Chris Hughton - What Reds Fans Can Expect

Within thirty minutes of the world knowing that Sabri Lamouchi’s management contract had been terminated at Nottingham Forest, was it announced that Essex-born Chris Hughton was taking over with immediate effect.

He’s got a massive job at hand though, a team languishing at the wrong end of the table, five straight losses, leaking goals, and only scoring once in those opening five; and, with a huge turnover of players at the club, he has to now work with what his predecessor has left him.

Never mind, he took over a beleaguered Newcastle, following two caretaker spells (Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer had all tried and failed in the St. James’ Park hot-seat), in the relegation campaign of 2009, leading them back to the Premier League with immediate effect to which point the squad he inherited was demoralised and unaccustomed to victory it was beyond belief.

After spells at Birmingham and Norwich City, the latter role finishing in the April of 2014, Hughton arrived on the South Coast at the end of the year, taking on the management post at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Something which Forest chairman, Evangelos Marinakis, will have also seen in the out-of-work manager, Brighton chairman Tony Bloom said of his then appointment at the Sussex club that: “Chris is also a manager who has a track record for developing talent at all levels from academy upwards and will embrace the work we’ve been doing at the club in this area in recent seasons.”

“Importantly, we also felt Chris is someone who can improve our immediate situation, while also having the management credentials and skills to plan our long-term future and help us to get back to progressing in the way we have in previous seasons.”

Hughton’s four-and-a-half years in charge of the Seagulls was, on the main, a successful one, yielding a near 41% win-rate from his 215 games in charge, gaining promotion as EFL Championship runners-up in 2017, a point behind his former club, Newcastle, and way too many ahead of the Tricky Trees.

That campaign, one worthy of forgetting, saw Forest finish fourth bottom, avoiding relegation on goal-difference courtesy of a final day victory at home to Ipswich Town, Britt Assombalonga with a brace, Chris Cohen the other.

Whilst gaining two promotions to the Premier League, and two Championship Manager of the Year Awards, (2010 and 2016), Hughton’s stock has remained making him an often sought out candidate; Forest meanwhile have languished, and laboured, through twenty managers (inclusive of caretakers), and five top ten finishes (2010, 2011, 2013, 2019 and 2020).

So, what can the City Ground faithful expect from their new chief?

Well, if the response from Newcastle United, and Brighton & Hove Albion fans alike is anything to go by, an enjoyable rollercoaster, goals, and most importantly, points on the board, hopefully starting on Saturday 17 October at Ewood Park, the home of Blackburn Rovers.

A baptism of fire for Hughton’s Reds sees them follow-up the visit to Blackburn with two home games where nothing short of six points will be expected, hosting Rotherham United on 20 October then, on Friday 23, it’s the first clash of the season with local rivals, Derby County, a rivalry that not only dates back to the 1890s, but one which sees Forest have the upper-hand, winning 42 to Derby’s 37.

One thing is a cert though, the former UEFA Cup and two-time FA Cup winner, will give his all for the Forest cause, on, and off the field, both in the public eye, and behind-the-scenes, just ask anyone from Newcastle of Brighton.

He does need time, he needs to bed in players that he’s not brought in himself, and he needs to look at the January transfer window with optimism for what should end up a much-better campaign than that which has begun.

To succeed, Marinakis needs to be more Tony Bloom than Mike Ashley, support the manager, and the team, and the fans will follow suit, it’s a given. Hughton can get the best out of a wayward bunch though, he’s done it before, he can do it again and, who knows, maybe the Premier League will be not that far around the corner.