Happy Anniversary Chris!
Posted on February 25th, 2010 | 44 Comments |
It has been easy to forget about Hughton amidst all the turmoil of the past 2 years but you have to give the guy credit for sticking around when many others wouldn’t.
In his two-year tenure as an employee at St James’ Park, Hughton has overseen:
– Working with Kevin Keegan who brought him to the club.
– The subsequent fallout from ‘Keegangate’ which resulted in him being placed in temporary charge amidst protests and fan boycotts.
– Working with Joe Kinnear.
– Being handed temporary charge again after Kinnear fell ill.
– Working with Alan Shearer and ultimately failing to keep the club in the Premier League.
– Being handed temporary again during the summer with the club up for sale and a vast amount of uncertainty surrounding many aspects of the club.
– Being given the job on a full-time basis and leading the team to the top of The Championship.
Not exactly a quiet couple of years then, and reading back through that list, it’s hard not to give Hughton the highest praise for sticking with us through all the turmoil. If reports are to be believed, then Chris Hughton isn’t on fantastic wages, said to be around £5,000 a week, surely it would have been easier for a fully-qualified, highly-respected an experienced coach to get near enough the same salary at another club?
He stayed with us though and here we are today. Speaking to The Chronicle, Hughton was as modest as ever. He began by saying:
“A lot has gone on in two years, there have been a lot of changes and different managers. There have been highs and lows. with the ultimate low being relegation.”
“But it is now my responsibility, along with the rest of the team, to make sure we make the club stable again and achieve our ultimate goal, which is promotion back to the Premier League.”
We are not a million miles away from doing just that, with only 14 games remaining and a 5 point cushion back to 2nd placed Nottingham Forest and a 6 point gap back to West Brom in 3rd. Hughton remains determined to stay focused on the job in hand though, adding;:
“That all continues at Watford and we can’t afford to look at anything other than Watford.”
Sometimes you can’t help but be impressed with the guy. To remain so modest, calm and carry himself in the manner he does is a credit to himself and his family. Looking back at joining Newcastle and all the events that followed, whilst playing down personal praise, Hughton recalled:
“I probably wouldn’t have believed you, nobody in that position would.”
“But I came here as one of Kevin’s assistants and it was a role that I enjoyed. I’ve enjoyed whatever I’ve done at Newcastle.”
“A lot has happened but I think what has happened to me is no different to what’s happened elsewhere in football.”
“If you are in the game you have to be conscious that you must adapt to whatever situation presents itself to you.”
One thing, among many things Chris Hughton has done since he took charge, is add the stability that Newcastle United has been crying out for, after all, he is now our longest serving manager under Mike Ashley which in itself is perhaps a contributing factor to why we were relegated.
Whatever has been thrown at him he has dealt with, and out of the ruins a team has emerged, one that plays for each other and one that has got us to the top of the table. Hughton must surely take a large part of the credit for that?
Happy anniversary Chris!
NUFCBlog Author: toonsy
toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.
fair play to the guy, massive respect points from me. keep it up Chrissy!