While events surrounding St James’ Park since Kevin Keegan resigned have been unbelievable, our assistant coach Chris Hughton has gone about the job as interim manager with a calm demeanor, but with little immediate success in terms of results.
Chris Hughton – has done his very best for the club
But this experience seems not to have put Chris off in his dream of one day managing a football club, and no doubt this will be great experience for Chris, as he will now work with Joe Kinnear to try to turn the playing side of things around at Newcastle.
Chris is a good coach, and apparently he’s had many sleepless nights over these last 3 weeks, but that doesn’t seem to have pout him off, one little bit.
Chris told The Sunday Sun today:
“I’ve had sleepless nights . . . but that goes with the territory. It affects you that way.”
“But it has not put me off management. I have always said I want to manage one day. It is something I would certainly like to do.” “The last few weeks have been a crash course in management. It has been a case of cramming it in over the last few weeks.”
“And I have enjoyed the experience even though some people have thought: ‘How could you?’ “ “I knew from day one it was going to be a difficult job. There were a lot of issues around other than just picking the team.”
“But I’ve done the best I could, and whoever was in my position would have found it equally as difficult as me.”
Let’s not forget that it was Chris Hughton and Richard Money who got the terrible job of cleaning up the mess left after the altercation between Kevin Keegan and the board.
They were the ones given the shovels to clean up the mess, after the club was almost literally split apart, with Keegan walking out, after apparently being lied too by the Board. We are thankful to both of them, and especially Chris for sticking to the job through the most difficult of circumstances.
We cannot say that about the Newcastle Board, who have deserted their duties.
Chris will feel this has been a disastrous time, but like all bad times, that’s when you learn the most, and Chris will have learned lots from this experience, by sticking doggedly to the job these last few weeks. He’ll be a better coach for it.
Let’s give the man credit for having the guts to keep the club going, when the Board seems to have deserted us.
Comments welcome.
240 comments so far
Issac Hunt
Sep 28, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Comment #1Ed. Now you’re just being sarcastic mate
Dan13
Sep 28, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Comment #2He’ll have hopefully learned he’s not a very good manager. Only joking…
fair play to the man he was struck with many injuries and with a squad ‘unmotivated’ which I find utterly bollocks as half of them only seem to be motivated by the green.
Isaac Hunt
Sep 28, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Comment #3I’ve had enough sleepless nights these past few weeks. I can’t even say “Wake me when it’s over”
HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES
Sep 28, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Comment #4Just think chris will be happy to let joe get on with! so he can have a goodnight sleep again!
an interesting comment from wenger!
Arsenal boss Wenger: Newcastle would be great challenge
28.09.08 | tribalfootball.com
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes any top class manager would relish the challenge at crisis club Newcastle United.
“Newcastle, for example, is for me a very interesting challenge in a stable environment,” said Wenger. “They have massive support and they deserve success and you would like to see them get a manager there who can turn that round.
“But they have created now an unstable position, because the owner wants to sell and they have no manager. So the situation is very difficult for someone to move in because he thinks someone will move in the next two to three weeks to five years. You never know – it could be today.
“I always say the manager is by far the most important man in the club. Why? Because if it doesn’t go well you sack him. If you sack someone who is not important it looks ridiculous.”
ed_ speed
Sep 28, 2008 at 6:44 PM
Comment #5praying for a dry summer
HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES
Sep 28, 2008 at 6:46 PM
Comment #6which players out of this lot would you keep as all can go on a free next season!?
as it stand now:
Michael Owen
Steve Harper
Cacapa
Nicky Butt
Shola ameobi
David Edgar
Danquah
Viduka
Doninger
donaldson
godsmark
nacho on loan
Lua lua ????? tbc
Marwood
Lough
Morris
reillers
Sep 28, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Comment #7The poor wee lad, no doubt we’ll all be a lot older and greyer at the end of this.
Isaac Hunt..after that all I can picture now is Hughton him sitting there every night, rocking back and forth saying..Is it over yet, is it over yet, is it over yet..
And Kinnear after the last match rocking back and forward saying..6 more weeks, 6 more weeks, 6 more weeks.
Ah bless you really wouldn’t wish it on anyone at the minute.
turkish magpie
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:15 PM
Comment #8i would keep all of them for now but in august i would only keep
lualua,owen,harper,viduka,nacho,cacapa,donaldsdon and godsmark
KK FOREVER (Ross)
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:22 PM
Comment #9Turkish magpie-
We have to keep gutierrez, due to the fact that he’s the best player we have.
Charlie is starting to look like he wants to be here and although poor with delivery is very good coming forward with the ball at his feet.
Given should finish his career at newcastle, he’s been the most loyal and consistent performer we’ve had in god knows how long.
Guthrie is only a youngster and looks neat in midfield, he should be kept.
Barton ig he manages to turn his life in general around could also do an excellent job for us along with guthrie.
Martins can create something out of nothing and although his shooting is sporadic he still gives something to the team with his sheer pace.
We paid good money for coloccini, surely you dont let your most expensive defender ever leave after a single season.
as for nacho-we’ve only got him on loan so he’ll go anyway!
(not trying to sound patronising here, as i agree with the majority of your list, but i tihnk theres many more to be added!)
ed_speed
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Comment #10atleast citeh (city, but thats how they pronounce it) lost today.
i don’t like citeh.
regards,
ed
Spyro
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:36 PM
Comment #11Top bloke.
TOONPIPES
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:38 PM
Comment #12Yed Ed at least citeh lost – don’t like that away strip much gud enuff reason to dislike them . . Anyone else noticed how much better than us teams like Wigan, Hull, Blackburn are? . . They are like a million times better – so angry with keegan traitor he really is
Obafan
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:38 PM
Comment #13All cedits to Hughton. I really like the guy. It would not be fair to say he is a bad manager or so, cause I wonder which manager could do a job in such a messy club:
1. Problems with the owners
2. Lots of the better players injured
3. The players who can play have got zero confidence
4. Impatient fans
5. Who will be the new manager (a question that was around St. James for at least 3 weeks)
Thanks Chris for doing your best. I hope he can stay under the new manager and owners.
TOONPIPES
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:40 PM
Comment #14Honestly on a list of the most un+proffessional + just downright selfish arrogant things I cud make, keegan walking wud be No1 by a mile . .
TOONPIPES
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:42 PM
Comment #15Wats up obafan how are you lad? . . Longtime no blog. .
TOONPIPES
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:45 PM
Comment #16Obafan, you missed of your list ”fans who destroy perfectly good bed sheets with poorly designed messages of sabotage against the system”
Brave New Toon - Taylor is a legend
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:55 PM
Comment #17toonpipes
what need was there to comment 14..
blatent attempt to wind fans up and start a row.
stupid boy
SAMTHECAT
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Comment #18Absolutely-yawn.
Toon Chicken
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:03 PM
Comment #19Miaow
Turkish magpie
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:11 PM
Comment #20@ kk forever
of course i would keep all them i was selecting them from the list
Turkish magpie
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:13 PM
Comment #21the list tht hps gave
KK FOREVER (Ross)
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Comment #22apologies turkish magpie, thats me being stupid and not reading thoroughly!
Ashton
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Comment #23Hughton is the shitest caretaker manager we’ve ever had
Turkish magpie
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:16 PM
Comment #24its ok. how do you rank our players?
normski1930z
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Comment #25@turkish mag we have far too many very average players imo….
k k forever
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Comment #26hughton IS AS BAD AS OUR LAST DEFENCIVE COACH LAWRENCE
Toon Chicken
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:19 PM
Comment #271. Owen
2. Given
3. Gutierrez
…The Rest
k k forever
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Comment #28NORMSKI but that no excuse for the way were playing mate just look at hull they got no great players have they
Ganiyu
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Comment #29Martins iS the most expensive player we have if he is to be sold.
normski1930z
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:22 PM
Comment #30toon chicken i would put beye in there aswell mate…
normski1930z
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:24 PM
Comment #31kk forever they have a manager, club is not for sale etc…. where as we are in the brown stuff big time….i dont care what ppl say we will do well to stay out of the bottom 3….
k k forever
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:25 PM
Comment #32ganiyu wot have u had for ur breakfast
Turkish magpie
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:25 PM
Comment #33this is how i rank it
1.Habib Beye
2.Oba Martins
3.Jonas Guttierez
4.Michael Owen
5.Shay Given
6.Jose Enrique
7.Charles Nzogbia
8.Fabricio Coloccini
9.Mark Viduka
10.Joey Barton
11.Steve Harper
12.Danny Guthrie
13.Steven Taylor
14.Damien Duff
15.Geremi
16.Alan Smith
17.Sebastian Bassong
18.Xisco
19.Claudio Cacapa
20.Kazenga Lua Lua
some of those players will easily climb that list and i’m looking forward to it
ziad
Sep 28, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Comment #34I miss Jonas !! I was watching it on 5 am when he was injured and I said this looks bad we re f** ! anybody heard anything on the injury front . we are actually short on quantity and quality
Turkish magpie
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Comment #35Whats evryone elses top 10 ranked players
ed_speed
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:30 PM
Comment #36like him or not micheale owen is our best player.
period.
regards,
ed
k k forever
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:32 PM
Comment #37defenatly ED SPEED
Tom_Toon
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Comment #38Our Top 10 players:
Owen, Given, Gutierrez, Viduka, Martins, Barton, Beye, Coloccini, N’Zogbia, Guthrie.
Bassong, Duff and Enrique close behind.
Ganiyu
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:37 PM
Comment #39Turkish mag.how can u rate the recent signings below the table.shola should be the last not the youngsters.
Kk forever-im fasting 4 Nufc one week to regain the winning form.
Turkish magpie
Sep 28, 2008 at 8:38 PM
Comment #40cool i think players like taylor are slipping down that list and bassong will be going up