The Mail Bag
Hughes signs on...
Comments (40)
After his disgraceful behaviour during the Lescott saga, I'm absolutly made up to see Mark Hughes joining the dole queue.
Also in true football fans spite, what I want see now is Lescott not fancied by the in-coming manager and being deemed surplus to requirements and jettsoned straight out of Eastlands.
Now that would be nice!
Ste Traverse, Posted 19/12/2009 at 17:50:17
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
Mark Hughes has been sacked as Manchester City manager, paying the price for a run of two wins in 11 games.
Roberto Mancini has already been installed as Hughes's replacement, with Brian Kidd as his number two, in a move which confirmed speculation that a decision had already been taken before Saturday's 4-3 win over Sunderland.
Wednesday's three-goal hammering at Tottenham convinced owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak that Hughes could not steer City into the top four.
Man City are the new Spurs. Knee jerk managerial dismissals (Jol, followed by flavour of the month Ramos). They’ll end up nabbing Redknapp of Spurs. Ok, I’m talking shit, but that would make me larf...
Anyway, it is unbecoming of us to be spiteful, people move on... so be it — life goes on.
Anyway, it is unbecoming of us to be spiteful, people move on... so be it — life goes on.
Michael, I think putting Gary Lineker in with that lot is harsh. He always got a decent reception on his visits back to Goodison with Spurs, he certainly was never booed like those lot you mention who get it everytime they pitch-up back on our patch!
The Emperor has been stripped of his clothes and no doubt about that.
All may be true concerning his conduct during the "Lescott Saga" and "Wenger Handshake Saga," but the fact remains he was (A) always a dead man walking with his sacking only a matter of time, and (B) a decent manager in charge of a traditionally joke club with aspirations of being top dog.
All may be true concerning his conduct during the "Lescott Saga" and "Wenger Handshake Saga," but the fact remains he was (A) always a dead man walking with his sacking only a matter of time, and (B) a decent manager in charge of a traditionally joke club with aspirations of being top dog.
Today’s events will play out ad Infinitum at Eastlands: Mancini will come in, not fancy some players, ship them out, bring new ones in, they will not adapt to EPL, Mancini will be sacked, new manager will come in...
What’s my point? Only being come on tomorrow Everton and let us hope for a perfect performance from not only the ref, but our lads too.
I never regarded Hughes’s behaviour during the Lescott saga as despicable and I’m sad to see City have been so impatient with him. He’s a decent man and doesn’t deserve the childish spite some Evertonians are firing at him.
City just can’t do that. £25 mil, or whatever they paid for him, is a big investment no matter how deep their pockets are. To not give him at least a couple years to recover and further develop would be incredibly foolish from a financial standpoint.
Yea, I was delighted when I heard the news... although I do think City are making a mistake.
Come on, Michael, Gary Speed always played his heart out right to the time termination of his time at Goodison became the only option. He wasn’t upset with the club per say nor the fans, just the antics of one individual.
On that basis he also does not deserve to be bracketed in the hallowed list you have reproduced.
Jay Woods - What????
Yes, we are skint and can't compete financially — but this is where I'm so glad we have an Evertonian chairman. I truly truly believe there is some rich arab who would buy us and attempt to chop and change managers as often as they change their head gear but that would be the death of Everton Football Club.
Sacking Hughes not even half way is a disgrace — only 2 defeats for City and we aint over half-way point of the season! As with regards to the Lescott comment... would we welcome him back???
Just found this article about Gary Speed’s departure (which coincidently mentions Toffeeweb).
http://www.nufc.com/html/speed-house.html
http://www.nufc.com/html/speed-house.html
Glad to see Hughes get the boot the job was obviously too big for him with Man City being a bigger club than Everton (his words not mine, the tosser). The Fat Spanish Waiter is next for the chop... hope I'm wrong, I would give him a contract extension — the FSW has no class! COYB
Pat - ’a financial standpoint’ doesn’t apply to Man City. The figures you are imagining are petty cash to their owners. Their reason for owning a PL club isn’t an investment in the usual sense of putting money in to make a profit one day. They are buying a place in the world, and the money won’t run out for a long time yet. If City somehow ever ’disgrace’ them they will pull the plugs and walk away without a second thought of money wasted.
Mark Hughes should have walked away when they told him which players to buy, but he would have surrendered the millions he’s still going to be paid as they are sacking him (and not for misconduct). I wish MCFC much harm from this process and couldn’t care less about Lescott’s future. That should be financially secure — unless he gets ripped off by an agent.
ps: Should our board replace David Moyes in February, Sparky Hughes could be our next manager...
Think about that.
Mark Hughes should have walked away when they told him which players to buy, but he would have surrendered the millions he’s still going to be paid as they are sacking him (and not for misconduct). I wish MCFC much harm from this process and couldn’t care less about Lescott’s future. That should be financially secure — unless he gets ripped off by an agent.
ps: Should our board replace David Moyes in February, Sparky Hughes could be our next manager...
Think about that.
Personally, Andy Gray, pisses me off with his constant arse-licking of Stevieee G laaaaaaa...
Darren - I will go on record now as predicting that if David Moyes is sacked in February, Rafael Benitez Maudes, affectionately known as el FSW to his admirers, will not be the next manager of Everton Football Club.
The description on the BBC website explained the business decision the owners of Man City made which were along the lines of they spent a lot of money and had a business plan which looked for on field results and obviously a stab at a minimum Champions League qualification place. Mark Hughes didn’t deliver on his side of the business and was released. It happens all the time in business, just not as obviously due to the profile of that role.
It was coming, Mark Hughes must have known it was coming, even the press leaked the fact Mancini was going to be at the game beforehand. It’s a shitty world and shitty things happen.
It was coming, Mark Hughes must have known it was coming, even the press leaked the fact Mancini was going to be at the game beforehand. It’s a shitty world and shitty things happen.
Gavin - your conclusion can’t be questioned, but the ’business plan’ you refer to cited in the BBC article would seem to bear out the opinion offered at the time of their purchase, namely that the new owners thought that their immeasurable riches could buy the Premier League and then the Champions League. As the poet put it-
The best laid schemes o mice an men, gang aft agley.
(sorry about that but I just got back from the Serious Burns Unit)
We’re all bought and sold in the market place every day (a Mars Bar to the punter who can tell me who said that in which late-60s movie). But we don’t have to like it. I hope the MCFC affair ends up in fiasco.
The best laid schemes o mice an men, gang aft agley.
(sorry about that but I just got back from the Serious Burns Unit)
We’re all bought and sold in the market place every day (a Mars Bar to the punter who can tell me who said that in which late-60s movie). But we don’t have to like it. I hope the MCFC affair ends up in fiasco.
Keith, you’ve butchered the quote a bit but it's George Hanson in Easy Rider. I’ll expect my Mars Bar in the post :P
As for this delightful day of football — Liverpool lose, United get hammered and ’Sparky’ gets sacked showing City for the joke club they are — all we need is an Everton win on Sunday and I can die happy.
As for this delightful day of football — Liverpool lose, United get hammered and ’Sparky’ gets sacked showing City for the joke club they are — all we need is an Everton win on Sunday and I can die happy.
Beat me to the Mars Bar - I also enjoyed "Have I got a helmet", you can’t beat Jack Nicholson in full flow.
Isn’t it a weird season, Chelski don’t look all that great (the pen against Portsmouth was dodgy).
Man U look shite in defence.
RS... well, how the hell did we lose to the worst side I’ve seen in 40 years?
Isn’t it a weird season, Chelski don’t look all that great (the pen against Portsmouth was dodgy).
Man U look shite in defence.
RS... well, how the hell did we lose to the worst side I’ve seen in 40 years?
Steve Green, Gary Speed was our captain at the time and shouldn’t have jumped ship. I’m going to take a lot of convincing that shithouse Speed and Sparky are not wankers.
Ste Lewis, Are you a married man? What would you do then?? I suppose if you are a single man you’re ’convincing level’ differs from others! Granted after the September antics, Hughes is a wanker, but Speed?
Michael... I think I’m with you but it’s been a long day, pre-Christmas visiting old haunts in Liverpool; could you tell me that again, please?
Steve Green, I admit to being a little devious in adding the name of Gary Speed to that list. I don’t believe he should be there, and thanks to Alex for rooting out that Newcastle piece that corroborates what a number of people were saying at the time — that Speed had been well and truly stitched up... by none other than Everton Legend Howard Kendall.
Now I appreciate that’s hard for some Evertonians to accept. But for me, all humans are capable of both great good and great evil. This was a bad thing Kendall did, but in no way detracts from what he achieved previously at Everton as a fabulous player and an even better manager (Mk I).
That he should never have come back (Mk III) is a sad indictment of the lowest period in the club’s history since they sank into the Second Division in the early 50s. And it so nearly happened again on his watch...
Regarding Lineker, this was not a reference to his time as a player. I hear far less flack about him these days... but there was a time a few years back when he was regularly slammed on these pages — all due to what people deemed to be bias against Everton on MotD. A few years back, he came out and said how much his time at Everton meant to him, and that seems to have healed many of the wounds.
Some would add Andy Gray to that list, for his obnoxious lauding of Liverpool and SGL, and for him turning down the job of the Everton manager — which I think was a very sensible decision — but at the time a number of Blues reacted very badly to that rejection.
Now I appreciate that’s hard for some Evertonians to accept. But for me, all humans are capable of both great good and great evil. This was a bad thing Kendall did, but in no way detracts from what he achieved previously at Everton as a fabulous player and an even better manager (Mk I).
That he should never have come back (Mk III) is a sad indictment of the lowest period in the club’s history since they sank into the Second Division in the early 50s. And it so nearly happened again on his watch...
Regarding Lineker, this was not a reference to his time as a player. I hear far less flack about him these days... but there was a time a few years back when he was regularly slammed on these pages — all due to what people deemed to be bias against Everton on MotD. A few years back, he came out and said how much his time at Everton meant to him, and that seems to have healed many of the wounds.
Some would add Andy Gray to that list, for his obnoxious lauding of Liverpool and SGL, and for him turning down the job of the Everton manager — which I think was a very sensible decision — but at the time a number of Blues reacted very badly to that rejection.
I happy Hughes got the boot, can’t say it has been a surprise though. How come many of us predicted he would be sacked by Christmas and theres a simple reason why, the players don’t rate him and the only ones he could tempt were the ones after the money train. Anyone taking over from Hughes will have their hands tied and this could be the beginning of the slide for City. Previous merit as a manager counts for nothing, big Phil springs to mind as an obvious example. I think a few players will be found out now by a new manager at City and I’ve already posted on this site that Lescott will end up warming the bench once the manager changes.
I feel there should be rules about changing managers mid-season as there are for players. That way rich oil barrens will not be able to reverse their bad decisions quite so easily.
I feel there should be rules about changing managers mid-season as there are for players. That way rich oil barrens will not be able to reverse their bad decisions quite so easily.
Keith Glazzard
"Serious Burns Unit"
That was my Mams kitchen..
"Serious Burns Unit"
That was my Mams kitchen..
James Bowman
"That way rich oil barrens will not be able to reverse their bad decisions quite so easily."
And we would have been stuck with Mike Walker and Moyes wouldn’t have replaced Smith.
"That way rich oil barrens will not be able to reverse their bad decisions quite so easily."
And we would have been stuck with Mike Walker and Moyes wouldn’t have replaced Smith.
Jay Woods, judging by your comments you didn't see Hughes’s comments at the time about by-passing Moyes with any bids for Lescott. I for one am delighted he’s been given the boot, my only regret being that he’ll leave with a huge payoff and pick up another job rather than fall starving and destitute in the gutter at Christmas time like the arrogant prick deserves.
What goes around comes around! Hughes got what he deserved - tapping up players and going about his business all wrong. I wonder if Lescott will still be at City a year from now?
Hughes's behaviour regarding the Lescott transfer was at the very least disrespectful to David Moyes and to Everton Football Club; at the most, it was contrary to FA guidlines on ’tapping up’ players still under contract. I don’t gloat in his sacking but I won’t be offering to write him a reference.
Can anyone explain to me what he did during the ’Lescott saga’ that we have any moral right to be indignant about?
Our behaviour over Luke Garbutt was far more despicable.
Our behaviour over Luke Garbutt was far more despicable.
How ironic that Mark Hughes is replaced by someone who played their last ever professional game of football against Everton in one of his 4 games for Leicster of all clubs!
Ciaran, two wrongs don’t make a right! I would condem the way we went about the Luke garbutt situation, we bent the rules in our own favour. But it’s not a question of morals here, its a question of respect. Hughes showed Moyes in particular very little respect when he was quoted as saying "I will wait until I hear from the people who make the decisions at Everton" in direct response to a hands off quote from Moyes.
Not so long ago I quite admired Mark Hughes as a very competent manager and one who some day could find himself managering Everton. That was until all the money became available to him at Manchester City. I was really surprised to see a change in his character. I never thought of him as being arrogant and never imagined that he would become so but all that changed. Pride comes before a fall as they say and this is a classic example and serves him right. No tears will be shed by me.
As for Lescot, I think he will find himself in a very awkward position now but that was the chance he was taking when he went to City. He may have got more money but he was always going to get more pressure to go with it. I always viewed him as a confidence player and as one of Moyes favourites his confidence would always be boosted at Everton. Look at him in the England set up, fish out of water, you wouldn’t think he was the same player. Well, by moving to City he was out of his comfort sone and the result is plain for all to see. There will be no tears shed for him either.
As for Lescot, I think he will find himself in a very awkward position now but that was the chance he was taking when he went to City. He may have got more money but he was always going to get more pressure to go with it. I always viewed him as a confidence player and as one of Moyes favourites his confidence would always be boosted at Everton. Look at him in the England set up, fish out of water, you wouldn’t think he was the same player. Well, by moving to City he was out of his comfort sone and the result is plain for all to see. There will be no tears shed for him either.
What exactly has he done wrong, apart from wanting to treble his wages? Sorry, but I just cant hate every player who leaves or just doesn't want to wear an Everton shirt. He did a fantastic job for us and that is what I will remember him for. Why so much hate....? Any one of us would have done the same .
Am of course referring to Lescott , not Hughes...
If Hughes’ behaviour during the Lescott saga was despicable, what was the transfer fee we extracted from City for a player who’s barely worth half that? His comments about "bypassing Moyes" were fair game, in my view.
All I can add to this thread is:
John Pulman, the Mars Bar is in the post.
John Pulman, the Mars Bar is in the post.
I do not normally like to dance on people’s graves but I will make an exception for a man I once admired but turned out to be an arrogant prick who has got his own come uppance now.
I guess he spoke to "the people who make the decisions" so they’ve now made their decision on him.
I guess he spoke to "the people who make the decisions" so they’ve now made their decision on him.
I suspect that Mancini has already issued his wish list to his new masters and that might mean a little clear-out also taking place, and hey who knows there might be some good cheap ones around who could do a job for us at the moment.
Bellamy – pace, Wright-Phillips – pace, Ireland – creativity, Santa Cruz - goals, a guy called Lescott who can defend in a decent team just to name a few...
But probably too late already, as Happy Harry Rednapp will be in like a flash once he’s had his clear-out of the lads who partied in Dublin – Keane, Bentley, Jenas.
Could be an interesting January used-player sale!
Hate to say I told ya so!
Albeit that it was completely out of order, Mark Hughes was sacked before New Year and Lescott is now in between a rock and hard place. Mancini will no doubt sign defenders to stop City's constant goal leakage and he won't have the same faith that Hughes had... I purported to that in the above article — only, in my of the replys, to be shot down for talking nonsense... hmmm... ha!
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment to the MailBag, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and MailBag submissions across the site.
© ToffeeWeb
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
I guess you're right.... Hughes joins quite a long list of vilified ex-Blues: Rooney, Barmby, Radzinsky, Speed, Lineker, McMahon... Who am I forgetting? (Let's not include players who's only offence was being poor, but ones who's antics have upset Evertonians, right or wrong.)