Chris Hughton has opened up about his time as Newcastle United manager in 2009 and 2010, explaining how he fell into the role and his lack of surprise when Mike Ashley controversially sacked him.
Despite four separate interim managerial spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, Hughton had never managed on a permanent basis until he, in his own words, became Newcastle manager by default in 2009.
With Mike Ashley looking to sell the club following Newcastle's relegation to the Championship, though, Hughton once again took charge on a temporary basis, Ashley opting not to appoint a permanent manager as he searched for a potential buyer.
Strong performances in the opening of the season meant he eventually earned the role on a full-time basis, as he explains to FourFourTwo.
"I’d been a coach at Tottenham for 14 years, filling a variety of roles, and I initially joined Newcastle as Kevin Keegan’s assistant," Hughton tells FFT. "Then I worked with Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer. It was quite a turbulent time, with managers coming and going and the team suffering relegation, and that summer I was effectively temporary manager.
"Mike Ashley appointed me full-time only five or six matches into the campaign, after a decent start. So, I suppose you could say that I fell into it, but I’d decided in pre-season that I wanted the job."
Winning successive Manager of the Month awards for August and September certainly helped Hughton's case, and at the end of the campaign he was celebrating promotion back to the Premier League as Newcastle manager.
"It helped me that I was a highly experienced coach. I’d been working with footballers ever since hanging up my boots, and I think the powers that be knew I would be a safe pair of hands.
"Of course it wasn’t a great time in Newcastle’s history, but I remember looking around the changing room, thinking, ‘We’ve got bloody good players here’. Some were strong personalities – lads like Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, Alan Smith, Nicky Butt – and it can go either way with characters like that, but they wanted promotion as much as I did."
While promotion was secured, Hughton only lasted in the St. James' Park dugout a few more months. Following a 3-1 defeat at West Brom in December, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley sacked him in what proved a very unpopular decision.
Hughton admits he wasn't surprised at what happened, though.
"A lot of people – fans and the media – were very surprised, but I wasn’t," he says. "My contract was expiring at the end of the season and there’d been no indication the club wanted to open talks about a new one, though there was no falling-out – I had good relations with those running the club.
"Was my sacking unfair? Yes, of course, because we were going well, but I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t see it coming."
Known as one of football's nice guys, Hughton says he's equally not the type to shy away from conflict when needed.
Asked if he had ever fallen out with an opposing manager, Hughton laughed and responded: "Of course I have; it's impossible not to.
"But it’s important to manage within your personality. There’s no point being something you’re not. My style is not to go looking for it, but I’m very comfortable with confrontation.
"So, yes: there are times when you fall out with someone or tell them in no uncertain terms what you think – that’s part and parcel of the game. No manager can pussyfoot around in all circumstances, though I do know that I have a reputation as a nice bloke. I like to treat people how I would want to be treated myself, unless they give you a reason not to."
