Carlisle United boss sheds light on coach's departure
Mark Hughes says the departure of Carlisle United coach Ian Watson was a decision motivated by the need for a “different dynamic and direction.”
Watson, who had been previous head coach Mike Williamson’s right-hand man, left the Blues earlier this week.
Carlisle, in their statement announcing Watson’s departure, gave no detail on how the decision had come about.
But head coach Hughes told the News & Star it was made after an assessment of the backroom staff following the early days of the new regime.
Hughes, who joined the Blues along with assistant Glyn Hodges on February 6, said: “The transition period was important, in terms of getting to know the players and understanding what the players can do, and Ian was very much a part of that.
“But once that process had come to its conclusion, then it was probably best that we made the change and I think Ian understood that.
“We're trying to get a different dynamic into the coaching room and that was part of it as well.
“I haven't always gone into clubs and changed things around. I just felt that that was something I needed to do. So that was the thinking behind it.
“He [Watson] was great for me in the short period I worked with him but then it was time for him to stand aside and we go in a different direction.”
Mark Hughes (Image: Richard Parkes)
Upon Hughes’ appointment, sporting director Rob Clarkson had said new head coaches at Carlisle would be largely expected to work with the existing staff.
Since then, though, both first-team coach Watson and goalkeeping coach Tom Weal have left, the latter for Sunderland.
Clarkson said the decision on Watson was not Hughes’ alone, but also maintained that continuity with backroom staff is the aim.
“A big thing of what we need to build is club appointments,” said Clarkson.
“The decision on Ian is one that myself and Mark made together. It's not just Mark's decision. That's me as well.
“Tom going out, Jack [Cudworth] comes in…that's my appointment. It's a club appointment. If we need to bring in another coach, that'll be a club appointment.
“We need to get away from [a scenario where] six staff come in and six staff go out. Naturally, because of the situation of Mike [Williamson] being quite close with some of those staff, there's been a bit more change than normal.
“In the future, moving forward, we'll start to see more of a stable backroom staff. That's really key – Carlisle staff, not a manager's staff.
“That’s a key focus of mine moving forward. We need people that want to be here and work for Carlisle, not just for a head coach.”
Asked, meanwhile, on the different “dynamic” he wants, Hughes went on: “Sometimes it's just a change of face, a change of voice, different energy, people bouncing off each other.
“Sometimes it's just nuanced. I'm not quite sure what it is, really, but I know it when I see it and I knew that it needed to happen and needed to be effective to just get everybody stimulated.
“The players sense that and sense that dynamic of the group is a little bit different now and I think that helps them as well.”
