Until this season, Chris Hughton’s managerial statistics read like a school janitor’s CV.
He was caretaker boss at Tottenham Hotspur for six games in 1998, in between the departure of David Pleat and the appointment of George Graham. Exactly 10 years later, he took the reins for three weeks as Newcastle United searched for a replacement for Kevin Keegan – eventually coming up with Joe Kinnear – and when Kinnear fell ill last February, Hughton took over again, only to step aside when the big name appointment of Alan Shearer was made. That worked out well didn’t it?
Hughton was again installed as caretaker at the beginning of this season, and it was then that something changed.
It was probably just because Mike Ashley couldn’t sell the club and so decided to stick with what he had. The – admittedly formerly – publicity hungry owner would be likely to tell you that it was because he realised the managerial potential of Hughton, but the 53-times capped Republic of Ireland international was finally given his chance. Today Newcastle are back in the Premier League. It was a chance worth taking.
There is much to admire about the way that Hughton has guided United this season. Admittedly they’ve been operating on a bigger budget and with better players than virtually the whole of the Championship – Kevin Nolan, Jonás Gutiérrez, José Enrique, Peter Løvenkrands and Danny Guthrie would walk into many Premier League sides – but Hughton has brought a calmness and coolness to the club that was sorely lacking under previous regimes.
During Newcastle’s previous spell in the top flight, they were difficult to ignore for a variety of reasons.
From their mid-1990s boon under Keegan when they should have won at least one Premier League title, through their steady decline and eventual fall under an exasperated Shearer, you were always aware of Newcastle’s presence. They weren’t afraid to shout about themselves, whether it be good or bad. Under Hughton – very much a quiet man – you get the impression that it will be a bit different, and the club will benefit from that.
There will be no loud, brash declarations – from inside the club at least, for supporters can be different – and Hughton will set about trying to keep Newcastle in the division next season in his own manner.
His skin colour and the widely-held belief about a lack of opportunities for black managers within the English game – brought into focus by last month’s death of the Macclesfield Town boss Keith Alexander – will lead to widespread celebration of Hughton’s elevation into a full-time Premier League boss, but it is something that he should have achieved a long time ago.
He is simply a very good manager, regardless of any other factors that come into the equation, and Newcastle are in good hands as they make their immediate return to the top flight.
They’ll want their next Premier League season to be a lot calmer than their last one. Under Hughton, there’s every chance it will be.
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