This afternoon it took an announcement on Radio 5-Live to realise that the game we so rightly love is becoming stranger and stranger by the day. This afternoons news that Chris Hughton has been sacked as Newcastle manager is bewildering to me. I intend to focus on the reasons behind the sacking and what lies in store forthe club for the remainder of the season. I’d also welcome the opinions of Newcastle fans and football fans alike on the fickle nature of the business these days.
Let’s focus simply on facts to begin with. Newcastle United lie 11th in the Premier League table this afternoon, having taken 19 points from their opening 16 games. The club lie 5th in the ‘Goals Scored’ table, with 24 goals. They have conceded 25 goals in 16 games so far this season, which is 7th best in the Premier League. Perhaps crucially the club lie 17th in the Form Guide (based on the last 6 games). This is for me the reason why Chris Hughton has lost his job this afternoon. Form is an unbelievably powerful tool by which to judge the success of a Manager in football. Whilst some may argue that this is entirely accurate, others would suggest that their are many more factors by which to determine success.
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Chris Hughton will no doubt feel bitterly disappointed at the sacking. Photo: NUFC.co.uk. |
