I wanted to have a closer look at Chris Hughton, to see what we should expect as a manager.
As a player, he won two FA Cup winner’s medals, a UEFA Cup winner’s medal and even a Charity Shield (Community Shield) winner’s medal with Tottenham, and as a manager, he achieved great acclaim in the Championship with Newcastle, earning no fewer than four manager of the month awards in one season, and the much-coveted LMA’s Manager of the Season award, for getting Newcastle promoted at the first time of asking in 2009-10.
He was the product of the Tottenham youth system, which surely bodes well in that he’ll understand the potential of our own Academy. He eventually “totted up” almost 300 appearances (and 12 goals) as a full back for Spurs before moving to West Ham United. Internationally, he represented the Republic of Ireland 53 times.
The only real previous Blues link is that Chris Hughton was manager of Newcastle when Nicky Butt was still there, though he only featured 17 times in the Championship winning campaign. He did actually oversee the transfer of Obafemi Martins, for a £9m fee to Wolfsburg.
Champions of the 4-4-2 system will be pleased to hear that he has seemingly preferred that system on the whole, in all competitions, though he played 7 Championship games with 4-4-1-1 and 4-5-1 formations. Proof that he’s not averse to trying a different approach!
Highlights of his Championship topping season will have been a 3-0 home win against Reading, a 4-0 battering of Ipswich away, a 3-0 home win against Swansea, a 5-1 home win against a strong Cardiff team, a 4-1 win at home against Coventry, a 3-0 home win against Preston, a 6-1 home win against Barnsley, a 3-0 home win against Scunthorpe, a 4-1 win against future Premiership experimenters Blackpool, and two runs of 7 wins in a row!
His team’s success arrived with rather a lot of help from 18 midfield goals from Kevin Nolan and 19 from striker Andy Carroll. Craig Gardner’s loss would suggest he’ll need an immediate replacement, and perhaps a goalscoring midfielder should now be our priority? His dealings on the transfer market included 16-goal striker Peter Lovenkrands for the huge amount of money that is £0. He also brought Wayne Routledge in for £1m. He played an important part in the Newcastle team after the January window closed, and has been linked with Blues again, as well as QPR, who he left for Newcastle.
Hughton oversaw an amazing 26 game unbeaten home record at Saint James’ Park, so expect plenty of ‘Fortress Saint Andrews’ comments in the Press!
He also paid £750k for Danny Simpson from Manchester United. An undoubted bargain basement deal that proved worth its weight in gold, considering he played 41 games scoring once, and only picking up 4 yellow cards along the way. Not bad for a full back!
Hughton also raked in £8m for Bassong, who went to Spurs, so he’s not averse to letting players go.
In the Premier League, Hughton oversaw the arrival of Chek Tiote, the winning of European trophy the Teresa Herrera trophy (a pedigree that may assist any Europa League fixtures), he was boss when Newcastle overcame a little known team from Aston called Villa in a match that finished with a 6-0 scoreline. Cult status at Birmingham City already beckoned! They also thrashed Wor Brucey’s Sunderland 5-1 at home, Arsenal and Everton were both dispatched 1-0 away, and Chelsea were held 1-1 in Hughton’s last home match in charge. In fact, three straight Premiership wins in a row against West Ham, Sunderland and Arsenal weren’t enough to save his job, as a creditable (though admittedly not amazing) subsequent run of three losses and two draws saw him sacked and replaced with some speed by Alan Pardew.
Newcastle’s loss is our gain. A new era dawns. Keep Right On.
Feeling confident we’ll get promoted under Hughton? Read AylesburyBlue’s article on promotion and vote in the poll on the right.
Well researched facts that corroborate my feelings that he’s the best man for the job.
Consequently I look forward to, rather than fear, the coming season.