Chris Hughton - A Good Man In Bad Company
The departure of Chris Hughton hurt me on a personnel level like no other since Sir Bobby Robson suffered an equally shoddy fate six years earlier.
I was not friends with Hughton, we didn't go drinking together and we didn't chew the fat for hours on the economic policies of the Lib-Con coalition, but I did respect him as a man and I appreciated the job he had done as a manager.
He was a good man, a likeable man and an honest man. His treatment this week was a kick in the teeth for those who like to see good people doing good things in an ugly business.
He should be respected for what he did at St James's Park and he should be thanked for it. He did a fantastic job in difficult circumstances and if there is a small grain of comfort for him as he waits for his compensation package, he was given the boot before his reputation was soured by anything like bad results.
He will be loved on Tyneside long after the ink has dried on his next manager's contract and he will be welcome back anytime. He deserves the next job he gets and he will get one, don't worry about that.
He has done enough at Newcastle to ensure his application form is put at the top of the pile by a Championship chairman looking for someone to open the door to the Premier League riches
There is a ridiculous idea that United fans want to worship a Messiah. They don't, they want to see a manager who works hard, gets the best out of his players and understands that makes their football club special. Hughton did all of those things.
In getting the club back into the Premier League at the first attempt, he has played a significant role in saving the club from financial ruin - certainly as much as owner Mike Ashley and he was the man who covered the financial cost of it all.
There is little room for sentimentality in football - or business - and Hughton's chair will soon be filled by another manager who I will work with closely again, but I will definitely miss Chris.
In the modern football world, a lot of managers aren't willing to take calls from local journalists, Kevin Keegan didn't for example and others will only speak to you on their terms - after a good win for example.
Hughton took calls through thick and thin, whether he was high as a kite after the Sunderland win or down in the dumps after a thrashing at Bolton.
He leaves on the end of Ashley's boot, but he leaves with my thanks and the thanks of thousands of Newcastle supporters ringing in his ears.
For me, there is only one apppintment that makes sense. Martin O'Neill, but why would he want to come to Newcastle United?
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
A 'personnel' level?
Are you now head of Human Resources at NUFC?
Surely you mean a personal level!
Here, here, Luke. Well said.
After more than 5,000 words written on the subject, I'm allowed the odd typo! Jabbinho! I've corrected it now anyway smarty pants
Well said Luke. I feel exactly the same -- Hughton was the most well liked manager since Bobby Robson and he earned it the hard way having to get us back into the Premier League and when no one else would have wanted the job!
This sacking was completely unreasonable given that we are 11th in the league and after beating the likes of Arsenal, Villa 6-0 and the mackems 5-1 this season.
Yes the last few results have not been as consistent but was no coincidence that we were missing Barton and Nolan. Anyway its very sad and I wish Chris well.
As for NUFC well I doubt Ashley has a plan and if that plan is Pardew, well I dread to think!!!
Well said Luke. I feel exactly the same -- Hughton was the most well liked manager since Bobby Robson and he earned it the hard way.
This sacking was completely unreasonable given that we are 11th in the league and after beating the likes of Arsenal, Villa 6-0 and the mackems 5-1 this season.
Yes the last few results have not been as consistent but was no coincidence that we were missing Barton and Nolan. Anyway its very sad and I wish Chris well.
As for NUFC well I doubt Ashley has a plan and if that plan is Pardew, well I dread to think!!!
(posted again because the last time it vanished!) :-P
The script writers for the long running soap opera at My Theatre have certainly decided to give their public something to talk about this week! I'm not sure whether most fans have figured it out yet that the background imagery of a football club is actually not the crucial part of the storyline. The storey is actually about the lives of a set of yobs and the rest is simply filler supporting the story of their beer and drug filled exploits. The central cast at the moment is Beer Barrel Ashley, Santa's Little Helper Chris (because Bambi does not quite work on Tyneside), Chicken Dance Nolan who can also sometimes doubles as Ride Them Cowboy Nolan and Commando Carroll Singer, with others like Jailbird Joey as supporting cast. A pub setting probably would suit the story better but that does not allow a role for audience participation. Why exactly it is football that underscores the primary entertainment at My Theatre is because that is the only thing in Newcastle that can attract sufficient punters who will keep coming back to pay the salaries of the actors even when the performances are total !@##.
Having Martin O'Neill diving around on the touchline and collapsing to the ground at every missed opportunity would certainly add to the entertainment value and distract from the !@## on the pitch. However I cannot imaging he is so hard up for a gig that he will want to take over the manager's part. Arrival of the Jol Giant seems much more likely, especially because the script writers have already done the little guy thing far too often in recent times (Little Kev, Little Bobby, Little Kev again and then Little Chris) and the audience would soon get bored. Of course if they do appoint Little Martin then they cannot kill him off quickly because that would bore the audience even more. They might actually have to put emphasis on the football part of the performance, but if so that would require the primary cast members to know something about how to play it!
I’ll stop here because it would not be appropriate to let you know more about what is in store in coming episodes.
Carry on Watching Antics at My Theatre. Your eternal mate Saint Sid
His work in saving our club, not to mention the drubbing of 5under1and will never be forgotten. Thank you Chris.
Unfortunately his sacking sees the return of the most popular British soap: North-Eastenders.
http://toonbarmy.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/north-eastenders-returns/
Well said Luke. I'll miss Hughton and still feel he deserved at least a season in the Prem to prove his worth. If MA does the unthinkable and gives the job to Pardew there should be a mutiny. I just hope I will be surprised this week and O'Neill is unveiled, sadly however I have a horrible feeling the Pardew rumours could be true and if that's the case we will go down, if not this season then next.
Chris was becoming a very good manager; If MA had asked him to bring the club up then stand down then that would of been fine, if at that point he wanted to bring in a more experienced manager. However in CH (and yes i had my doubts) we had the start of seeing a very good manager develop. I do not believe for one minute the fluff coming out of St. James Park, the simple fact is they wanted CH out of the way so they can carry on stripping the club down. CH was becoming too well liked and with it a stronger position at the club and FMA hates that. the only goal FMA has is to take the club back down again so he can pocket the demotion bonus.
I suggest Newcastle City Council rise above the fat man in his high castle and act on behalf of all geordies and give Chris the 'Freedom of the City'!! He restored the pride that was lost when we lost Sir Bobby...
Are the Pardew rumours true? If so I am absolutely disgusted. Words cannot describe how utterly disgusted I am with this potential appointment. We will go down, he will be nothing more than a yes man for Mike Ashley. Relegation a certainty. I cant see the players performing for this man. Look at his track record, an ok first season, quickly followed by shambolic second seasons. Mike Ashley I despise you with every breath I take. Ah well, least he might win us that paint trophy in a couple of seasons.... after all he does have a five year contract
Luke, do none of you guys ever say what you think in press anymore? Why have the chronicle got a story almost promoting PArdew. A poll in another paper says 96% believe he is the wrong man for the job. I give up I really do. Souness was bad but this is just ridiculous. I am never going back to St James' park whilst Ashley runs the club
Luke,
This, and your article are spot on.
It would be unreasonable to ask you to give your opinion of Pardew, when you r next task will be to strike up a relationship with him. However..... it would be great to see the stats on Pardew in the Prem, Championship etc. From memory this won't make for pretty reading. Any word on a Number 2 for him? With everything we've seen from MA, it'll either be Dennis Wise or Derek Lambias' cleaning lady.
It will be a case of well done Mugpies if you appoint Parwho. Apart from a few other problems he must be aware of how little Bambi Chris was squashed in his prime by Runaway Ashley Beerbelly.
Undoubtedly Saint Sid James can never RIP after the latest manure was spread all around his Theatre of Laughs
I can't believe they sacked him, he did well, much better manager than Pardew!