"If you look at the other managers around me in the league, a lot of plaudits are given to them and I don't get many," said Hughes. "The point I'm making is that the other managers in similar positions to us have been given accolades for the jobs they have done, and rightly so. Roy Hodgson at Fulham has been mentioned as a possible for manager of the year. Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke at West Ham have done a great job and got four-year contracts while Harry Redknapp has been labelled a miracle workerat Tottenham because he has dragged them up the league. I am just the one in the middle."
Hughes went on to say the criticism was "predictable and understandable" given that City had spent in excess of £100m on players under his stewardship, as well as making a world-record £93m bid for Milan's former world footballer of the year Kaka, but he also pointedly remarked that his own work could be put on a par with Redknapp. "He's done a good job, similar to the one I've done myself. He just gets a bit more credit than I do, but there you go."
Not really. Redknapp inherited a worse team than Hughes did (eight games into the season, too, rather than in June), in which time he's spent less money on them than Hughes has on City - and he now has Spurs in a higher position than us in the league. Regular readers will know how supportive I am of the Hughes project but the argument for his staying next season has always been that he remains the best long term choice, rather than that he deserves another year in reward for the great progress he's made in his time in the job thus far.
I know it's a cliché but the league table doesn't lie and we're no better than we were last season, despite the money invested throughout the club. So for Hughes to suggest he's done a really well so far doesn't quite ring true. Because with only two games left we're getting ever closer to hearing from the board whether or not Hughes will be in charge next season, and until we hear definitively from the chairman one way or the other we still can't quite be sure.
9 comments:
While I do tend to agree with you on this one, I do think we are a better team than last year even though the table says we're about the same.
I've posted it before but City flattered to deceive last season. While I'm admirer of Hughes I've been deeply disappointed at times, especially with our away form. Still we are way more consistent then we were previously at home and he's correctly building from the foundation up (his January transfers activity supports him on this).
I am rather surprised by his latest comments as one of the things I like about him is that he stays composed during interviews, polite and professional (especially in comparison to Fergie and the the brilliant but arrogant Wenger).
I think his comments about the Raul nonsense were spot on, particularly about player agents, and given all the incessant transfer rumors and thinly veiled hit pieces (particularly re: Kaka and Robinho) I think his latest comments while perhaps bordering on frustration, are understandable.
Personally speaking I think the City manager's position is the hardest in the EPL at present moment. Yes we have vast wealth but as we have seen this season you need still need a solid foundation to support all that weight of expectation.
I think this was abit weird yet understandable, since Huhges has been takin flak from right and left through out the season, and I think what he referres to is that actually nobody but those involved know how much work there is to turn our fortune around.
Dunne said that it took him over half the season to get used to the attention surrounding our team, and then the facilities, training ground, personel, dicipline, expectations, media hunger (for bad news and controversy), new methods which is supported whole heartedly..and im sure theres plenty more.
One thing which struck my eye was that (dont remember if it was Dunne or somebody else) said that now the team has proper warm down after the match!!! Just another exapmle of where we were after last season.
I try to look at is as if in my work place would go through such over haul it would take time definetly before it would star to fire with all the cylinders, and i think Huhges was refering to that as well on his outburst...
Someone needs a hug...and a word wth himself! To compare his own work to what Hodgson has done with a very average squad, Zola has done with some pretty intense media speculation regarding their financial stability, is faintly ridiculous.
Although I think there are better managers out there, I think Mark Hughes is work in progress, and given time he can be one of the best. I mean before MH got the job, we all would have been crying out for ‘ Big Phil’, and look what happened to him. Or look at how many years and money it has taken Rafa to get Liverpool going and they were already a good team.
I think MH has a point. The problem is, that no-one on the outside can see the work he has done. It needs to get his own type of players in, people with a work ethic, who will give the team a backbone. The difference from our August squad to our January squad speaks for itself.
I too get frustrated we our team doesn’t show up, which has been on many occasions, but over recent months that is getting less and less. Especially, with the UEFA out of the way (which was a big drain on our limited resources).
Why should MH not be a bit pissed, after all, cast you mind back to the opening game of the season against Villa and the City faithful are singing SGE’s praises. I don’t feel the City supporters have given him their full support. The press have speculating from every corner trying to upset the club, players and fans. Agents have been doing their dirty dealings in the background. Pundits have been saying this and that about City’s wealth ruining football. And of course, the likes of Platini sticking his big nose into our affairs.
Guys think about it, the only way to built this club to be successful for years to come, is slowly from the ground up. We don’t need a Mourinho, Ancellotti, or a Rikyard (how ever you spell their names), yes who may get you results immediately, but long term they give the club no real substance. We only have to look at Chelsea for that, a bunch of over-rated mercenaries who have reached their peak.
I would prefer for our team to grow and our manager and supporters with it. And if MH is given the chance, I am convinced he will be a manager that we will all be proud off.
Don’t forget, Rome wasn’t built in a season…..
Hughes should just get on with it...
He should recognise that he is in a very fortunate poisition, something the likes of ray hodgson could only dream of.
The problem is he has spent alot and league wise we havnt improoved, of course your not going to get plaudits for that.
Hughes keeps re itterating that it's a work in progress, severall transfer windows needed to build the squad we need...remindiding us of the chancges he has made in mindset and preperation... These are noticable to everyday fan/ journo/ pundit... only city fans will bare witness to small changes. Improvements.
Hughes has built heavily on a fairly good squad and in the eyes of the media isnt going to rewarded with praise. WE have had alot of insults thrown at the club due to it's wealth and an expectance of instant success. UTD rans jeering robinho at the derby because we paid alot for him.. despite him out performing and scoring berbatov who dfidnt get the same criticism. hughes should get on with it and acknowlegde he is here to manage not to win a popualrity contest.
i hope this isn't a sign of sparky getting cautious. i think hodgson's done a top job & probably just about deserves the 7th place with what he's done (i think we've already blown it w/ the roll over against the rags). he's remained level headed until now & shouldn't be looking for plaudits from the fickle media who are hanging onto his, and our dear club's, every word as the speculation and rumour mounts increasingly-even more so throughout the summer! like he says: it's a work in progress and will remain so. we, as fans see the detail and the progress as week in-week out observers, not like the snipers and speculators who only fleetingly view us for a morsel to publish or ammunition to diss us.
keep the faith (in hughes)-our time will come.
I don't agree that Redknapp inherited a worse team than Hughes. Sure, they were worse performing, but they were a team of very expensive top players (David Bentley, Aaron Lennon, Robbie Keane, Corluka, Defoe, Bent, Woodgate, Ledley King etc) who were not motivated to play for Ramos. Redknapp did not need to do any rebuilding, just motivate an already strong team and fill in a few gaps. This is surely why Hughes feels frustrated. Spurs have spent the same as us over the last few years, and they're pretty much level with us in the league (at 2pm anyway...). And yet everyone says what a great job wide-boy 'Arry is doing, whereas Hughes just seems to get speculation about his job security.
I also don't agree that we're no better than we were last season. Look at our goal difference. Last season -8, this season +8. And we've done this side by side with the burden of a protracted UEFA cup campaign. Sven's team imploded 2nd half of last season, and in all probability would have gone into melt down had they had a European campaign too.
Coming on the tail of the derby performance, it's hard to believe he's actually looking for sympathy.
The team has certainly gone backwards since October. The signing of Given being the single improvement. Bridge is taking so long to bed in, he might as well have waited till summer anyway. And Bellamy....
A classic case of the newspaper's only getting half a story. If ever there was a time for "What do you mean by that, exactly?" it was after that interview.
@wigan Blue
I not so sure Hughes was looking for sympathy as much as acknowledgement with the huge task of transforming City from pretenders to contenders.
and while i mean no disrespect I strongly disagree with the assertion that the team has gone backwards since October.
There was no doubt we went into a very worrying slide in November and December but ever since January the team have been much more consistent, particularly at home where with the exception of the Fulham game( where Hughes rolled the dice) we've won every home game with results rarely in doubt.
Since January, City climbed steadily out off the foot of the table and made an admirable run in the UEFA cup. More importantly we have become much more of a possession team (at least at home) and he has built and improved the spine of the team.
Every January signing has made a positive contribution and I include Bridge and Bellamy. Yes Bellamy was an injury risk but 5 goals in 7 games is a solid return and when he's been healthy he's looked the part. Yes he's obnoxious but right now City need that (The Derby match was crying out for the nutter with the putter).
Now that said I'm in full agreement that there is much more work to be done and I too get very frustrated with this team as I believe we are actually better than the table indicates. I think that may be one of the reasons you are very understandably frustrated with Hughes at the moment. Given the talent we have we should have surpassed last season's point totals by now. Some of that does lie with Hughes from a tactical standpoint,(for example he often makes the right substitutions but waits too late to implement them like in todays match) and from being too committed at times to one style of play (we need to vary or play more).
You have to build a house from the foundation up. When Hughes got here there was no foundation (other than the excellent academy). The bottomline is we now have a stronger foundation of players along with a stronger infrastructure (training facilities, training regimen, and sports medicine) going into next season and I honestly believe City will be in the top six next year. I'm not asking you or anyone else to remove any reservations you have about Hughes but the my reason for optimism is Hughes is a strong character and too much of a competitor to not succeed.
Post a Comment