Often Partisan

If it ain’t broke…

Having seen an e-petition doing the rounds on a couple of messageboards along with some talk on twitter, I thought I’d write about people demanding that the BCFC board give Chris Hughton a longer contract. I’ve already given reasons for my opposition briefly elsewhere, but I wanted to expound on that further.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy with Chris Hughton currently as manager. I didn’t expect anything of us this season, and yet after ten league games I feel very enthused as to how well we’re doing. The team has shown fight that has been missing for years, creativity that has been missing for yonks and an attitude that has brought St Andrews to it’s feet once more. In sixteen games Blues have scored twenty five goals; our top scorer is into double figures and we look like getting goals every single game. It’s been a breath of fresh air.

The thing is though is that we have only played sixteen games. Chris Hughton has only been in charge for eighteen weeks – it’s still very much the honeymoon period. Whilst he has undoubtedly revitalised the team, it’s a long time yet until he’s the legend people are making him out to be. It’s entirely possible we could lose our next ten on the bounce – would people be so happy with him then? I’m not saying that we will, but before we deify the guy as the next messiah wouldn’t it be a good idea to let him get at least his first half-season out of the way first?

It’s not as if Hughton doesn’t have the security of a decent contract anyway. Chris is on a 12 month rolling contract – which means (and I’m sorry if you already know this) that at any point, he has 12 months left on it. That means either he has to give 12 months notice to quit, or that to sack him Blues have to pay off 12 months of his contract. It’s a decent enough period of security for Chris without Blues being lumbered with a contract that they cannot afford to break. Blues gave McLeish a five year deal, and in some ways were lucky that he did a moonlight flit across the expressway because I don’t think Blues could actually afford to give him the spanish archer.

I can understand people are worried that he may get poached off us; the managerial merry-go-round seems to be warming up again with Sven getting the tin tack at Leicester and Steve Kean looking to be on dodgy ground up in Blackburn – however, this is the price of success. I don’t think it would happen myself; I think Hughton is as enthused about things as we are, and he’s in a no-lose situation as it is. With Blues current off-field problems, if it doesn’t work it’s not his fault – if it does he’s a miracle worker. Thus it makes sense for him to continue working miracles and enhancing his reputation than taking the next two-bit job that comes along – because if he can pull it off, there could be a massive job down the line for him somewhere else.

There is a saying from our cousins across the pond which I think fits my reasoning in this situation – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Things are going well at the moment on the field, why mess with them?

Talking Points sponsored by John Hicken Industrial roofing and cladding materials

Tags:

7 Responses to “If it ain’t broke…”

  • hammy says:

    one thing that stood out for me recently, was the comments a few of our players made….they pointed out that CH was taking the training sessions himself, and what a difference that made to them….

    maybe thats why its been so easy to revolve the squad…..???

    can u imagine how, dare i say, it could get EVEN BETTER with decent owners???

    KRO……

  • jayjay says:

    our top goal scorer in double figures all ready!!! happy days.
    Good article got to agree with a lot of it.
    CH keep up the good work

  • Oldbluenose says:

    Your article, was well thought out, and presented, mate.!!. Most people, [ myself included ] had forgotten that C,H. was/is, on a 12, month ” rolling ” contract,!!.
    Further more,!!. Again, you are correct to point out, that it has been such a short duration of time that he has been in charge, and though things are looking good at the moment,?. One must be ready for a lapse to arrive, [ look at man/u’s result at home to Man/City,?.].
    I for one, Would have been over the moon if after 10, games, we were in the position that we are in now,?. [ leaving out the fact we have 3, games in hand,?. ] , granted, we still have to gain some decent return from those games, but even without them, — Much better position than we all expected 3, months ago,?????????.

  • mark says:

    here,here mate

  • mark says:

    My reply is quite simple really I have back CH AND WILL CONTINUE TO BACK him…..KRO

  • Letsby Avenue says:

    There was a time, in a galaxy far away, when good old bluenoses were flooding message boards attacking the board for not giving Alex McLeish the contract he wanted…..as those negotiations went on for months, Peter Pannu was then savagely attacked by those loyal bluenoses for the comment that “Alex is not Mourhino – yet!” (Many people forgot the ‘yet’ bit :-)

    So why the clamour now?

    We all know that Chris Hughton is possibly going to be the best manager Blues have had, since…well….forever imo….and it may be a case of some fans wanting to show support for Chris, and other fans using it as a vehicle to criticise the board. Either way it is a diversion.


Leave a Reply

Personalised Gifts for a Bluenose
Haircuts and League Cups
Open Tax Services
Corporate Solutions UK
PJ Planning
Rodal Heating

Archives