Chris Hughton has been sacked as manager of Newcastle. Why? Admittedly, the Magpies didn’t play well at the Baggies and went down 3-1. But they are 11th in the league and there are many who feel that the first task in the Premiership is consolidation, not experimentation. Hughton has also had little money to spend by Premier League standards.
Chris Hughton has been sacked as manager of Newcastle. Why? Admittedly, the Magpies didn’t play well at the Baggies and went down 3-1. But they are 11th in the league and there are many who feel that the first task in the Premiership is consolidation, not experimentation. Hughton has also had little money to spend by Premier League standards.
However, owner Mike Ashley thinks that he has too little managerial experience. Well, there are plenty of football managers out of work who have a long cv. But will they achieve better results? The initial reaction from Toon fans is that this is a poor decision by Ashley.
One I contacted to break the news said, ‘Nothing surprises me about NUFC. The players seemed to like him and play above their level under him. The fans liked him and saw potential. I think it is a mistake.’
Now they have taken a further hit with the news that the ‘Silver Fox’ Alan Pardew may be brought in as manager. However, last night it became apparent that Martin Jol is in the frame, having resigned from Ajax where he was not happy.
The managerial merry go round in football seems to be accelerating. Admittedly, the nature of Hughton’s contract means that it will cost relatively little to sack him. ‘Last in, first out’ may be the rule in some sectors, but is it the way to build a club, particularly one like Newcastle where the empathy between the manager and the fans is important?
I think not.