for playoffs (at a minimum) I’m generally pretty happy given what we’ve put up with in recent years.

 

Hehehe

Pete Wild is at the right club, another small club with extremely low expectations - it's perfect after stepping up from his 'nearly' season at Halifax. Good for him!

But this talk about him being the next big thing is, frankly, laughable...

Mark Hughes is suitable for this club. Pete Wild is suitable for Barrow.

End of story.

 

Its 2 games in - bit of an overreaction no?

 

I hate Steve Evans with a passion, but he would piss this league with the resources Hughes has been handed

 

Amazed that Sparks is even being blamed for this ........... he’s made mistakes in the past but now

Hughes was the manager WE ALL WANTED
He’s given Hughes a decent budget to get us out of this league
He’s brought in a chief scout to bring in players that WE where all happy to see in

he ain’t the issue here it’s really down to one man and that one man is actually making a simple task look like rocket science ........... we in paper have the best squad in this league now surly the best squad shouldn’t be messing around outside the playoffs should it ?????

Sparks has provided him and us with everything we all wanted so you cannot really blame him can you

 

This is my take on where we are as the midpoint of the season approaches.
Mark Hughes has so far failed to convince. He has adopted a style of football which has been pretty dire to watch and which the players seem to struggle with and, despite an encouraging away record, his stubborn refusal to change it doesn't seem to bode well.
His lack of experience at this level, together with his lack of success much higher up, doesn't inspire confidence for the future as things stand.
Our recruitment, which initially seemed impressive, is now open to considerable question. Why sign players (eg. Oliver, Harratt, Young) who don't suit the system you intend to play?
We have given 3 year contracts to players who are not first choice picks and who sometimes even fail to make the bench.
We are overstocked in wide players and lacking in midfield options.
So, in general, we look miles away from a promotion side.
Now, Mark either appreciates all this and does something to radically change things in the upcoming window, or he doesn't. He comes across as an urbane, polite, intelligent and civilised man, but, sadly, that doesn't make him a good manager. I said in an earlier post that I would wait to see what he can do in January before writing the season off, but I have to say I'm increasingly unsure that he's the right man for the rough and tumble of league 2.
We shall see.

 

Frankly, if these players can't win at VP against teams like Harrogate, they're too mentally weak to be here.

I'm running out of patience with these players.

 

Anyone else just not remotely concerned about anything yet?

Injuries aside, we're actually looking okay to me. Didn't create enough chances against Barrow, but we aren't the first and won't be the last!

Show of hands for anyone not concerned?

 

I said right at the start, he will probably need two seasons. He was starting from scratch. Very difficult to put a promotion squad together within one season. I like him, we would be crazy to sack MH.

 

We are 6 points off automatic promotion, with 63 still to play for. Whilst we haven’t quite got it right, we should be challenging for promotion/play offs for the rest of the season. Now is not the time to be changing manager.

 

The bar was set lower than a snakes belly by the likes of Bowyer and Adams. Certainly feel a lot more positive turning up to Valley Parade these days. We are still some way off being a dominant side but the signs are positive.

 

It was nothing to do with him we were comfortable and creating chances until Smallwoods brain fart.

 

Shocking but we can’t keep culling managers. If there’s anyone that has the experience to turn it around it’s Hughes.

 

For me the easiest way to sort out issues out is midfield recruits, with the likes of Gilliead and Chapman you’ll never control a game. This should have been done better in the summer, but we’re still in touching distance so needs sorting asap, stop playing failed wingers in there.

 

Definitely a no from me in terms of getting rid of Hughes. Even if we fail this year he should be given next season and will hopefully have learnt more about L2 in that time. I believe he is contracted to summer 2024, and if he fails to take us up by then he has had his chance and we should make a move.

For now, as @bantamdave41 says, we are well placed and a good run keeps us there. It's annoying that he seems to be a slow learner, but Parky didn't do it in his first season and this is still Hughes first full season (I accept Parky did do it in his first full season but he came in after four matches so had the time to assess).

 

I'm quite happy with hughes so far. we aren't perfect and there are definite problems, but he's trying to get us playing the right way and with Gent has brought some good young players in who look like they might even have some resale value if they kick on. I think the HMS piss the league stuff is always just stupid and needlessly puts pressure on people to deliver on an unrealistic target, so im happy with him keeping us there or thereabouts whilst playing some entertaining football.

 

With Gilliead it isn’t about a one off game, we need a midfielder in there which will help us control the game better we never feel on top for decent periods, he contributes nothing to the goals column as well which doesn’t help. Same goes for Chapman, with that system we need a couple of good mids imo and I’d have played East, he played well Salford away and hasn’t had a look in since. I think he can consider himself unfortunate to say the least.

 

We won our first three games of last season IIRC - that got us far didnt it?

Have a bit of patience and see where we are after 10 games.