Chris Hutchings vows to fight on
Monday 25th October 2010, 11:25AM BST.
Under-fire Walsall manager Chris Hutchings has vowed to fight on amid calls for him to quit after the Saddlers’ 4-1 shocker against Tranmere.
The team sit second from bottom of League One after Saturday’s home defeat to a Rovers side who started the day at the foot of the table.
Hutchings faced calls for his head from the Banks’s Stadium crowd and also gagged his players from speaking to the media.
But the manager dismissed any thoughts of quitting and admitted he shared the fans’ pain as defensive slips from Andrew Davies and Aaron Lescott cost the Saddlers.
The Walsall boss said: “I’m a fan and I’m disappointed – no-one is more disappointed than me.
“But if people make mistakes like Andrew Davies did, then I can’t legislate for that. We have to do a lot better. It’s the way that we gave goals away that really hurts.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to try to stop that and we have to show a bit more quality as well – we didn’t retain the ball as well as we should. We’ve got good players but it’s just not happening for us.
“But at this moment in time we’re not having much rub of the green and we’ve got to work extremely hard and so have the players. They have to work harder than they are doing now.
“We’ll have to sit down, analyse it and plan for next week because it’s a massive game, we’ve got Huddersfield who are flying high and they are a good side.
“It’s Peterborough after Huddersfield, then Bournemouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Carlisle, teams who are going very, very well.
“If that’s not a tonic for the players to prove people wrong, I don’t know what will be.”
Hutchings did not speak to chairman Jeff Bonser in the immediate aftermath of the defeat but hoped to still have the backing of the board.
The manager also hopes to be given the green light to bring in a replacement for midfielder David Davis, recalled from his loan spell by Wolves last week.
He added: “We were busy trying to get people in but we were knocked back on a couple of occasions.
“We certainly need to bolster one or two little areas if we can.”
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You can’t just blame individual mistakes and expect that to cover your back, you keep on picking the same people and anyone can see that Lescott in particular isn’t good enough.
Hardly suprised the CH isn’t prepared to resign, hang on with his fingertips until the bitter end – and it will be bitter.
Tatically – inept
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You can’t lose 4-1 and blame it on luck Chris! You dont concede 4 goals through bad luck, you concede 4 because you arent organised enough, fit enough, aware enough or GOOD ENOUGH.
I dont blame you for not quitting, I think you should, but I dont blame you.
I really blame the club, who should have ended your reign 3 weeks ago, and they’re still stuttering now – so to Stefan Gamble I ask, how on earth is Chris going to turn this around? He’s lost the players, he’s working with a semi-temporary squad and he’s lost the fans – do the right thing and sack him and bring in someone who can organise a team, like Richard Money.
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OH MY GOD!!
He is deluded, not having the rub of the green, can’t legislate for individual mistakes. You are a clown Hutchings, show so dignity and resign
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Your not a fan CH you are a manager without a clue… you have to go.
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I’m not going again till he go’s. Please Chris just go?
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How the hell are you still here?
You are a joke, if you had any self respect you would resign.
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Get rid b 4 its to late…
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I’m Utterly Gobsmacked……….Has he been lobotomised because he just talks drivel.
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It isn’t the players mistakes and errors that’s the problems it’s you Chris.your clueless tactics and clueless subs are a joke.your the worst manager in the history of the club.do everyone a favour and resign.let’s hope you don’t have the backing of the board.
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What a joke, he is not a fan, he is an employee that has failed to achieve objectives set to him. In any other business he would be sacked.
Sack Him, Sack Him, Sack Him
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Even allowing for 2 bad individual mistakes, we would still have lost 2-1 at home to the bottom club and deservedly so. Tranmere were by far the better team and always looked the more likely to score. We had no idea on how to get at them. As for the substitutions they were just desperation moves by a Manager who had no thought on how these were going to improve the situation.
Really sorry but only a change of manager will get us out of this mess. We need a total change to the style and tempo of play.
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Please Chris just go!
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Err…we just lost 4-1 at home to the team bottom of the league….now we are bottom of the league..how can the manager possibly keep his job!?
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I’m afraid that the club won’t sack him because they can’t afford to.
I’m a season ticket holder and have been for many years, but it’s got to the stage now that I really don’t want to go anymore. The atmosphere is dead and the quality of football is appalling.
I don’t agree that it’s individual errors that are costing us. They do contribute, but the main reason for us being where we are is poor management. I know there are financial restrictions, but even so the standard of management is shocking. The fact that we have to play with 5 loanees tells me that the situation isn’t being managed well at all.
What are we going to do if they aren’t allowed to play in the FA Cup by their parent clubs?
CH should have been sacked weeks ago but like I say, I don’t think that the club can afford to. Our upcoming fixtures are frightening and yes, I do include Fleetwood Town as one of these!
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Blame individual players; always a good idea! If he hadn’t lost the dressing room he has now! Please do the honorable thing and just **** off!
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What makes you all think he will get the sack jeff wants us to be in league 2 so he can yet again reduce the playing staff and wages so the rent can stay the same yes chris is part of the problem but he isnt the massive problem at the club jeff bonser is until he is gone walsall fc is dying a slow death wonder how much jeff will get for the land when we are gone for ever.
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The soap opera that is Walsall FC continues! Its a shame it’s more like ‘Eldorado’ as opposed to ‘Eastenders’!!
How is this guy still in a job? It’s an absolute joke that’s just not amusing any more! Do the right thing and sack the clown because he hasn’t got a clue when it comes to managing a football team. Mullen had more of an idea about organising and motivating a team than this muppet!
How can we play so poorly, week in, week out, with the starting 11 we have? It takes some doing!
I’m not sure whether hes got the badges but sack Hutchings and put Macken in charge if you’re worried about your pennies Mr Bonser! It’s got to be better than watching a team who simply do not have the guidance to succeed as a ‘pub team’, never mind League 1! No offence to those who play in pub teams! What we’re witnessing down there isn’t probably as good!!
We’ll be relegated by Easter if the board don’t act soon. I have a feeling they’re not bothered as the silence from the club since the start of the season has been deafening!! A message for the board…
Do you actually care about Walsall FC?
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He cant legislate for costly mistakes?? Erm what about the last few weeks where poor marking has cost us games?? What about taking off our two best strikers on Saturday when we were chasing the game and replace them with two youngsters???
Chris, the problem isnt the players. The problem isnt the fans. The problem isnt the costly mistakes. THE PROBLEM IS YOU!!
Get out of our club now before its too late.
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I note that he gives Lescott some stick again; Chris answer these questions please?
1/. You signed Lescott as the left back that he has been for the past 6 years at Rovers, then play him on the other flank. Why?
2/. The best right back WFC has had for some years stays on the bench almost every game. What has Westlake done to upset you? Pass to his own team? Mark the opposition? What exactly?
3/. You made Lescott captain. Why do this if you criticise him all the time?
4/. Why don’t you just go you idiot?
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I like Chris Hutchings. I think he’s a decent bloke. I’d have a beer with him any day. But then, my mate Dave is a decent bloke, and I wouldn’t want him managing my team either.
Must act now, WFC.
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If JB doesn’t sack him today, he will prove that it is only the rent money he’s interested in. The club is in terminal decline and with all our “easy” fixtures out of the way, the rest of the season promises to be a nightmare. Like I said yesterday, tactically inept and motivationally bankrupt. CH – Please do the decent thing and resign and at least give us some hope for the future.
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Hello Jeff, how’s the speedboat’s, the hellicopter, or the sun at the Cypriot mansion
Whilst you cant be bothered to attend the matches at Bescot no one else should.
Walsall’s self proclaimed saviour and No 1 FAN eh ?
You and your board members are a disgrace.
Sack this man Hutching (he’s never had a clue)and whilst your on, go with him.
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First half was dire
Brainless tried to thump a ball out when he should have caught it – goal 1
Davies drops a clanger – goal 2
Lescott gives away a penalty
- goal 3
Defense did not defend – goal 4
We did look better for the first five minutes of the second half then we caved in
A truly wretched performance
Substitutions – Macken/Reid off for Nichols and Grigg?????
Macdonald on for Davies understandable
The next five games including Fleetwood are very worrying for the saddlers..
I cant see Hutch going until at least Xmas
such is the negativity at Walsall
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chris do the right thing and resign the player you have brought in are fantastic but you just carnt manage them. when you go can you take martin with ya cuz your both 2 blame 4 this rubbish.
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I am in utter disbelief….why has this man got a job still. Subs on Saturday were awful, Macken and Reid off for Nicholls and Grigg..losing 3-1 and changed nothing system wise, just straight swops…
Fortunately I am based elsewhere than the Midlands this season so haven’t been able to attend that many matches…you do not know how frustrating it is not fully seeing what is happening other than seeing scored come in!!
Get him out!!
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The standard is so bad that after supporting them it’s the end. I won’t go again while CH is in charge. I have started to watch Rushall Olympic. It’s six pounds and none of it goes towards a pension fund, i am not ripped off for food and drink, and there are plenty of ex saddlers fans to talk to. Also the players play for their manager who is not tactically useless and knows how to use substitutes!
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CH = Chris Hutchings NO! CH = Clueless and Hopeless.
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Chris strikes me as a very decent bloke but I’ll just join in with everyone else and make the following points:
1. Most of those players are not that bad…so why are we in the bottom 4?
2. Substitutes. We have seen strange ones or lack of before but Reid and macken on Sat? Defies belief.
3. Chris’ track record – maybe we should not be surprised about this unholy mess.
4. I had people around me saying this is worse thah Mullen or Merson – Wow!That is bad.
Got to go.
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First time I’ve ever left a comment on this site.and as a once loyal wfc fan,I just refuse to take any more.I do think we have a decent team,but I’m afraid C H does not have a clue.a decent manager would get the team we have organised and I’m sure we would start to move up the table..so until C H has gone me and my two sons will be staying away..infact we havnt been since the Yeovil game..and Saturday we paid a visit to burton Albion.. A 3.0 win and altho it wasn’t wfc we left with smiles on our faces.havnt seen anyone leaving wfc this season with a smile on there face,and that isn’t going to happen anytime soon..
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I don’t blame CH for not resigning. He no doubt thinks he can turn things around but that is very much the problem. His management style is to do nothing different and things will fall into place when our luck turns. I know we have some loanees but time and time again we have seen the tactics not working during the game and very little done about it from the bench.
He is clearly not getting the best out of the players, we are spiralling down in terms of league position and gates, the atmosphere is simply one of waiting for the team to lose and player confidence must be at an all time low. I’ve never been one to shout sack the manager or boo the team off the park but now is the time for him to be sacked so that someone new has enough time and games to pull us out of the dreadful position we are in.
If we limp on until January and then let him go we will be in another post Mullen situation that simply can not be sorted out before the end of the season.
The decision to award him a 12 month rolling contract was odd at the time and simply folly now. We are in big danger of a catastrophic season both on and off the pitch
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Seriously, whats going on? Why is he still here?
1 win in the last 11 games(and one of them was against League 2 opposition).
5 points picked up out of the last 30!
Before Exeter 2 weeks ago the last time we won was against Plymouth in the middle of August.
Theres got to be something else going on here, maybe we dont want to pay him off.
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Why am i not reading the headlines HUTCHINGS SACKED?????????????? you cant blame him for not leaveing i wouldnt walk out of my job i woul wait until i was pushed.
BONSER you are a disgrace are you waiting until is too late to get out of trouble and we are down OH YOU MIGHT LIKE THAT AS YOU DONT CARE ABOUT THE CLUB.
BONSOR OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Still not sacked…I wish my boss was so patient.
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If CH had any dignity he would have walked, how can he show his face at the Bescot anymore? And what is Bonser doing, how can he still be the WFC manager!
Bonser you’re a disgrace, Hutchings you’re a disgrace, Walsall FC you’re a disgrace.
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