Hughton deserves the plaudits

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton deserves a huge pat on the back after guiding the club back into the Premier League at the first attempt.

The Magpies looked to be in terminal decline when, despite the best efforts of Geordie legend Alan Shearer, they were relegated last season.

Shearer couldn’t keep the club in the Premier League and a deal for him to remain at the helm at the start of this season never materialised, leaving Hughton to take caretaker charge.

It was an unenviable task with owner Mike Ashley looking to sell the Magpies and many pundits expecting the north-east giants to struggle in the second tier.

However, Hughton, backed by Ashley, managed to add one or two new faces to the ranks and created a siege mentality at St James’ Park. Newcastle started the season well and Hughton was rewarded with a permanent deal.

On Monday, the manager’s hard work paid off and Nottingham Forest’s failure to defeat Cardiff earned Newcastle promotion back to the big time.

Cool, calm and collected Hughton deserves all the plaudits he has received because the Championship is notoriously difficult to get out and seems more competitive every season.

Ashley should also take some credit for sticking with Hughton and ensuring he was able to stabilise a squad whose confidence had been battered.

Cynics will say that Hughton’s job was a simple one considering the Magpies’ huge Championship wage bill, but the 51-year-old boss inherited those players and still had to get the job done.

Hughton has moulded a talented squad into a tight unit and a hard-working side that have rarely had an off day all season.

The level of consistency Hughton has demanded from his players has ultimately seen them return to the big time and Hughton, who has a year left on his contract, deserves a fair crack in the Premier League.