Sven was at the game tonight

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

That's right. I said we should get the Tinker man in. What's your point?

My point is, why what wasn't good enough by Sven was excellent job by Hughes? Something I have been trying to figure out for a good while now.

Maybe someone could explain.

I'm exact opposite to Ant by the way regarding Sven. I liked him because he was a good manager and judging by credentials best manager we've ever had. Can't say I liked him as a person though. Slimy opportunist, isn't my favourite type of personality. Then again I loved Pearce as a person but fucking hated him as a manager. The day he left was such relief.

[Wooders]

I reckon he left early with someone elses' missus

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I reckon he left early with someone elses' missus

Probably Hughes'.

[Rag_hater]

Clueless lost us more games than Sven if you compare the seasons.
Clueless hasnt beaten the rags yet.
Clueless spent more money in a year than Sven did.
All these facts have been pointed out before but the Hughes lickers choose to ignore them.
And this bollocks about the players laughin after the boro game is just stupidity.What do you want grown men to do sit there and cry.
Sometimes people laugh to hide their true emotions.
The fact that there was only one player there from Svens tenure says to me that Clueless is been put in a position that he doesn't have to work with any players he didnt buy not that they wern't any good.

[ronk]

I do believe that was his first visit back to the coms since his departure. I wonder if there was any reason why he came to the game tonight.

.

Johnson to County on loan?

Sven left around the time he came on.

eh? Johnson barely played at all last year. Johnson did most of his good work under Sven but actually was playing under Pearce (and playing well). There was a lot of discussion of how he was already a better player than Barton in terms of the structure of the team and his ability to take corners.

[mcfc1632]

Good read that, but don't you think the volumes it speaks is that Hughes has had the money to buy his own team? Charlie, Elano and even Bojinov could have started tonight but were moved on by Hughes and some of the dross he had to work with wouldn't make our reserves now.

I wouldn't want him back and I wouldn't have swapped him for Pearce but the job they did with the resources they had should not be underestimated, especially when you consider the horror show Cook has had to fix this past year.

Good to see someone else can see the benefit of Cook - was baffled to see some posts suggesting Kenyon comes in - there is much that has been improved across the club - not just player purchases

[Ted Hughes]

Sven had lots of good points but I am not sure , as has been said here already , he was building for the long term.The players brought in might have had talent but did they didn't have the character and heart that is essential to get to the top.

It's two totally different approaches & both could succeed in the short term imo if the players perform. The job of building a PL club from the ground up is not one for Sven though, or someone like Mourinho for that matter. I had no preference for Hughes over Sven, in fact at the time I'd've much rather kept Sven but now I think we're operating on a new, more modern, more proffessional level.

In short we're a whole class above, in fact a whole different planet & way way better off without him.

[Guy Debord]

Clueless lost us more games than Sven if you compare the seasons.
Clueless hasnt beaten the rags yet.
Clueless spent more money in a year than Sven did.
All these facts have been pointed out before but the Hughes lickers choose to ignore them.
And this bollocks about the players laughin after the boro game is just stupidity.What do you want grown men to do sit there and cry.
Sometimes people laugh to hide their true emotions.
The fact that there was only one player there from Svens tenure says to me that Clueless is been put in a position that he doesn't have to work with any players he didnt buy not that they wern't any good.

We've come a long, long way since the Sven-era. The fact that you still can't grasp the magnitude of the improvement is a shame for you.

[Guy Debord]

This is good topic this.

It's funny how people tend to lose perspective over the time. After Pearce left, our squad could be best described as burning ruins. We were without manager for about month and a half until Sven came in. He had about five weeks to build side that could be able to put some sort of mid table challenge on the basis of side that on it's own would've most likely been relegated (very much like Portsmouth now).

Sven put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly and we got a flying start. People started dreaming and as is often the case, the original aim got lost with some. In here for example, all season we tried to tell people to stay calm and that with the squad we have got there'd be bad run at some stage. But it got out of hands and people lost the original focus.

Sven is money manager. He is good at spotting players and integrating them into a team. He has his own system and very much his own style and needs to surround himself with players who subscribe to his school of thought. I'm certain Sven would've done very good with the money just like he did with Thaksin's money.

We didn't win the league but we finished 9th and got into Europe. Considering where we started that was brilliant season for me. One of my favourites alongside Keegan promotion and first 5th spot finish under Reid with mostly Horton's players.

I'm not sure Sven would have achieved as much as Hughes has with the new money, his signings were spectacularly hit and miss. Notwithstanding the extra finance available, Hughes has been outstanding in the market. Certainly the most consistent City manager I can recall.

[mcfc1632]

I think the difference is that Hughes has obviously persuaded intelligent and strategically minded people that he is capable of taking this club up several notches - this takes more than just money on 1st team players and effort for 6 months - it takes involvement and dedication on a day by day basis at all levels - Sven is not that sort of person at all - so, given the Sheik's money, you may have had a 'flash in the pan' few months - but as someone else has said it would have been a club built like a pack of cards - for me the same with Jose - although the flash would likely have been a bit longer

To build for a generation of success needs the approach Hughes and Cook bring - he put his career / reputation on the line for the 09/10 season - that is what he should be judged on - any harping back to comparisons in 08/09 with Sven the season before is simply the desperation of the people unable to change positions when they have been proven to be utterly wrong - do not know why - we all get things wrong - it does not mean you are a failure or something (unless you stick with it)

If 09/10 under Hughes becomes like the season under Sven - I expect him to be sacked as well - but is it not a good start and surely we should be as behind the current manager as much as we were behind Sven a couple of years ago?

[john@staustell]

This is good topic this.

It's funny how people tend to lose perspective over the time. After Pearce left, our squad could be best described as burning ruins. We were without manager for about month and a half until Sven came in. He had about five weeks to build side that could be able to put some sort of mid table challenge on the basis of side that on it's own would've most likely been relegated (very much like Portsmouth now).

Sven put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly and we got a flying start. People started dreaming and as is often the case, the original aim got lost with some. In here for example, all season we tried to tell people to stay calm and that with the squad we have got there'd be bad run at some stage. But it got out of hands and people lost the original focus.

Sven is money manager. He is good at spotting players and integrating them into a team. He has his own system and very much his own style and needs to surround himself with players who subscribe to his school of thought. I'm certain Sven would've done very good with the money just like he did with Thaksin's money.

We didn't win the league but we finished 9th and got into Europe. Considering where we started that was brilliant season for me. One of my favourites alongside Keegan promotion and first 5th spot finish under Reid with mostly Horton's players.

Do you mean Kendall's players? .............Machin, Kendall, Reid, Horton, Football Genius, assorted caretakers/Coppell, Clark.............

How can you forget?

[Rag_hater]

Clueless lost us more games than Sven if you compare the seasons.
Clueless hasnt beaten the rags yet.
Clueless spent more money in a year than Sven did.
All these facts have been pointed out before but the Hughes lickers choose to ignore them.
And this bollocks about the players laughin after the boro game is just stupidity.What do you want grown men to do sit there and cry.
Sometimes people laugh to hide their true emotions.
The fact that there was only one player there from Svens tenure says to me that Clueless is been put in a position that he doesn't have to work with any players he didnt buy not that they wern't any good.

We've come a long, long way since the Sven-era. The fact that you still can't grasp the magnitude of the improvement is a shame for you.

The Sven era was limited by the money Frank gave him which is not comparable to what Hughes has available.
I think for the money Sven had and the team he inherrited he did very well and somewhat overachieved.
Quite the opposite with Hughes for me.
The optomism we have this season should have been evident last season for my view.
For me this season is only what I expect.
We may have come a long way since the Sven era, but I'm sure we could have got here with a number of different managers, including Sven considering the finances available to us.
The fact that we are not in Europe this year suggests to me that we are not in an era that is to far from where we have been in the past so the progress Hughes has made does not impress me that much.
The fact that he has been able to buy quality is nothing more than is to be expected.

[dazby]

Clueless lost us more games than Sven if you compare the seasons.
Clueless hasnt beaten the rags yet.
Clueless spent more money in a year than Sven did.
All these facts have been pointed out before but the Hughes lickers choose to ignore them.
And this bollocks about the players laughin after the boro game is just stupidity.What do you want grown men to do sit there and cry.
Sometimes people laugh to hide their true emotions.
The fact that there was only one player there from Svens tenure says to me that Clueless is been put in a position that he doesn't have to work with any players he didnt buy not that they wern't any good.

We've come a long, long way since the Sven-era. The fact that you still can't grasp the magnitude of the improvement is a shame for you.

The Sven era was limited by the money Frank gave him which is not comparable to what Hughes has available.
I think for the money Sven had and the team he inherrited he did very well and somewhat overachieved.
Quite the opposite with Hughes for me.
The optomism we have this season should have been evident last season for my view.
For me this season is only what I expect.
We may have come a long way since the Sven era, but I'm sure we could have got here with a number of different managers, including Sven considering the finances available to us.
The fact that we are not in Europe this year suggests to me that we are not in an era that is to far from where we have been in the past so the progress Hughes has made does not impress me that much.
The fact that he has been able to buy quality is nothing more than is to be expected.

tut tut, you had to bite didn't you Guy. hook, line and sinker.

[Original Dub]

Clueless lost us more games than Sven if you compare the seasons.
Clueless hasnt beaten the rags yet.
Clueless spent more money in a year than Sven did.
All these facts have been pointed out before but the Hughes lickers choose to ignore them.
And this bollocks about the players laughin after the boro game is just stupidity.What do you want grown men to do sit there and cry.
Sometimes people laugh to hide their true emotions.
The fact that there was only one player there from Svens tenure says to me that Clueless is been put in a position that he doesn't have to work with any players he didnt buy not that they wern't any good.

We've come a long, long way since the Sven-era. The fact that you still can't grasp the magnitude of the improvement is a shame for you.

The Sven era was limited by the money Frank gave him which is not comparable to what Hughes has available.
I think for the money Sven had and the team he inherrited he did very well and somewhat overachieved.
Quite the opposite with Hughes for me.
The optomism we have this season should have been evident last season for my view.
For me this season is only what I expect.
We may have come a long way since the Sven era, but I'm sure we could have got here with a number of different managers, including Sven considering the finances available to us.
The fact that we are not in Europe this year suggests to me that we are not in an era that is to far from where we have been in the past so the progress Hughes has made does not impress me that much.
The fact that he has been able to buy quality is nothing more than is to be expected.

tut tut, you had to bite didn't you Guy. hook, line and sinker.

I was just gonna say the same thing! I'm a new man - I used to fall for these wind ups from retards but no more I tell you! Anyone that calls the a manager that has had the start that Hughes has had "clueless" is either a WUM or mentally challenged - either way, giving a reasonable response is absolutely out of the question.

On topic - I said it last year and I'll say it again now. I'd have Hughes over Sven any day of the week.

1) Both managers had to endure turmoil and bad press and Hughes handled it much better
2) Hughes buys better players
3) Hughes' football is far far more attractive
4) A number of players have publically stated that training and spirit has improved immensely.
5) He is widely regarded as one of the brightest young managers in the game, so can also bring stability longterm
6) Everyone at the club knows and has agreed publically that he is the boss and what he says goes. He is a real leader, Sven wasn't


I appreciate what Sven did for the club, but at the moment I wouldn't want any other manager than hughes.

So fuck all you Sven-lickers ;)

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

This is good topic this.

It's funny how people tend to lose perspective over the time. After Pearce left, our squad could be best described as burning ruins. We were without manager for about month and a half until Sven came in. He had about five weeks to build side that could be able to put some sort of mid table challenge on the basis of side that on it's own would've most likely been relegated (very much like Portsmouth now).

Sven put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly and we got a flying start. People started dreaming and as is often the case, the original aim got lost with some. In here for example, all season we tried to tell people to stay calm and that with the squad we have got there'd be bad run at some stage. But it got out of hands and people lost the original focus.

Sven is money manager. He is good at spotting players and integrating them into a team. He has his own system and very much his own style and needs to surround himself with players who subscribe to his school of thought. I'm certain Sven would've done very good with the money just like he did with Thaksin's money.

We didn't win the league but we finished 9th and got into Europe. Considering where we started that was brilliant season for me. One of my favourites alongside Keegan promotion and first 5th spot finish under Reid with mostly Horton's players.

Do you mean Kendall's players? .............Machin, Kendall, Reid, Horton, Football Genius, assorted caretakers/Coppell, Clark.............

How can you forget?

I meant Kendall of course mate. It was his face I saw in front of my eyes when typing that, don't know why I said Horton.

[Rag_hater]

My memory isn't so short that I consider the start of this season to be the start of Hughes tenure and to me the start he has to this season does not escape from the fact that he was here last year and that year was worse than the year before.
And whether the Hughes lovers decide that it is not a fair comparison to compare the 07/08 season with the 08/09 season I dont see why I cannot compare the two.
Just because the results of the comparison do not favour the Hughes lovers does not mean they should be ignored.
And last year it was said that it was unfair to compare Svens full season against Hughes's around Xmas time when the debate began because Hughes had not had a full season to be judged on, however now they both have a full season to be judged on it is somehow not fair if one makes a decision that does not favour Hughes.
The fact that Hughes is now in his second season and being judged on that, does not seem fair on Sven. To me somehow as Sven didnt have a second season to spend an unlimited amount of cash like Hughes it seems somewhat unfair on him to say he was incapable of building a project that would have lasted.
Now he has had a full season it is still apperently unfair and the 09/10 season is what he should be judged on.Same old codswallop.

[Beefymcfc]

I see a lot comparing the different era's, but in fact how can you actually compare them. Sven could've made it big with lots of money, yet Hughes could've done the same with little money!

I've enjoyed the last few years and haven't had to consider relegation at any point, and that is down to the 2 managers in question!

[john68]

Without knowing the craziness that was going on within the club, I was happy for Sven to stay and try and develop his project. It would have been different to what we have now and I think, given time and money, he would have delivered the success we crave.

That said, I am more than happy at the rapid progress we have made under Hughes and think that we will have our success sooner rather than later.

I also think there are other managers who could have taken the project on but we have Hughes and that now suits me.

[Original Dub]

I'm thankful to both because they are very good managers.

I'd take Hughes any day of the week though. I'd much rather he had the money than Sven.

He finished ahead of Sven in the league with much less money. Says it all really.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Sven pulled the wool over my eyes for a long time, and I was quite disappointed when he was given the boot.
When I look back on his tenure, I just think "conman"
Every week, telling us we were playing great football, when in reality it didn't often rise much above what Pearce produced.
The entertainment on offer has improved dramatically since he went and I don't lament his going at all.