The Hughes Poll

[clacher_holiday2]

You all do realise this Hughes playing good football thing is a total myth?
 
 

[ilpadrino]

John Hughes is not Paul Hartley, and that alone is colouring the opinions of many.  Also colouring opinions is a perceived bad management record for Yogi.  What we need is a statto to show us what I believe to be the case: that Yogi's record is actually better than Butcher's.

 

Don't forget that he was sacked at Hartlepool for doing exactly what Butcher did in Inverness: failing to halt a slide to relegation initiated by someone else.  During the relevant half seasons -

    Hughes:  Won a Manager of the Month award.

    Butcher:  Selected Michael Fraser ahead of Ryan Esson from Falkirk (4-0 ICT) onward, in the season we were relegated by a goal.  Don't forget who managed the team that just stayed up either.

 

Yes, I'll be giving Yogi my full backing and belief, even if he wasn't my favourite, but he was in my top five.

 

PS - If Yogi's not announced at 11:00 tomorrow, I'll delete this post and deny all knowledge.

[ictchris]

Here's a post from P&B from a Falkirk fan about Hughes.  This was made at the time he was manager, it isn't hindsight.

 

I have mixed feelings.

There's no denying he's done remarkably well to get us where we are just now, we don't play a boring long ball game (but more on that later) and have a good squad of great young players (Barr, Scobie, Cregg, Craig and Finnegan to name a few).

However, he has several bad points.

He has a streak of pride that I believe seriously prohibits players signing for us. We've seen players be benched, dropped and never play for us again after (allegedly) falling out with the manager, we've all heard the rumours and McBreen, McKenzie, Tiago and O'Donnell. Similarly, his "pals" seem to get a game every week regardless of form or fitness (Latapy, O'Neill and Kernaghan when they were here). It can't be good for players looking for a club to see things like this happening.

His record on signing strikers is very, very poor. True, we've seen Duffy and Stokes (and Thomson and McBreen both did a job) but we've also seen Lee, McMenamin, Xsausa, Barret, Stewart, Moutinho, Gow - who, despite a couple of them being good players, are not prolific goalscorers. Which brings me nicely to...

...We have no Plan B. Sure, we play passing football, but we are much the same as Arsenal (without the ability, obviously) in that we try to score the perfect goal all the time. We can't vary our style of play to counter teams who have learned to block us out, and that's why we can't beat teams like Aberdeen, Motherwell, Kilmarnock or St Mirren on a regular (if at all) basis. Also...

...We don't actually play good football all that often. Even in the season we steamrollered the first division, we were only brilliant up until the transfer window - then in came Kernaghan and we amazingly went to a back 5 of James (or Sharp), Hughes and Kernaghan, and played the most boring long-ball football I've ever seen. Which I wouldn't have minded had we the players in midfield or attack to deal with it! In our first season in the SPL, we took 4 points out of a possible 48 or something like that in one horrible spell. Even last season, after Stokes had left the football wasn't particularly pretty to watch - but then neither is most of the SPL.

Has he done well? Undoubtedly. Can he take us further? Remains to be seen.

 

[ilpadrino]

 

Here's a post from P&B from a Falkirk fan about Hughes.  This was made at the time he was manager, it isn't hindsight.

 

I have mixed feelings.

There's no denying he's done remarkably well to get us where we are just now, we don't play a boring long ball game (but more on that later) and have a good squad of great young players (Barr, Scobie, Cregg, Craig and Finnegan to name a few).

However, he has several bad points.

He has a streak of pride that I believe seriously prohibits players signing for us. We've seen players be benched, dropped and never play for us again after (allegedly) falling out with the manager, we've all heard the rumours and McBreen, McKenzie, Tiago and O'Donnell. Similarly, his "pals" seem to get a game every week regardless of form or fitness (Latapy, O'Neill and Kernaghan when they were here). It can't be good for players looking for a club to see things like this happening.

His record on signing strikers is very, very poor. True, we've seen Duffy and Stokes (and Thomson and McBreen both did a job) but we've also seen Lee, McMenamin, Xsausa, Barret, Stewart, Moutinho, Gow - who, despite a couple of them being good players, are not prolific goalscorers. Which brings me nicely to...

...We have no Plan B. Sure, we play passing football, but we are much the same as Arsenal (without the ability, obviously) in that we try to score the perfect goal all the time. We can't vary our style of play to counter teams who have learned to block us out, and that's why we can't beat teams like Aberdeen, Motherwell, Kilmarnock or St Mirren on a regular (if at all) basis. Also...

...We don't actually play good football all that often. Even in the season we steamrollered the first division, we were only brilliant up until the transfer window - then in came Kernaghan and we amazingly went to a back 5 of James (or Sharp), Hughes and Kernaghan, and played the most boring long-ball football I've ever seen. Which I wouldn't have minded had we the players in midfield or attack to deal with it! In our first season in the SPL, we took 4 points out of a possible 48 or something like that in one horrible spell. Even last season, after Stokes had left the football wasn't particularly pretty to watch - but then neither is most of the SPL.

Has he done well? Undoubtedly. Can he take us further? Remains to be seen.

 

 

Chris - it's from 6 ­1/2 years ago!  It may not have been hindsight, but it is now!

[RiG]

You all do realise this Hughes playing good football thing is a total myth?

I'm stunned at how readily folk are buying into this.

[ictchris]

 

 

Here's a post from P&B from a Falkirk fan about Hughes.  This was made at the time he was manager, it isn't hindsight.

 

I have mixed feelings.

There's no denying he's done remarkably well to get us where we are just now, we don't play a boring long ball game (but more on that later) and have a good squad of great young players (Barr, Scobie, Cregg, Craig and Finnegan to name a few).

However, he has several bad points.

He has a streak of pride that I believe seriously prohibits players signing for us. We've seen players be benched, dropped and never play for us again after (allegedly) falling out with the manager, we've all heard the rumours and McBreen, McKenzie, Tiago and O'Donnell. Similarly, his "pals" seem to get a game every week regardless of form or fitness (Latapy, O'Neill and Kernaghan when they were here). It can't be good for players looking for a club to see things like this happening.

His record on signing strikers is very, very poor. True, we've seen Duffy and Stokes (and Thomson and McBreen both did a job) but we've also seen Lee, McMenamin, Xsausa, Barret, Stewart, Moutinho, Gow - who, despite a couple of them being good players, are not prolific goalscorers. Which brings me nicely to...

...We have no Plan B. Sure, we play passing football, but we are much the same as Arsenal (without the ability, obviously) in that we try to score the perfect goal all the time. We can't vary our style of play to counter teams who have learned to block us out, and that's why we can't beat teams like Aberdeen, Motherwell, Kilmarnock or St Mirren on a regular (if at all) basis. Also...

...We don't actually play good football all that often. Even in the season we steamrollered the first division, we were only brilliant up until the transfer window - then in came Kernaghan and we amazingly went to a back 5 of James (or Sharp), Hughes and Kernaghan, and played the most boring long-ball football I've ever seen. Which I wouldn't have minded had we the players in midfield or attack to deal with it! In our first season in the SPL, we took 4 points out of a possible 48 or something like that in one horrible spell. Even last season, after Stokes had left the football wasn't particularly pretty to watch - but then neither is most of the SPL.

Has he done well? Undoubtedly. Can he take us further? Remains to be seen.

 

 

Chris - it's from 6 ­1/2 years ago!  It may not have been hindsight, but it is now!

 

 

Yes, it's thoughts of a Falkirk fan from the time Hughes was their manager.

[KingBeastie]

Where are people getting all this guff about him playing decent football?

You just said his falkirk team were not pretty when we got relegated yet claim he'll play decent pretty football. Not what I remember of his time at falkirk or hibs.

Edited December 4, 2013 by KingBeastie

[KingBeastie]

Apologies, when I logged in Scarlet's post was the last one I seen. Not used to the mobile browser properly.

[BornCaley]

I met Yogi through my job when I first moved to Edinburgh in 1999(He was player with Hibs at the time). He's a really nice bloke and always spent several minutes chatting to me about ICT. I got the impression he had a soft spot for us.

 

My only concern with his appointment would be the loss of the "player network" we had under TB!

He has some huge boots to fill as well as a momentum to maintain!

Good luck to him!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Initially I would have looked to play Latapy in any team I was in charge of. I am about to compile my initial psychological profile so I am reading through his records.

[Council Juice]

But but but... other people applied for the job.

Ok ok, he's not my 1st choice and his record is a little patchy. But then Butcher only had any success at 1 club before taking over (though it may be stated he took over a side languishing 5 points behind, Hughes gets the team in 2nd and in a league cup semi)

But I'm going to look at the positives>

He was very good at Falkirk. Brought them up and kept them up for 4 seasons. As well as a Scottish cup final.
He did well in his 1st full season at Hibs, qualifying for Europe.

He is very keen on the sport science side of things so fitness will be a priority.
He's a motivational and likable character. He fits with ICT values.

And he is Hibs daft... if anyone would want us to see of Hearts in the league cup semi it'll be him.

At Hartepool he had to sort out a 20 games winless run. He managed at least a manager of the month and 8 wins out of 29. So he had a poor team to work with and whilst failing at least made a good go of it.

He had a 44% win ratio at Livi too.

All in all not bad when looked at. He is a decent manager. THough when I look at the alternatives I kind of wasn't expecting it.

Best of luck Yogi.

[Rainbow]

Not my absolutely first choice, but we could have got a far worse Yogi. Wait, Low isn't free until the World Cup finals...

But hey, get behind him and the team and have a little faith in the board!

[northstandfan]

Confirmed by sky sports, it's official, Hughes is our manager...

[Sir C the 3rd]

If you accept the fact Hartley does not want the job who would people have wanted?

 

  It seems to me Shiels, Calderwood, Houston, Lazslo  are seemed completely unacceptable to most people despite modest success at their clubs. Levein the worst Scotland manager with also just about the worst Scotland players of all time...matt Phillips?  No one wanted Chris  Sutton and Henrik Larsson didn't have enough top level experience.  Paul Sheerin and Barry WIlson wouldn't even be talked about if they hadn't played for us. Robbo, thanks but hes done nothing in his career since leaving us. Kevin MacDonald has done nothing as a manager except for Swindon which he left after 3 or 4 months and again wouldn't even be considered if he wasn't from Inverness. Finally Paul Sturrock and people are moaning about Yogi being a journeyman.

 

What I;m saying, I'm not a massive fan of Yogi either but who else do people suggest we should have got?  It doesn't matter who it was, people have negatives for everyone. But Yogi is here now so lets stop moaning and get on with it.  If he can get on with Foran straight away he might be a huge success. I've got a feeling the board might want Foran, the captain, to help him settle in, introduce him to the players and the football we play. Fingers crossed anyway!

[PullMyFinger]

Good choice, imho. Did well at Falkirk on a diminishing budget and helped set up a youth academy too.

[Renegade]

Kevin MacDonald has done nothing as a manager except for Swindon which he left after 3 or 4 months and again wouldn't even be considered if he wasn't from Inverness.

 

Not necessarily.  I've seen Aberdeen and Hibs fans touting him for their clubs when they've been looking for a manager in the past.

[izzy]

Just saw his interview on another thread and very happy with what he had to say.

Good Luck to him and whoever he has beside him.

Looking forward to future ...starting on Sat .

[KingBeastie]

I like the fact he looked nervous in the interview, nervous with an element of excitement - good, I'd rather that than any new appointment thinking that they were perhaps too big for us.

The interview was positive from many angles.

 

The king is dead, long live the King.

 

 

 

Now... let's thrash St. Mirren.

[starchief]

Paul Sturrock may have had a lot of clubs but I wouldn't say journeyman.  He's excelled in a number of posts, with an enviable promotion record.

 

That said...

 

It's not my choice but it's done.  Time to give Hughes the benefit of the doubt and welcome him.  You never know.

[izzy]

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS GIRLS !!!!

[donald]

I had expected Hartley to be the man and hadn't even considered Hughes for the manager slot, but he seems like a decent guy and is a character like Butcher so I am sure he will get the players giving 100% every week and hopefully keep playing the ball on the ground so lets get behind him and give the man a chance.

[Macduffer]

Lets give him a chance and our support.  Liked the way he said he wasn't looking to change anything.  Welcome Yogi and good luck!

[Alex MacLeod]

All those names that have been mentioned!!! I'd like to know who was actually interviewed and who, of those, was shortlisted. We know that hartley turned us down but nothing else official. Only guesswork, surmisation based on who was available, guesswork and wishlists. The man who most wanted turned us done for some feeble 'family' excuse. Pardon me but did he not know where Inverness was before agreeing to be interviewed?

 

I'm inclined to believe that we got what we could afford and I also believe we have a team that will continue to play their way with little input from Yogi. The guy has a reasonable record and is not coming to us to fail. He'll already have watched us and seen the quality we have. He may already have a good idea what can be done to improve us. I'm happy enough to give him the chance. Our board has never really got it wrong before, or so many like to believe. John Hughes has a chance here to do one better than what Robbo done. He has a chance to get us two cups and a very high place in the SPL. If he can achieve close to that then he'll have something in common with Robbo. He'll have done it with someone elses team. 

 

The man has been appointed lets see what he can do before crucifying him.

[Yngwie]

We know that hartley turned us down but nothing else official. Only guesswork, surmisation based on who was available, guesswork and wishlists.

 

No we don't! There's nothing official about Hartley even being interviewed.

 

Anyway, I would suggest/speculate that he very much wanted the job, provided it was on his terms, but didn't get it because he wasn't prepared to show sufficient commitment by fully relocating.

[KingBeastie]

That is the impression that I am under too.