Little more than a month after the sort of result that should have gained him the freedom of Newcastle, with rights to shepherd his flock of sheep over the Tyne Bridge, Chris Hughton has become the latest manager to find out what clubs mean when they deny dismissal rumours.
He’s been fired.
Nufc.com quotes the club statement:
“Newcastle United Football Club have today parted company with manager Chris Hughton. Goalkeeping coach Paul Barron also leaves the club today.
The board would like to place on record their thanks to Chris for his considerable efforts during the club’s transition from Championship to Premier League football.
Chris has shown exceptional character and commitment since being appointed manager in October 2009. The club wishes him well for the future.
Regrettably the board now feels that an individual with more managerial experience is needed to take the club forward.
The task of appointing a new manager now begins. An announcement will be made shortly regarding transitional arrangements pending the appointment of a successor. “
Chris may have been a thoroughly decent man who had done wonders in getting his team back to the Premier at the first opportunity after a calamitous relegation. he may have got his his team off to a creditable start, despite one or two poor results.
The club may have responded to speculation around the time of the 5-1 mauling of Sunderland by saying it intended to extend his contract in the new year.
But you cannot argue with the facts.
United’s failure to ensure Premier survival by the end of November was a significant factor in Mike Ashley’s decision. There were also persistent question marks over Hughton’s chance of leading the Mags to a top two place this season and the Champions’ League trophy next season.
So he had to go. That’ll teach him to underachieve so spectacularly.
The whole football world will understand Mike’s cool-headedness in the face of imagined crisis.
As Matt of Iron put it at the West Ham fan site Knees Up Mother Brown:
“Unbelievable. Ashley is a f***ing moron.”
Monsieur Salut
You’ve got to think Ashley must have someone in mind, which makes Jol’s sudden departure from Ajax interesting. On the other hand Ashley is, as Jeremy says, “very impulsive.” Actually, I think Martin’s closer to the mark with “completely berserk.” So maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he’s just now starting to think about his next move. Yeah, I keep thinking too that Kinnear will be back. It would be quicker just to flush the team down the toilet.
Well Ashley is a very impulsive man. He never seems to have had anyone lined up before when he’s given managers the boot. I wouldn’t put it past him to bring Kinnear back. I can’t see O’Neill setting himself up for the fall with that fool still in charge at all. Nor could I see him moving north as his family is settled down south.
You’re probably right Bill, but unless Ashley’s completely beserk, he must have something (Or someone) up his sleeve.
O’Neill’s got more sense than to put himself up against Ashley.
My money’s on O’Neill – remember guys – I’m not often wrong!!
Curbishley is such a miserable bugger, always moaning, I think he’d be the best fit.
The candidates for this job fall into three categories. 1) Someone who is a couple of bits of pepperoni short of a pizza. e.g Diego Maradona fits this bill (no pun intended but as Bill suggests), or to a lesser extent Billy Davies from Forest, 2) a nee’r do well that wouldn’t get a manager’s job somewhere else e.g. Kinnear, Dowie or similar coming back, or 3) someone desperate enough to want to get back in the game at any price. e.g Pardew, Jewell, Hoddle, Curbishley, Adams, Bryan Robson and even most of these would be unlikely to want to drink from this poisoned challice, or even more unlikely someone that wants another crack at the big time before they get too old e.g Dave Jones, or now that he’s had six weeks off; Steve Coppell.
There must be someone concrete already lined up so they can bed them in before the transfer window, so they can see who they have to sell to pay for Sol’s wages.
Diego Maradona has expressed interest in the past in managing a Premiership club. I don’t normally like clowns but I’d watch THAT circus.
Jol the favourite? He says left Ajax because expectations were unreasonably high. Just ruled himself out of the Barcodes’ post then.
Now watch the spectacular soap opera unfold, will it be Joe Kinnear arisen from the jaws of death, maybe Alan Shearer and if you kiss the bum of Keegan again he might just come back. Only someone with a deathwish will take the job, who will work for a boss you can’t trust or believe. Ashley has a strange outlook to life and he can’t help sticking his foot in it. Hughton was decent honest hardworking and respectable why did he work for a low life like the fat lad.
It’s marvellous Emma. Just when you think they’ve got a grip, then this news comes along. Mike Ashley? Stupid or just a Mackem deep down, prepared to sacrifice millions in his unfaltering quest to destroy them.
It doesn’t get any better does it?
They sack their only hope — briliant move …..
People fail to realise that I simply have the best interests of the club at heart. Chris was told that if we weren’t six points clear at the top by the beginning of December that his job was on the line. Champions League qualification guaranteed by January was written into his contract. It’s with a great deal of regret that myself and the board have had to relieve Chris of his duties but we feel sincerely that intergalactic domination by 2012 isn’t going to be achieved under his stewardship.
I’m sure that our fans will understand. I’ve had two letters of support for the decision already. Strangely they both seem to have Sunderland post marks.
No coincidence, maybe with Hughton back as his No.2?
Matin Jol resigns at Ajax, coincidence?
The bookies (not the ones Pete knows) seem to favour Pardew with Curbishley also in the running. Meanwhile, Peter Beardsley moves from running the reserves to taking care of the first team. Yeah, that’s a big improvement over Hughton. And a quote from Sol Campbell: “This will hit the players hard. The players admired him and liked him and won’t be happy now he’s gone like this.
“It makes no sense. Here is a guy who has done an unbelievable job. He got the club back into the Premier League and any manager would have been rewarded for that with a new contract, but Chris wasn’t.
“The players are sure to be asking themselves ‘what the hell is going on?’, that is only natural.
“When we left training this morning none of the players had a clue this was coming. Yes, it has come as a shock, and it will affect the dressing room there is no doubt about that.”
I’m pretty sure that if Hughton were our manager with his record there’d be no question whatever of his job being up for discussion – even by us the fans. This is an absurd decision. The only consolation for Hughton is that he won’t be out of work for long. I hope he finds a good stable club with a decent board which has what I’d call realstic ambition. But I’d like to see him go to a lower league club which has fallen beneath its true level – someone like Sheffield Wednesday.
I am totally gobsmacked. This is as ridiculous as it gets. This represents one of the worst decisions by a board in the history of the game. Chris Hughton was shaping up to be another David Moyes. Experience has to start somewhere and you have to speculate to accumulate. Mike Ashley is a freekin clown. I almost feel sorry for their fans!! He gets it worng every time. They whopped our backsided, then beat Arsenal at the Emirates. They’ve had a steady, if inconsistent start, but I reckon most of their fans would have taken their current status if it was offered to the at the start of the campaign. I am absolutely disgusted – and then some. I hope Ashley gets what’s coming to him – if the stars are in alignment, it’s coming back to him.
Latest odds;
Ann Widdecombe 6/4
Tony Blair 2/1
The late Frank Sidebottom 5/1
Uriah Heep 11/2
Martin O’Neill 500/1
Steve Bruce 5000/1
And the bedsheet department in Fenwicks has sold out completely!!
God knows who’ll be picking Saturday’s side against Liverpool. Hughton’s dismissal is instantaneous and he’s had no assistant manager since October. The club is only now talking about “making transitional arrangements.” I wonder the players are taking this?
Is this what Shearer has been waiting for? But no he doesn’t have more managerial experience!
Joe Kinnear? Anything is possible.
I a S’land fan, but am sad to see him go. He seemed like a decent, likeable guy and the players seemed to be right behind him and respect him.
Give the guy a chance. Who will they bring in and how will the players react?
I imagine the crowd will be… lively at this Saturday’s game. I was just on the Evening Chron’s Newcastle site — comments already well into three figures; a mix of disgust and outrage.
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We’re not Sid James Park for nowt …
This truly is unbelievable, even for a club as ego-driven and paranoid as NUFC. If West Ham have any sense at all – doubtful – they’ll dump Avram Grant and grab Hughton as he leaves St. James’ Park. And then the Mags can hire Grant who does, let’s face it, have more managerial experience. And Grant can usher them back down to the Championship.