Ashley’s next big headache?
Posted on February 23rd, 2010 | 97 Comments |
However, inspired by Simon Bird, let’s discuss what could possibly be one of owner Mike Ashley’s biggest problem should we go up. Do we stick with Hughton or do we change manager again?
Not many Toon fans wouldn’t pat current boss Chris Hughton on the back for the amazing job he has done in taking Newcastle United 5 points clear at the top of The Championship. We can’t deny it, it’s there in print, and despite a certain number of fans fearing the worst before the season kicked off, Hughton has slowly turned it around. We can look at individual games where perhaps things could have been done better tactically, Leicester away is a prime example, but what we do have to admit is that the majority of the time Hughton has hit the nail on the head and got the tactics right and earned the results we needed.
With 14 games remaining, Chris Hughton is close to finishing his objective for the season – to get the club promoted. Some would argue that given the players we have we should have always been contenders for automatic promotion and that a monkey could manage us to the top of the league, some will say that Hughton has galvanised a team that look dejected, uninterested and low on morale and turned us into a team in the truest sense of the word, with players working for each other, none of the in-fighting goes on anymore, or if it does then at least we don’t get to hear about it which in itself is an improvement.
So what happens next? Say the job does get finished and come May 2nd at approximately 3pm, collectively we are celebrating promotion. What then? Who is the man to take us forward?
It would be harsh and unfair on Chris Hughton for him not to be given a shot at Premier League management, after all it has been his work that got us promoted in the first place. On the hand, people will look back at Hughton’s previous foray into Premier League management which was quite poor on the whole. Yes you can look at disjointed dressing rooms and club turmoil, but if your going to be a manager in the Premier League you need to rise above all that and get the team ready to and get one of those things that as a manager you will be judged by, a result.
With that fresh in our minds, perhaps a move for a more experienced Premier League manager could be the way to go? Mark Hughes is currently out of work and has experience of working with a budget at Blackburn Rovers as well as experience of managing a Premier League club. A good choice I’m sure you’ll agree, but could he work with our current owner? I personally think no, whereas Hughton has demonstrated already that he can. Granted, Ash may splash some cash in the summer, but would it be enough for Mark Hughes who is perhaps more used to the vast transfer budgets on offer at Manchester City.
Speaking of budgets, whether it be Chris Hughton or someone else who takes charge, they will undoubtedly be working on a budget. Would a ‘bigger’ manager be able to get more bang for his buck so to speak? Could a ‘bigger’ manager identify areas of the team that need improvement quickly, and get the required quality at the required price to improve us? That is a question up for debate along with many others.
One thing any manager will need is time, and this is where I think Hughton could flourish. After his sterling work so far this season, one of the things he has earned must be time. Patience is not one of Newcastle United fan’s strongest points usually, we are and always have been quick to voice our opinions. Time is something Chris Hughton may have earned, especially after the impromptu vocal backing from the crowd at the Preston game.
As with anything, time will tell.
NUFCBlog Author: toonsy
toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.
I’d prefer Hughton to Hughes, but if any of Nolan, Smith or Guthrie are regular first teamers next season then we have no hope no matter who is in charge