Is Mark Hughes now "our" manager?

[TonyGilroy]

Its hard to put my finger on it but I suspect it is because I can't see an emotional connection between him and the club, and that deep down I know we are a stop-gap to his next "big" job. 

I think we expect too much from professionals. Hughes has probably played for or managed about 10 clubs - he can't love them all.

Whatever emotional connection we felt for Hodgson was clearly unreciprocated no matter how it seemed at the time. We were clearly just a stop gap for him. I'm sure it'll be the same for Hughes but fortunately for us he'll have to earn a crack at a bigger club.

As I said above no manager has lasted more than 3 or 4 years with us since Bedford Jezzard.

[Burt]

Its hard to put my finger on it but I suspect it is because I can't see an emotional connection between him and the club, and that deep down I know we are a stop-gap to his next "big" job. 

I think we expect too much from professionals. Hughes has probably played for or managed about 10 clubs - he can't love them all.

Whatever emotional connection we felt for Hodgson was clearly unreciprocated no matter how it seemed at the time. We were clearly just a stop gap for him. I'm sure it'll be the same for Hughes but fortunately for us he'll have to earn a crack at a bigger club.

As I said above no manager has lasted more than 3 or 4 years with us since Bedford Jezzard.

*Sigh*

You are right, Mr Gilroy sir.

Maybe I am expecting too much.

As I said though, if he continues as he is then he gets my support for as long as he plies his trade with us.

[Jimpav]

He's done a brilliant job since the tragic comedy that was Boxing day but I'm not one to give my love away cheaply.

I've got some lingering doubts and think that it is only the fortune that we've had with other resuts going our way in the last week or so that has enabled us to start seeing some light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Our bond with Hodgson was different because he rescued us from a hopeless and miserable place - practically on the brink of premiership extinction. I think a lot of fans were extremely grateful for this and he became an overnight sensation. Beating Arsenal of the back of a defeat to Hull continued to set the tine of events and the Hodgson/Fulham love in snowballed until we reached Hamburg.

Hughes had very big shoes to step into and a tough act to follow. He had a promising start but the subsequent string of draws we had made me wary. Particularly as this had happened during his time at Man City.

I reiterate though, I am warming to him after the srength of character he has showed after Boxing day. His head seemed pretty close to the chopping block so to mastermind a win at Stoke and then to keep the momentum going.

If Hughes keeps us safe (which he will) and manages to beat either Chelski or Liverpool then I'm sure he swiftly be elevated to legend status.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

He's done a brilliant job since the tragic comedy that was Boxing day but I'm not one to give my love away cheaply.

I've got some lingering doubts and think that it is only the fortune that we've had with other resuts going our way in the last week or so that has enabled us to start seeing some light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Our bond with Hodgson was different because he rescued us from a hopeless and miserable place - practically on the brink of premiership extinction. I think a lot of fans were extremely grateful for this and he became an overnight sensation. Beating Arsenal of the back of a defeat to Hull continued to set the tine of events and the Hodgson/Fulham love in snowballed until we reached Hamburg.

Hughes had very big shoes to step into and a tough act to follow. He had a promising start but the subsequent string of draws we had made me wary. Particularly as this had happened during his time at Man City.

I reiterate though, I am warming to him after the srength of character he has showed after Boxing day. His head seemed pretty close to the chopping block so to mastermind a win at Stoke and then to keep the momentum going.

If Hughes keeps us safe (which he will) and manages to beat either Chelski or Liverpool then I'm sure he swiftly be elevated to legend status.

Is this not the nature of the relegation battle though? The wheat from the chaff and all that?

[NogoodBoyo]

Many must be close to choking on some of the words above after the polar opposites they wrote around Christmas.
Common justifications for not loving our manager now seem to be his lack of warmth to the fans and lack of long-term commitment to the club.  But, good old Gilroy keeps on pointing out the naievety of such sentiments with the 3 year average lifespan of the Fulham manager.  (Incidentally, who the heckin' 'ell did we think we had in Sir Roy who changes clubs more often than most Stoke fans change their Calvins. 
Loyalty is a two-way street.  We have shown Hughes all the loyalty of a cuckolding cuckoo.  Do we deserve his respect and love?  I don't even need to scan the end of December posts to line up 100 reasons (and as many posters on this board) as to why we don't.
Nogood "Judas-ing Iscariot, isit" Boyo

[Jimpav]

That is true AFCB but it has been harder than ever to determine what is wheat and what is chaff this season.

For example West Brom, Blackpool and Newcastle all had a brilliant first half of the season and appeared to be dead certs to stay up - however they look like getting sucked into the mixer.

Ourselves, Villa and Everton have had some chaff like results but are turning it round.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

That is true AFCB but it has been harder than ever to determine what is wheat and what is chaff this season.

For example West Brom, Blackpool and Newcastle all had a brilliant first half of the season and appeared to be dead certs to stay up - however they look like getting sucked into the mixer.

Ourselves, Villa and Everton have had some chaff like results but are turning it round.

Very true.

I have to say, I am glad we are starting to turn things around now instead of stalling in the second half of the season after initially good results.

[Jimpav]

That is true AFCB but it has been harder than ever to determine what is wheat and what is chaff this season.

For example West Brom, Blackpool and Newcastle all had a brilliant first half of the season and appeared to be dead certs to stay up - however they look like getting sucked into the mixer.

Ourselves, Villa and Everton have had some chaff like results but are turning it round.

Very true.

I have to say, I am glad we are starting to turn things around now instead of stalling in the second half of the season after initially good results.

Definitely. It's better to have a strong finish - to me it's a sign that the weaknesses have been idnentified and the strengths are being built on.

Bobby coming back is massive for us. It's just at the right time. I can see us taking points of Man City away with him back in the side.

[LBNo11]

..."there is only one constant at any football club - the fans" (Who wrote that?)

Apart from in our case a chairman who has seen us through 14 years of incredible change...

[The Equalizer]

A little over a month ago (right after that appalling visit from West Ham), I became one of Hughes' most vociferous opposers. I truly wanted him out the door.

What he has achieved since then has been remarkable. The vote is still out for me though, but I'm more than glad that he's going in the right direction.

[SmithyFFC]

I also thought Hughes would do well for us, given time. We all knew this season would be a massive anti-climax compared to last season, and bad luck with injuries didn't help from september to decemeber. I feel we have now turned the corner and should be pushing for top 10  :54:

[MJG]

Before everyone gets carried away let's look at what we have done since the west ham game.
We did the double over stoke which may have given us our token away win.now to win up their was a great result and our away performances have improved with regards taking the game to teams...but we still lost at two teams we did not expect to get anything at anyway.
The home lge games...looking at the fixtures at the start of the season these last three wins were what we should have got anyway.
Spurs in the cup was great but for me the only standout result this season.
We now enter a run of three games where we will see if Hughes has changed enough to get results where in the past we have struggled.
I will not deny the way we are playing is much more expansive while still having the shape we lost in the first half of the season when I think he tried to change things too quickly...he has learnt from his early mistakes.

Back to the main question is he "our" manager. Well the fans have not really warmed to him to sing his name to much extent, maybe this is down to how much we gave to Roy only to see all that effort wasted.

My own view is that Im not keen on him from when he was a player and manager. I doubt that view will ever change, and yes I wanted him out after the west ham game.
while we have improved, the results are not much better that we expected and we still have a lot of hard work to do.
he is here till the summer at least and we shall see what happens but like someone before I have the feeling he will be off to a better offer as soon sa one comes along, but such is the modern game.

[Peabody]

I think he is. Our previous manager did some pretty good things with but in retrspect, was never really with us and did lack the passion that we as fans expect. You can certainley see passion from MH, especially the last few games. So yes I think he is

[NogoodBoyo]

Good ol' Peabody.  Well said.  You'll have made his day.
Nogood "Hughes lookin' at you, kid, isit" Boyo

[SuffolkWhite]

He is our Manager as far as I was concerned from the off.

I supported Sanchez up until a few games before he was sacked.

I wrote a letter to Roy stating that I thought the team were good and that they would come through a sticky few fixtures when others were murmuring that we were crap last winter. And he replied, nice man he was.

Roy said right the way through the Europa delight that the team were performing above his expectations.

Hughes has done ok and hopefully we have turned the corner now the PLAYERS get what his tactics are. He has signed Dembele,Sidwell,Saclceido,Gudjohnson,Haliche and the Chelski chap, so there is an intelligent brain there.

"MARKY HUGHESY'S BLAWHITE ARMY" should be sung all the time since our win over Spurs win.

Lets support the team and the Manager and give them time.

COYW

[bigalffc]

juries still out for me-need to see more results first. i want top ten and cup final please

[ScalleysDad]

Getting a song or a chant going for Hughes is always going to be tricky for a man who often looked so aloof. The Stoke home game, for me anyway, showed the mood change. If he could slap himself on the back he would have done so after a passage of play where we were fizzing the ball about and looked unstoppable. A double over Pulis probably helped. He needs something unique and not simply a rehash of "Blawharmy".
The background stomp or clapping similar to the zulu chant heard at Birmingham might work with a well propelled "HUUUUUWS" in the right places might work. Could even be done sitting down

I think he has earnt at least collective chorus. One for Villa where we might just get away with standing ?

[b+w geezer]

He's the kind you'd want on your side. He's not a public embarrassment. He has credibility within the game. He's positive. He's not into glass ceilings. He gives the impression of knowing what he's doing. All that is to the good. The increasing signs that actually does know what he is doing are what really matter. If we are ever going to win a cup this could be the time and he could be the manager -- thereby speeding his departure, bound to be by mid-decade in any event.

[NogoodBoyo]

He doesn't need songs, chants or other tribal paraffin-alia.  He's a mature, sensible man who's beyond that.
What he didn't need was the vitriolic, spittle-froth from the jaws of a rabid crowd after one really bad game agaisnt West Ham, along with all the knee-jerk "Hughes-out" chants that just made us look and sound, well.... ignorant football fans. 
We lost our dignity.  He kept his.
What he does need is a bit more patience from us, less arm-chair criticism, booing and bollyacking when the team's having a bad day.  With our trifling budget, he just needs our support, a warm smile and a bunch of daffodils on St. David's Day from all you bugkers who dug him a messageboard grave at Christmas.
Nogood "there it is, isit" Boyo :028: