Alan McCafu

[pauliewalnuts]

Paul has transformed Hutton.

Yes, twice.

Once into a 40k a week mature student only allowed to train with the under 12s whilst we watched Lowton struggle week after week and then again, into what he was when Lambert arrived here.

Absolute genius.

[Richard E]

Yeah, not playing him for two years to psych him up was a managerial master stroke. Just watch Darren Bent and Enda Stevens fly next season.

I know you're joking a bit, but thing is Hutton didn't deserve a place in the team/squad before this season.  Think we are all surprised at how well he is doing.

I try not to be knowingly serious on H and V.

[peter w]

I doubt that was purely down to Lambert though which he alluded to earlier this season. Also, if Lambert had have treated Hutton badly then it's unlikely that Hutton would have signed a 3 year deal this season.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Would say at this stage. Hutton has been our "best" player. His premier statistics as a defender are the highest. %95.6 successful tackles with only 6 fouls !!! He has also played almost every game and brings some much needed grit to the team ......

[Dave]

Yeah, not playing him for two years to psych him up was a managerial master stroke. Just watch Darren Bent and Enda Stevens fly next season.

I know you're joking a bit, but thing is Hutton didn't deserve a place in the team/squad before this season.

So what did he do to suddenly deserve a place?

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Yeah, not playing him for two years to psych him up was a managerial master stroke. Just watch Darren Bent and Enda Stevens fly next season.

I know you're joking a bit, but thing is Hutton didn't deserve a place in the team/squad before this season.  Think we are all surprised at how well he is doing.

Agree 100% GB, but Strachan on TV (neutral?) always marvelled at how Hutton could not get a game at The Villa when he was often Scotland's best player.

Yes, I know.....

[Gregorys Boy]

He played well   On a more serious note Lambert was backed into a corner as his youth project had clearly failed, and with the defence a shambles the last two seasons we needed a bit of experience and a take no prisioners type of player, as it turned out Hutton fit the bill.

[Dave]

He played well

Who is to say that had he not started Lambert's first season he wouldn't have played like he is now?

He was never given the opportunity to 'play well', and the moment he was given the chance to do so he did. Making the last two years of right-back experiments look a tad ridiculous in the space of a few weeks.

[supertom]

Lambert is the manager. As long as the players were on our wage bill, we'd be just as better off playing them than not. Ultimately the bomb squad could have been avoided. If it wasn't entirely Lamberts decision (I suspect he came in thinking the youth experiment would work better than it did) then as manager he should have insisted he have everyone we're paying wages to, in the squad. Better that than stuffing them with the kids and have them paid for nothing.

The whole u-turn was a major embarrassment. Whoever was chiefly responsible for the ridiculous will probably never be entirely clear, but Lambert, Faulkner and Lerner all had a hand in it.

I think Lambert re-instated the bombers purely on the basis his budget for transfers was very low and we were left in need of new fullbacks, striking cover and attacking midfielders. Thus Hutton, Bent and Zogbia came back in.

[Gregorys Boy]

He played well

Who is to say that had he not started Lambert's first season he wouldn't have played like he is now?

He was never given the opportunity to 'play well', and the moment he was given the chance to do so he did. Making the last two years of right-back experiments look a tad ridiculous in the space of a few weeks.

But he was first signed awhile back by a different manager.  I don't remember him playing too well under him, and besides if Lambert didn't fancy him then that is up to him as the manager. 

[Dave]

He played well

Who is to say that had he not started Lambert's first season he wouldn't have played like he is now?

He was never given the opportunity to 'play well', and the moment he was given the chance to do so he did. Making the last two years of right-back experiments look a tad ridiculous in the space of a few weeks.

But he was first signed awhile back by a different manager.  I don't remember him playing too well under him, and besides if Lambert didn't fancy him then that is up to him as the manager. 

It is up to him. But then if he decides that he doesn't 'fancy him' for two years and then suddenly decides that he does after all and he becomes our standout performer, you don't think there's any point asking the question about why he's deprived the club if this suddenly-crucial asset for nearly the whole of his tenure?

[Gregorys Boy]

He played well

Who is to say that had he not started Lambert's first season he wouldn't have played like he is now?

He was never given the opportunity to 'play well', and the moment he was given the chance to do so he did. Making the last two years of right-back experiments look a tad ridiculous in the space of a few weeks.

But he was first signed awhile back by a different manager.  I don't remember him playing too well under him, and besides if Lambert didn't fancy him then that is up to him as the manager. 

It is up to him. But then if he decides that he doesn't 'fancy him' for two years and then suddenly decides that he does after all and he becomes our standout performer, you don't think there's any point asking the question about why he's deprived the club if this suddenly-crucial asset for nearly the whole of his tenure?

But, if you think about it it actually takes a bit of bottle (I know an odd thing to say about Lambert) to admit that you may have been wrong about a player and to recall him after such a long spell.  I am half expecting to awake from a long dream and to find out that Alan Hutton is actually on loan at Doncaster where he is just about doing the job to an acceptable level..

[Dave]

I'd rather a manager who admits he is wrong and works to rectify a mistake over one who doesn't.

But where you say "the thing is Hutton didn't deserve a place in the team/squad before this season" it suggests that you don't think that he is admitting to and correcting a mistake. It suggests that you think that leaving Hutton to play frisbee with the youth team was the best use of his talents for the last couple of years.

[Ads]

I hope he gets the first at the Shrine and just stands in front of the Brummie Road end with his hands aloft.

[Gregorys Boy]

I'd rather a manager who admits he is wrong and works to rectify a mistake over one who doesn't.

But where you say "the thing is Hutton didn't deserve a place in the team/squad before this season" it suggests that you don't think that he is admitting to and correcting a mistake. It suggests that you think that leaving Hutton to play frisbee with the youth team was the best use of his talents for the last couple of years.

No wasn't say that.  The ideal was that the young players would have shown more progress, or that we had signed good players to do the job better.  One of Lambert's great downfalls at the club has been his over relience on youth when clearly most if not all of them have not been ready.  So in a way the likes of Hutton have been brought back out of desprartion, but thing is it is kind of the manager's way of admitting his mistakes and up till now has worked quite well so why complain or question it?