Chris Hughton Unemployed, Newcastle United Clueless After Manager’s Sacking

This is a hard decision to justify, says the guy sitting half way across the world. I don’t know what the dynamics are within the squad. I don’t know what the expectations are within the club. Let’s face it, I don’t know enough about why Chris Hughton is no longer manager at Newcastle United. As of mid-day on Monday, the former Magpies boss was out of a job, though his record with the Toon makes it difficult to see why.

Though it’s one day short of a month since their last victory, Newcastle sits 11th in the Premier League. Last year they finished 21st, as in not in the Premier League at all. Eleventh used to be a glorious standing for a newly promoted side. Now, it can’t overshadow a 0-2-3 record in the club’s last five, a four week stretch that makes November 7’s win at Arsenal irrelevant. A home loss to Blackburn, an embarrassing 5-1 defeat at Bolton and then this weekend’s loss at West Brom - these are most likely at the forefront of owner Mike Ashley’s mind, a mentality that seems to have no room for persepctive.

I say that with no certainty about Ashley’s motivations, though I’m sure he’s doing what he feels is best for the club. Perhaps Hughton had a coercive relationship with players and staff, though support from his captain and the simultaneous departure of his goalkeeping coach hint otherwise. Perhaps the club has another, better man ready to step-in, though they’re claiming the search for a replacement has just started. There are any number of conceivable reasons for this move, only a few of which are evident to us.

But those reasons evident to us don’t justify Hughton’s dismissal. The club lost 3-1 to West Brom on Sunday, but the scoreline did not reflect the levels of the two teams. Newcastle was certainly second best, but on form the match was closer to the 1-0 difference of the 80th minute.

Just ten months ago, Newcastle had lost 4-2 at The Hawthorns. Of course, that was when the Magpies were leading the Championship. You look at those two scores, look at Newcastle’s standing in the Premier League, and you can’t help but wonder if the biggest contributor to Hughton’s firing was getting the club promoted.

Clearly, Ashley and Newcastle have high expectations, but those should have been tempered. On Sunday, injuries saw Hughton without without Hatem Ben Arfa, Steven Harper and Kevin Nolan. If you were making a list of Newcastle’s best players, you might not get past number five without naming that trio. Add in suspensions to both center halves (Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson) as well as one of his best midfielders (Joey Barton) and what has Chris Hughton had to work with over the last three weeks? A team that didn’t buy after promotion couple with the expectations of an owner whose always thought of him as a caretaker.

There were rumblings over the summer that Hughton wouldn’t start the season. After Newcastle won promotion, they could go out and get another manager, the thinking held. Mike Ashley had never warmed to Hughton, which is why Shearer was brought in to try and save the team two seasons ago. Now that the Toon was back, a real manager could take the reigns. I suppose I overvalue first place finishes.

It’s not difficult to image an environment where Ashley was waiting to justify this move. He couldn’t after Newcastle won the Championship. He couldn’t when the Toon were in a European football slot. Now that they’re 11th and haven’t won in 29 days, there’s a thin layer of legitimacy. The club’s spiraling, it could be argued. That’s justification enough.

How many other Premier League managers would fail the implicit standard Ashley created for Hughton? The league would be a joke with that much turnover. Certainly all of West Ham, Wigan and Wolves would have changed managers. Mark Hughes’ honeymoon at Fulham would have earned another vacation. Perhaps Gerard Houllier would get a pass, but not David Moyes. Alex McLeish would be gone, and what of Chelsea’s recent struggles. Certainly if Carlo Ancelotti and the Blues can go through a downturn, Hughton and the Toon can be allowed one as well?

Here’s hoping Chris Hughton lands on his feet, and here’s hoping there’s more to this story than we know. The public details make the decision a curious one, at best.

At some point, you have to say fair enough. If the board thinks a more seasoned manager is needed, I’m sure they have their reasons, thought the list of viable, available managers with a history of success in the Premier League who would want to work in the North East for an ownership group with a dubious record with managers ... (exhale) well, it’s not a long list. Let’s just say that with Argentines Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini in the side, I wouldn’t be shocked if the “more managerial experience” requirement faded into something quite different. When you consider Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan are two of Newcastle’s three most recent managers, is if difficult to image another outspoken playing legend patrolling the sidelines at St. James’ Park?

Newcastle could also be left with an Alan Pardew, a decent name who is not clearly superior to Hughton. We’re also sure to hear the names O’Neill, Curbishley and Keane. O’Neill would be a coup, one of the few names that matches the board’s revealed ambition. The others are mixed bags.

A sample of the fan reaction done by the Guardian finds feelings mixed. Initial player reaction has been less equivocal. Captain Kevin Nolan is said to be “gutted, surprised and shocked.”

The sad part: There’s a good coach, seemingly good guy, who is feeling the same way. Only he’s out of a job, and while we shouldn’t feel too sorry for all rich, unemployed football coaches, it’s hard not to feel for a man’s whose former employers were some of the only people who couldn’t appreciate his work.