Craig Hignett on Karanka bust up

Funny you mention Downing, he was on Mark Schwarzer's podcast almost saying the same sort of thing, in that Aitor just turned on him randomly so I don't know what to believe as there's always 2 sides to ever story.

The only common denominator is that neither were chosen or seemed to be wanted by Karanka, so with that in mind it would be quite interesting to hear what Rhodes thought of Karanka.
I mean.. was he 'a gift' are we really expected to believe that all of the players that worked out were hand picked by aitor and all the ones he had a bust up with were forced on him by the recruitment team (gibson)

it was clear throughout that he was the head coach and would have very little to do with transfers. downing came in thinking he was the boy, being bigged up and told that he was going to be the main man, prepped for a coaching role etc.
karanka set him straight.. and then some!
 
Aitor is red hotted guy maybe went to far with this one. I really thought Craig did good job when he was here. Wondering if both made peace who knows ?
 
Was Higgy a “Gibson gift” like Downing? Even Victor Orta was Gibson’s idea.

Even if Higgy didn’t want to say sorry, he could have said can we talk about yesterday? Got the communication following.

Karanka said he wanted someone with a local connection to the club. Following the pattern where he was chosen with Mourinho at Madrid. Whether he had a choice with it being Hignett or not - I don't know. But it's not like there was many great choices to begin with was there?
 
We will never know the truth about these things but it is clear over the years certain people and players have been brought in to keep the board happy and the managers haven't wanted them.
I think the downing thing stems from a gentlemen's agreement made before he left, that gibson would see him right. plus he was one of the best attacking midfielders in the country.
Jordan Rhodes was bought off his goal scoring record, Gestede too. very little made of what the players traits and abilities were or how the teams had been set up to get the best out of them.

We let ourselves down in the premier league a team full of holes and gambles with players bought mainly for their re sale values.
 
Karanka said he wanted someone with a local connection to the club. Following the pattern where he was chosen with Mourinho at Madrid. Whether he had a choice with it being Hignett or not - I don't know. But it's not like there was many great choices to begin with was there?
I'd be surprised if Karanka was really that familiar with many of our ex-players who lived in the area, so who could he have hand picked himself?
 
We will never know the truth about these things but it is clear over the years certain people and players have been brought in to keep the board happy and the managers haven't wanted them.

True but you could kind of see it with Karanka, if I remember rightly he got off to a bad start with Carayol that relationship went sour really quickly and with no prior knowledge I was thinking he'll clash with Adomah next (who was a long term injury when Aitor first came in) and that was proven the case.

The next occasion, I think the situation reached boiling point for him was Downing coming in the summer and Rhodes in January if Aitor doesn't want them and doesn't play them it's only going to go against him and any fan at any time would of have said the words 'he's too stubborn for his own good' in some situation when Aitor. I mean what would Gibson have been thinking he's spent nearly 20m on 2 players and they can't get in at all, so some form of an explosion regardless of what the context was I think was unsurprising.
 
It is not uncommon for coaches and managers taking over at clubs in countries they have no experience of to ask for coaches and staff with a connection, history, knowledge of that club, division, area, etc. Not everything Steve Gibson did or does is wrong, or a calculated measure designed to undermine his manager or head coach. Maybe if Gibson was determined to make Karanka's life more difficult he would've personally stepped in and made him keep Hignett in his position?

The thing about signings - Karanka, Pulis, Woodgate et al know the situation when they take the job. The manager has the final say on transfers but sometimes recruitment may well be slightly more collaborative. If you don't like this way of working then don't take the job. Southgate said he wanted Alves, for example, but then changed his mind and let the club take the flak. He didn't come out and change his mind on, say, Luke Young though. Or Robert Huth. Nothing about Tuncay. Probably because they were good. You know full well that if Alves had rattled in 20 goals we wouldn't have heard a peep about recruitment.

If a manager joins a club and doesn't like the recruitment process then a)don't take the job or b)stand up for yourself and your principles and leave. Warnock did it himself if you remember, just in a minor way, just casually mentioning it was Woodgate who was pushing for Grant Hall and putting the deal together. This was when Hall had had a patchy start and then been out injured for months. He also said he said the club should do the deal last summer, after he'd been in the job a few weeks or so. Nicely covering his **** there. If he's sh*t it was Woodgate really, if he's good it was me. I did it. Like Akpom, who he definitely definitely wanted and then changed his position on after it became apparent he wasn't that good but then had to qualify again in the press. A lot of managers and coaches are just covering themselves.

Always make sure you mention the recruitment team or "other people's signings" when things aren't quite going to plan. Not when you get promoted, of course, or make the play-offs or win 4 or 5 on the bounce. Lost 2-0 at Huddersfield? The bloody recruitment team, Jesus wept. Beat Rotherham 4-1? I set us up just right, MY players were excellent. It's just newspaper fodder.
 
I remember when Gary Gill left the club without any story/news. This summer will be interesting to see who NW brings in, they’ve got to be his players. Though we are talking about the man who brought Aden Flint to Cardiff. One of the worst “footballers” I’ve seen.
 
5ft 9in wiry Scouser vs the 5ft 11in brooding Catalonian

Craig Hignett - he's a bit of a blag, I should have hit him. sounds like he was too much of a fanny
Aitor Karanka - moody and shouty, but can come up with the goods when it gets down and dirty

it's a tough call, but i'm going for Aitor Karanka on this one. top drawer defender in his playing days will have been knocked around a bit and with an attitude like his has, he will have duked up to keep his nose straight.
Craig Hignett, the tricky winger, might have thrown a few punches in the gym and played the part.. but too nice to get in any real bother.. gift of the gab, jokes his way out of trouble.
I’m not sure Aitor would take too kindly to being described as a Catalonian! He’s from the Basque region and fiercely proud of it.
 
Back
Top