Newcastle's sackload of shame

Hughton: betrayed by midgets

Do Newcastle deserve Chris Hughton as their manager, I asked back on 28 October? It hasn't taken long to find out that, as we suspected, they don't. To their credit, the fans have rallied in disgust against his sacking yesterday. So have some of the players. Not that this will change anything. Owner Mike Ashley and his cohorts have no shame, no morals to speak of, and no sense either, it appears.

The BBC's Phil McNulty has summed up the whole sorry saga in a biting and well-argued piece. His first two sentences encapsulate the situation perfectly: "Chris Hughton has brought dignity, stability and a respectable Premier League placing to Newcastle United - so it should be no surprise that his reward from owner Mike Ashley is the sack. It sums up the twisted, madcap logic of a club that seems only comfortable with chaos and a hierarchy that has a vastly inflated sense of Newcastle's standing in the game."

Hopefully, Hughton will soon be back in work with a club that merits him. As for NUFC's current rulers, few outside their side's own support will now weep if they pay for another despicable act (remember how they treated Bobby Robson?) in points and places. Far better, however, would be if fan power could emerge to mount a coherent challenge to Ashley & Co, claiming the club back for decency and genuine football pride. That would be a much better outcome than being appeased and bought off with another fatuous "name" appointment. Which is what Ashley is gambling on.
-----------