Mark Hughes thinks we don't like him

[Olgrligm]

I noticed this article on The Sentinel the other day:

www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-hughes-pep-guardiola-8956321?utm_source=mynewsassistant.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=embedded_search_item_mobile

Hughes did an interview with Sam Allardyce (?) for a podcast (?) and talked about lots of things at Man City and Bradford, but had very little to say about Stoke. At one point, to quote the article:

A message was passed on to him from a Stoke fan to say he was their favourite manager but Hughes said: “Is he in a minority of one?”

Given how it all ended, I get the impression that he thinks he's persona non grata in the Potteries, which is a shame to my mind. Perhaps the protests that bookends his reign gave him that impression. Yet I'm sure that I'm not alone in thinking back very fondly on his vintage team with Begovic, Shawcross, N'Zonzi, Arnautovic, Bojan and Moses (unrelatedly, one of our most underrated signings).

[ursemboys]

Well I definitely don’t dislike him, best football since the 70’s other than the macari time (that was just special )

[cvillestokie]

Dec 10, 2023 12:53:29 GMT Olgrligm said:

I noticed this article on The Sentinel the other day:

www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-hughes-pep-guardiola-8956321?utm_source=mynewsassistant.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=embedded_search_item_mobile

Hughes did an interview with Sam Allardyce (?) for a podcast (?) and talked about lots of things at Man City and Bradford, but had very little to say about Stoke. At one point, to quote the article:

A message was passed on to him from a Stoke fan to say he was their favourite manager but Hughes said: “Is he in a minority of one?”

Given how it all ended, I get the impression that he thinks he's persona non grata in the Potteries, which is a shame to my mind. Perhaps the protests that bookends his reign gave him that impression. Yet I'm sure that I'm not alone in thinking back very fondly on his vintage team with Begovic, Shawcross, N'Zonzi, Arnautovic, Bojan and Moses (unrelatedly, one of our most underrated signings).

The board failed in not identifying when he was going wrong and getting in a replacement to fix it. All managers have their time eventually.

[scfcno1fan]

Definitely not!

We played some great football under him, brilliant in fact.

Would take him over AN now that’s for sure….

[vidigal7]

Nothing to say on Mark Hughes other than I hope we don't reinstate him.

[chigstoke]

Dec 10, 2023 13:02:23 GMT scfcno1fan said:

Definitely not!

We played some great football under him, brilliant in fact.

Would take him over AN now that’s for sure….

Said to my mate at the match that I'd take Hughes back over AN.

It might be the desperation of wanting AN gone, but certainly out of that attack and midfield, I reckon Hughes could at least get a tune out of them.

Not going to happen of course, but this is what shit football and wanting a manager gone does to a man!

[jay1610]

He’s the only manager in my lifetime who’s taken us toe-to-toe with every top side in the country and come out on top.

I find the indifference towards him odd.

[figo85]

He could probably do half a job up top too.

[GrahamHyde]

He was decent but I think a large part of that was the players that Pulis signed - particularly in defensive areas.

As time elapsed and they gradually left he was found wanting.

[mickeythemaestro]

Dec 10, 2023 13:29:15 GMT GrahamHyde said:

He was decent but I think a large part of that was the players that Pulis signed - particularly in defensive areas.

As time elapsed and they gradually left he was found wanting.

My assessment was Hughes expected every player to have the kind of in built discipline and hard work ethic that he had as a player. Unfortunately he was very wrong and failed to address the issue to a great extent. And in the end the inevitable happened.
If you could mix Hughes and Pulis in a manager you'd go a long way in my opinion..........hang on, I've just had an idea 💡 😆

[roylandstoke]

He did a bloody good job up to the Imbula signing.
He compounded that with big fat Wimmer and then seemed to lose all his self belief. Selection became random and tactics seemed to change at the drop of a hat.

I think he had a mini breakdown and had no one to help him out.

The 2-0 win against Citeh was fabulous.

[jzime]

If he had been sacked at the end of 2016-17 and his successor had kept us up, perceptions of him would be very, very different. People would look on his reign pretty favourably overall, I suspect. 

He was a good manager when he had the established spine he inherited to work with. Added genuine quality to the side and had us playing some excellent football. Personally, I have extremely fond memories of 2013-2016 era Stoke. I was at uni until summer 2015, so having a lot of fun in my personal life, and Stoke were playing well in the PL - what was not to love!!

I think he lost his way when Whelan, Walters, Shawcross started to age and needed to spend big money to reshape us.

There had been too many poor defeats in 2016-17 anyway, and the 1-4 to Arsenal should have been his last home game. Stoke were ready for a change and he could have left with his head held high and his reputation re-established as a top-flight manager after his poor stints at Fulham and QPR.

In a weird way, he was, in the end, just as much a victim of the board's hesitation indecision back then as the whole club has been since. Keeping him on for that next season when we so clearly needed a change did everybody involved so much damage.

[swampySCFC]

There was a lot to like about Hughes tenure. Bearing in mind he took over from TP’s golden years it couldn’t have been easy but he recruited some great players

[19notbeaten72]

I rated Hughes very highly till he allowed Huth to go that one thing did it for me as Shawcross was never the same player.
In hindsight Huth had the last laugh by going on to win the league with Leicester.

[Staffsoatcake]

Just think if we had won that penalty shoot out at Liverpool,he could have become cult hero here for years to come.

[boskampsflaps]

Played some nice football but when some of the mainstays needed replacing it showed his flaws.

Can't say I dislike him particularly though but he did waste a lot money on crap we couldn't even give away.

[MilanStokie]

Which managers remain consistently successful at one club though? They all tail off eventually, whether its through poor decision, other situations at the club or just the natural progression of the sport.

Hughes delivered the best football I have seen in my lifetime and with some of the best players as well. For that I am ever thankful. Yes the last 18 months of his tenure didn't go very well, but he delivered 3 consecutive years of excellent football of which are not simply erased by what eventually happened.

Without him, we probably don't finish top 10, we don't see players like Bojan, Arnautovic or Shaqiri and we may very well have been back in the Championship a lot sooner than we did.

[nigerianstokie]

I’ll honestly never not love the man for the days he gave us. Some belting memories that most football fans could only dream of under him.

I’d take him back in a heartbeat right now, although I’m generally not one who likes to go back as such. It’s why I’d never want a Shawcross or the like in charge. They only risk tarnishing the reputation they have with us.

[kidcrewbob]

I was not in the Hughes camp at the outset but was more than happy to eat humble pie when he delivered those 3 consecutive 9th finishes and made us a solid Prem presence - the wheels came off as we all know but he delivered some of the best football in my match-going lifetime & I would 100% have him back over this clown if only to oversee us to the end of the season.....

[banksy1art]

One of our best managers ever, if you don’t see it then you’re just a moron.
He had us playing the best football we’ve ever seen.

2-0 vs man city
4-3 vs everton
2-0 vs man United
6-1 vs Liverpool
League cup semi final only going out on penalties
Top half prem finishes
Bojan, Shaqiri, Arnie, Joselu etc…

He had one bad season where our recruitment team failed to keep the spine of our team.

[bridgnorthstokie]

Dec 10, 2023 12:53:29 GMT Olgrligm said:

I noticed this article on The Sentinel the other day:

www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-hughes-pep-guardiola-8956321?utm_source=mynewsassistant.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=embedded_search_item_mobile

Hughes did an interview with Sam Allardyce (?) for a podcast (?) and talked about lots of things at Man City and Bradford, but had very little to say about Stoke. At one point, to quote the article:

A message was passed on to him from a Stoke fan to say he was their favourite manager but Hughes said: “Is he in a minority of one?”

Given how it all ended, I get the impression that he thinks he's persona non grata in the Potteries, which is a shame to my mind. Perhaps the protests that bookends his reign gave him that impression. Yet I'm sure that I'm not alone in thinking back very fondly on his vintage team with Begovic, Shawcross, N'Zonzi, Arnautovic, Bojan and Moses (unrelatedly, one of our most underrated signings).

Vintage team agreed, with 3 of those you mentioned Pulis signings and also the spine of the team.

It was when Hughes tried to replace this fine thinks went downhill.

To me Hughes will be remembered as giving us a spell of great football but ultimately the man who brought our 10 year prem adventure to an end....

As we rapidly approach 10 yrs lower championship club with no sign of improvement.

[PotterLog]

For anyone born after 1970 his team was the best footballing Stoke side we’ve ever seen, and maybe will ever see (certainly feels like that now). However badly it ended that’s something to cherish and remember.

LMH is quite a self-deprecating soul but I’d find it quite sad if he really thought we didn’t remember him fondly for that

[thornestein]

i like him , lost it at the end though and should have gone sooner

[dutchstokie]

The last good manager we had…. The rest have been shit after him…..

[mickeythemaestro]

Dec 10, 2023 14:30:54 GMT PotterLog said:

For anyone born after 1970 his team was the best footballing Stoke side we’ve ever seen, and maybe will ever see (certainly feels like that now). However badly it ended that’s something to cherish and remember.

LMH is quite a self-deprecating soul but I’d find it quite sad if he really thought we didn’t remember him fondly for that

He probably made the mistake of logging onto the oatcake when he left 😆

[Pretty Little Boother]

He just shouldn't have signed Joe Allen.

[chell_rosey]

Maybe he could hold Marc Muniesa's man bag...?

[Staffsoatcake]

Could help Coates,he may still have connections in the game.

[tommycarlsberg]

I would take Sparky over the usual suspects that we will no doubt be linked to.

[Absolution]

I can understand why he holds that opinion. There does seem to be a general disdain for him for the obvious reason that the relegation was largely on him.

But oh man, did he give us some great moments and some amazing players to watch.

The memory of that feeling of beyond elation when Assaidi's shot hit the back of the net is something I'll take with me to the grave.