Five key decisions facing new Black Stars coach Chris Hughton

After what appeared like an eternal wait, the Ghana Football Association have finally given substance to the widespread rumors of Chris Hughton as the new Black Stars.

The announcement made in the late hours of Sunday, February 13, 2022 brings an end to a count of 72 days since Otto Addo unceremoniously exited the scene after leading the country to one of its performances in the history of the World Cup.

The speculations have existed for long and the pronouncement by Sam Nartey George gave life to the rumors and from that day onwards, it became a small matter of the FA confirming Chris Hughton as the man who takes over from Otto Addo.

The announcement of a new coach which is the fourth made by the Kurt Okraku administration in their four-year reign came without details with the expectations being that such information will be divulged in due time when the unveiling of the former Newcastle coach is done.

Chris Hughton becomes, arguably the second most popular Ghana coach in recent times, topped by Avram Grant who led the team from 2015 to 2017.

The immediate assignment for Chris Hughton is an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola but there are short and long-term decisions that he will need to sort out and GhanaWeb brings you five of those.

Rebuild or continue?

The first thing Chris Hughton has to decide is to rebuild the team by dropping the aging and veteran members of the team or continue with the team that is already in place.

There is a feeling that, with the arrival of some new players, the team must move on from certain players and the onus now lies on Chris Hughton to make a decision on which path he will go.

This decision will inform the next steps that will be taken by the former Brighton and Hove Albion coach.

Create an identity for the team

This point cannot be over-emphasized. The Black Stars have played without a clear-cut plan for more than a decade.

The team normally rely on some of the handful of stars producing magical moments than actually playing with a particular plan or system.

Chris Hughton is known for a specific brand of football and while the jury may be out on whether it is the ideal type of football for the current Black Stars players, it is important that his imprint is seen on the team.

Be his own man

The biggest criticism of the current GFA administration has been their perceived manipulation of coaches and influence on the selection of the various national teams.

From Kwasi Appiah to Otto Addo, the accusations have been made and the confession by former coach CK Akonnor gave people a sense of vindication.

If Chris Hughton is to get the unalloyed support of Ghanaians, he will need to show that he is his own man and that decisions, relative to call-ups are his and not that of the FA.

This will be manifested through the caliber of players he will call and the defense he will put up for his choice of call-ups.

Cure the Dede Ayew, Baba Rahman conundrum

How Chris Hughton handles this delicate issue could be the defining moment in his spell as Black Stars coach.

The two players got on the wrong side of Ghanaians for their performances during the AFCON and there is genuine concern over their future in the Black Stars.

Most Ghanaians gravitate towards the viewpoint that the two players have paid their dues and need to be let go.

Andre Ayew is the captain of the team and it will not be an easy decision but Chris Hughton will have to take the decision on that.

The Partey headache

Thomas Partey is also another decision coach Chris Hughton will have to make. Is he going to be part of the team? If he is, which position will he play? How can he get the best out of him as Mikel Arteta has done at Arsenal?

These are some of the questions that Chris Hughton will have to answer regarding Partey.

KPE