Is Hughton’s contract scuppering his search for an assistant?

Posted on November 25th, 2010 | 62 Comments |

Hughton: Still searching for his perfect partner.
Hughton: Still searching for his perfect partner.
It is now well over a month since former Newcastle United assistant manager, Colin Calderwood said goodbye to Tyneside and took up the manager’s position at Hibernian in Edinburgh. Meanwhile, the Magpies are still missing an assistant manager and surviving with one of the smallest first team coaching staffs in the Premiership.

Speaking in an interview, manager, Chris Hughton said of the quest:

“It’s been coming up to five weeks now but no, there has been no new progress in that this week,”

Meanwhile, it is also known that as things stand, Hughton himself is only on a contract until the end of the season with new contract discussions happening in January. Looking at it from a potential candidate’s point of view, this may not inspire the greatest feeling of job security should Hughton’s next contract talks fail, and there would be a good chance that any credible candidate for the job would bear this in mind if approached about the position.

There also remains the question of Hughton’s current agreement with the club. It is well known that Hughton’s current salary is very low in comparison with nearly all other Premiership managers, and more in line with the kind of salary paid to most assistants themselves. So, if the manager himself is only on a salary that would not be unusual for most assistants in the Premiership, what are Newcastle United offering in terms of renumeration for the lower position? And perhaps most importantly, the the two issues I have raised above hindering a search for a new assistant at the club?

Hughton himself seems to be very selective in his search for the right man for the job, and an assistant of the kind of calbre that Hughton wants may find both the potential insecurity and lack of funds offputting, especially as the kind of candidate who would impress Hughton would probably be in great demand elsewhere.

Of course, most of the points I have raised above may be sheer fantasy, but Newcastle’s lightness on the first team coaching side certainly isn’t, with goalkeeping coach, Paul Barron and reserve team coach, Steve Stone holding the breach at present. However, fantasy or not, I feel that it is a quastion that is worth asking.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1096 articles on this blog.

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62 Responses

  2. Worky mate, how does anyone know how much Hoots is currently on, because i@ve never seen anywehre that said he’s on any sort of wages, so how do you know?? could be just a ruse to get people talking!!!

  4. Cyprus-Toon says:
    November 25, 2010 at 10:07 pm

    “Worky mate, how does anyone know how much Hoots is currently on,”

    Yup, JJ’s got it, Cyprus. £5000 per week, or approx £260,000 per annum.

  5. Lads I dont think we have any chance in getting an assistant, and I dont think its anything to do with CH wanting to make his own choice. IMO its simple what half decent assistant would do it even for Ch’s wages, and what half decent would do it knowing that CH’s contract is up at the end of the season, meaning he and the assistant could be out on their ear at the end of the season.

  6. It can’t be helping too much.
    But, CH doesn’t seem like the type to want some ‘superstar’ assistant.
    He’s looking for the right man for the job.
    He was right to ‘sound out’ S Clarke recently, but he wants a managers post.
    His best bet is someone on the way up, that brings something of their own but is willing to steep themselves in Toon-ness for several years to come.
    We must build stability & continuity over a period of years starting from CH’s new shiny contract.
    Phase II of the revolution, coming soon.

  7. It has to be a combination of the 2 no? CH is looking for the “right man for the job” while the wages we all assume are being offered remain skim. Surely there is someone out there who would take a short term contract but CH clearly doesnt want that type of person in the job. Which is fine, but eventually.. probably already he is stretching himself too thin.

    So in conclusion.. its everyone’s fault!!!

  8. Everybody seems to be pointing towards the low wage and CH’s short time left on his contract but playing Devils advocate:
    A)Will we be after another Prem teams coach?, unlikely imo so then we’re looking at someone out of work or with a lower league club so surely then the wage isn’t such a problem?
    B) CH’s contract, how important is it really? if CH and his new number2 does well then surely a new improved contract follows, if it all goes pair shaped then MA probably gets rid of him and his new number 2… both those scenarios would pan out the same whether CH has the contract time remaining he has now or if he had 2 years left on it and any potential assistant knows that.
    So are tey the real reasons why we don’t have a knew assistant yet? Only MA and CH really know I s’pose ;-)

  9. Can anyone tell me why Peter Beardsley wouldn’t be the best candidate for the job? Cheers, Jilly Bean

  12. There is only one man for the job. Step forward lee Clarke. Has management experience and would fit right in.

  14. @richietoon: CH did mention Joe Kinnear is the best choice in handling press conferences/rumors..etc. ;)

  17. I think Ashley is like Michael O’Leary at RyanAir; he wants to see if he can fly the plane with one pilot. :)

  18. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    November 25, 2010 at 11:13 pm

    Do you really think that at this stage of our development we need a untried assistant manager? The only advantage that will give us is he will be cheap.

    Hughton needs an experienced right hand man imo.

  19. See the Fail claim we’re interested in Elmander. Aye, because we need another big lad up top..at least try and make it believable!

  20. It will never be Malcolm MacDonald. He already tells Hughton how to do his job over the wireless and has critisism for the likes of Jonas. So there’s no way hughton would pick him. :)

    It would be like getting your annoying old uncle in to tell you your doing it wrong and ‘In my day we did it like this, and and Jonas isn’t providing enough service and should be dropped immediately, and and at Fulham, eh,’ you get the picture. :)

  21. While I`m having a laugh suggesting Mcdonald! I`ll never forget the Fulham side that he brought to newcastle and turned us over by four. It was total football, people may scoff but in those days he certainly knew how to manage a football team. I might seem like an old uncle but you can`t beat experience remember Sir Bobby i loved that man RESPECT.

  22. By the way DJG Jonas does`nt produce enough service. The end product is not their and he certainly needs to improve his crossing and goal ratio. I would`nt have him in my team

  23. mossa, I was thinking about that Fulham game when ya mentioned Macdonald earlier.We were well outclassed.

  25. Shock, horror, I looked at the training photo`s and it showed the team training indoors. It looked like the first team in bibs and Perch is wearing one. Please Hoots don`t play him at centre half against Chelsea,

  26. mossa….It’s not the first team in bibs mate, Williamson had one on and he’s suspended and Enrique didn’t have one on. ;-)

  27. The club need to get more information out to the fans, most clubs have at least one media outlet on board who they feed the right stories to and this would be way better than battening down the hatches, banning certain journos and thereby inviting malicious retaliation.
    I saw a story in the Mail today about some Irish clubs taking the club to court over unpaid monies for a young player, fair enough it might be a load of pap and annoying to Lambias, but it should be addressed instead of no comment.

  28. bbb – I’d have thought the same a year ago, but I must admit that since the ’embargo’ was introduced, the press have been failing miserably to blow up stories as much, and the overall feel about the club in the media seems to have improved a great deal – despite plenty of problems to feed on.

    I think MA must have a new PR person in place, because something seems to have improved. The down-side is that we’re left feeding off scraps, but it’s the lesser of evils, IMHO.

  30. couldn’t go far wrong with Steve Stone I reckon, lacking a bit in experience but if nee one else fanicies it, an outside bet maybe?

    The main reason why no on has been appointed seems pretty simple to me, Houghton’s contract runs out in half a year, who would possibly want the job for half a year?

    Once Houghton’s contract has been addressed, i’m positive we will get a new assistant in.

  32. You said at this stage of our development we did`nt need an untried inexperienced manager. I was making the point macdonald managed a very successful fulham side who took us apart at St james and was been talked about at that time as a prospective Arsenal manager, hardly an untried assistant manager. Granted things have moved on but I don`t think some people recognise how good a team Macdonald put together at Fulham and his tactical nous.

  34. mossa,
    that’s what Stu 79 said in reply to my comment @ 6 mate.
    No problem though mate, easy mistake to make.
    ;)

  37. MOSSA,yes he was good at fulham mate,i know his gob runs away with him at times,but he does love the toon,i can only speak as i find,he used to come in to where my son worked once a week and found him really nice guy to talk to always had time for you,often giveing tickets for the game to the lads,still see him about once a f/night shopping at tesco does not have a chip on his shoulder like some,know he still suffers a lot of pain in his knees/leg

  38. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    November 26, 2010 at 11:40 am

    ‘somweone on the way up’ would suggest someone with limited experience but is well thought of.

    Personally I think Hughton needs someone who has experience and is proven, not just on the up.

  39. I remember Supermac scoring some cracking goals for the toon, and from my recollection he would have stayed if Gordon Lee hadn’t peed him off… So what if he had or has a chip on his shoulder, he has done it at the highest level. Don’t forget he scored a record five goals for England as a toon player…I reckon he is entitled to his opinion..
    Not living in the UK, I don’t get to hear his radio show too much…if he irritates people…thats part of his job as a journo/pundit unfortunately…
    Cannot remember him much as a manager though…not sure if he would be good for us…been away too long..
    To be honest, I can also see Alan Shearer disappearing from the toon scene in a similar vein..without any position of “authority”…caretaker manager was a death knell for his managerial career imo…there have been a few “top” managers who have disappeared into oblivion after trying there hand at the toon job…

  40. Sir Les springs to mind hero up here learning his trade at spurs, would demand big money, would help Andy no end and still loves the toon.
    Icedog
    When I`ve met supermac he was always a gentleman, and has impressed with his knowledge of the game, I might be biased having watched the goals he scored for newcastle and the entertainment he gave. People say about him leaving and going back south he was forced out by that prat gorden lee

  41. mossa…good point mate, one of the old boys would do the job, why not Sir Les, as you say he loves the toon, has old Spurs connections, and the fans love him…

    not-unthinkable scenario in years to come…Sol Campbell as defensive coach, why not Les Ferdinand or Alan Shearer as striking coach…flippin heck, there may even be a place for Arthur Cox….(just joking !)…

    imo Lee Clarke or John Carver could also do a job for the toon somewhere…but it aint gonna happen any time soon. Lee Clarke is too smart to nuke his career by taking the 2IC job at the toon…

  42. MOSSA your spot on ive have joked on with him on that very subject and he made no bones about it he would have stayed at the toon,but g.lee wanted him out,he didnt like stars in his teams,maybe he might say diff on radio but they are his real thoughts

  43. think sir les will be on better wages at spurs than hoots is at the toon,so cant see that happening imo

  44. yo ice…I remember when Supermac left, tragic it was too. Also remember that Gordon Lee never fitted in at the toon, and was traitor number one, I’m pretty sure that we would struggle to find a SINGLE toon fan from that era who would have a good word to say about him..pilloock..

    ice..if supermac joins the toon back room staff will you come with him…you seem to have contacts big man…

  45. M.M lol,i still have a few contacts/friends in the game but my time has come and gone mate now,but theres nowt comes oot of the toon now its a changed place,on mac i dont think he would be up for it,maybe something on P.R.side he might bite,but dont think hes gets on with ashley and co that well,know he doesnt get the amount of tickets he used to either

  46. I know through a source that Hughton is leaving in January to take over from Ray Wilkins at Chelsea.
    He wasn’t expecting Wilkins to be peddled until the end of the season.
    Chelsea thought Hughton would come straight away but he had promised Ashley time to line up a replacement.
    Kinnear is expected to come in but was lined up for the end of the season.
    It will all come out when Wilkins sues Chelaea. !

  47. Whatever the view on Hoots he needs help. He can hardly be expected to coach, manage and scout players without an assistant. I have not always agreed with his tactics but I acknowledge that he is a workaholic who puts 100% + into his job. That is good enough for me he is committed to the cause giving his all for the toon. Anybody who does this deserves a fighting chance, come on the powers that be reward the man and give us some consistency for the future.

  49. When there was pressure on the club from the media to give CH a new contract I was dead against Ashley giving any ground. If they’d agreed to review in January, that’s what they should do, and nobody outside the club should have any say in it.

    But when Colin left, that all changed – for exactly the reasons Worky’s put in this article. Why constrain your options for a No 2 just for the sake of 5 weeks? Just bring forward your talks with CH, sort that, then sort the coach.

  53. icedog says:
    November 26, 2010 at 2:32 pm

    “WORKY cheers mate,getting me-sel very worried just a daft old git”

    I was getting a bit worried too, Icedog.

    DJG, thanks for the donation! It’s very generous of you.

  54. Steve Cotteril. Great Bloke, Great experience, Great record. Wages would be no problem as he’s currently at portsmouth who have no money. Question is, is he willing to ditch Portsmouth?

  56. Don’t worry you daft sods :D

    My bad news wasn’t an accident or owt. I have a new contract going live on Monday and something went drastically wrong so it needed sorting or else it would have been a disaster on Monday. It’s taken 20 hours, but it’s done at least :)

  58. TOONSY phew ime happy now,i am a daft old git,worry gets worse with age mate,better th an not giveing a shit like imo :)

  60. It’s not Hughton’s contract that’s holding up the AM, it’s the fact that they cannot get anyone to take the job on £30k a year!

  61. @tino
    No I’m not a mackem I’m a lifelong toon supporter.
    I have a top source at the club and it’s true about Wilkins. I’m surprised more people don’t know now. It’s quite common knowledge with everyone who’s anyone within nufc.

  62. Bobby Shinton – Chelsea already have appointed a assistant coach, Michael ? promoted from within the club. What’s Chris going to be then, the assistant to the assistant coach. Your a very very naughty mackem who still has’nt got over the walloping yous were given a month ago.