Monday, January 05, 2009

Hughes given more backing amidst further reports of unrest

"Mark is part of building the club. His plans and the way he is running the team are going to build and change and the confidence will start to build.

"We will bring people here who want to see the club move forward and the fans will ideally take to them because they're committed to the club.

"Once we get through the first window, when Mark's impact will be able to advance the future of the club, things will start to settle down."

>>telegraph.co.uk

Yet more backing for Hughes, following on from other recent instances of support and whilst it won't stop discussion regarding his future, surely it puts to bed any doubt that he will be remaining in charge.

Cook's comments were made in the wake of a now widely reported article by Ian Ladyman in which he exposed the extent of Hughes's displeasure with certain factions of the squad:

The full extent of Mark Hughes's anger after Manchester City's capitulation to Nottingham Forest on Saturday was felt not in the dressing room but in the boardroom, it emerged last night.

Journalists who waited for an hour to talk with Hughes after the final whistle presumed the City manager was spelling out a few home truths to his players who had failed him so nakedly at Eastlands.

But Hughes had headed straight for an impromptu meeting with City executives, whom he believes need to act more promptly to get him the players he needs so badly.

The piece - whilst not a new story as such - does illustrate the fractious nature of the relationship Hughes has with certain players, and it does make you wonder quite what the state of harmony is within the camp at the moment:

It is understood Hughes did not even give his side a particularly noticeable rollicking on Saturday. The Welshman is fed up with talking to players who, aware that they have no long-term future at the club, just stare back at him with blank, emotionless faces.

On Saturday one player, who had played a major part in City's downfall, laughed with a team-mate as he took his post-match shower.

Only a fortnight previously, a group of players, prominently featuring Brazilian Elano and Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim, called a team meeting with the express purpose of denegrating Hughes's tactics.

One player - no longer in the squad - recently went to Cook to complain (unsuccessfully) about the manager.

Against this background, it is clear why Hughes feels the need to shake up his squad and isolate those who appear to have lost the desire to play for him.

Michael Ball, Didi Hamann, Elano and Jo would not figure in another Hughes team in his ideal world.
It is now clear that there is going to be a period of blood letting at the club both this January and over the summer, and it appears as if Hughes has been given licence to move things in the direction he wants.

Given the scale of the changes likely to occur, Hughes will have to hope that once the dust settles, it is proven that the right decisions will have been made.

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mark Hughes is setting himself up for the biggest fall in footballing history, £100 million spent on middle of the road players to replace the ones he cant control only for us to finish midtable at best.

The city ship is sinking and Mark Hughes is the one who drove us into the iceberg.

The player arent blameless, if the rumours are true about Elano etc then he is a disgrace to the shirt, quite how someone knows what was going on in the showers after the match though is beyond me

Blue Phoenix - Moving on up! said...

I would just like to make a point here that perhaps can shine some light on what is happening at City.

I'm sure most of you will be able to validate the following:

1) Mark Hughes is changing the way in which the club and staff are managed.

2) Mark Hughes has stated from the beginning that we are very early on in our development.

3) Hughes has stated from the beginning that we are way off the standard that we need to be at.

Ok so with just these three points alone we need to understand that this pictue has been passed on to the board and to the Abu Dhabi owners and chairman.

So With that in mind a lot of the playes expect that their days are numbered and are trying to oust the manager.

New players that have been brought in do not feel affected because Hughes sees them as better quality players than we had already and Stevie Ireland our saviour so fa this season who did not feature well under Sven has taken on a new lease of life thank to Hughes.

Robinho no doubt echoed Hughes thoughts that a lot of the current stock of players do not have that extra winning mentality that is required at his level.

I think a lot of us would thank some of our players for their hard work over the years even thought they earn more in a week than the average earner does in a year and then some but the fact is in he City revolution "They are not good enough", simply not good enough!

Furthermore some of them think it is funny to let a team like Forrest run a amok over us at home or did not ave the spirit to win this match.

I hope to god that Hughes does stay for the long term. It is essential that we have a long term manager who can build his own team gradually.

I also hope that the board have sanctioned a clear out and until players are snapped up for some other failing premiership or championship club they should be made to play for the reserves and should be beasted like they do in the lower leagues at the same time and should also be made to face up to the fact that they will never ever dishonour the shirt again in full public.

For me immediate sale or dismissal for Elano,Jo, Hamann, Casper (Obviously wants to go), Ball, Dunne(Had his day) and Rihards (Lazy) should be on the cards.

Let those players waste the time of another club somewhere else.
As long as we don't have to put up wih them.

I am with Hughes and would like him to add to SWP, Ireland, Robinho, Kompany, Garrido, Petrov, Boj, Gelson (Will come good), Zab and out latest quality player Bridge.

City fans get behind Hughes and let us be the first club to send a message to the players that we are behind Hughes and we do not tolerate their pathetic existence anymore.

Roll on the end of the transfer window to see how many of the useless fools we can rid ourselves of and to see the new look City for the rest of the season. Perhaps even a couple of the pathetic loosers we have at the moment will also buck up their ideas just in time before they get the chop - I'm talking to you Richards we all know you're capable, Jo I think you have a chance too.

Anyway I wish all City fans a happy new year and I feel confident in time we will realy have something to sing about ;)

Anonymous said...

I dont know where this illusion that Mark Hughes has made Stephen Ireland has come from, Stephen, off his own back has gone out every morning running around glossop with a back pack full of bricks, that is not the work of Hughes.

Take Ireland out of the equation and the remainder of last season squad have performed worse, and not a little worse a LOT worse. Doesnt help when Hughes has criticised his own players from day one, and failed to take ANY of the heat himself despite some ridiculous tactical choices and lack of strategy.

Its no coincidence either that half the squad have got hamstrings injuries, they are being over-trained and yet are not being taught how to defend, or take a set piece. Still they'll go well with all his new (alleged) signings ALL of whom have hamstring problems (namely Bridge, Santa Cruz and Bellamy)

His lack of ambition in the transfer window is also a big negative, Abu Dhabi want the big names, the world class players, Hughes wants mid-table has-beens or one season wonders what is the point of paying extortionate money for player aged 28, with injuries, and who arent much better than the players we have now ??? Is the work of a realist or a pessimist?

Lets face facts, Mark Hughes cannot motivate his team, seemingly has no management skills (see his reaction to Elano and Sturridge in the Forest match) and has no kind of plan B when it comes to tactics in fact his plan A of 'hoof the ball from the box up to the forwards' isnt working, doesnt stop him using it week in week out though.

The players that are all playing poorly were the same ones that helped us finish tenth last season under Sven and instead of motivating and improving his squad he'd rather say theyre all cack all season. He is the luckiest manager in the history of football not just because he's still got his job after some truly pathetic performances but also because he's been given the go ahead to clear out half the squad and replace them with his own set of mediocre players. Not many other managers are afforded this luxury. Instead of building a squad now that will be competing for champions leaguue next season he's talking aobut needing, and i quote 'four or five transfer windows' ??? again shows his lack of ambition.

He still thinks he is managing Blackburn and doesnt have the vision or tactical nouse to manage the richest club in the stratosphere.

newsoftheblues said...

may i also point garry cooks words are at least a month old, just re printed.

Anonymous said...

patrick u talk shit shut up u think u know it all u dont have a clue this is the second post i read from u where u act as if ur right on wat u think of hughes bottom line is he isnt doin it on the trainin pitch any1 who has played football can see that just shut ur trap.