By Tyne-Talk
March 25 2009

Caretaker manager Chris Hughton has claimed that he continues to have the support of the dressing room 100% after reports in The Sun from an un-named source suggested that players were calling for a manager to be appointed to rescue them from the drop zone and save the club from relegation.

The weekend's press reported that Terry Venables, who comes with experience but turned the club down last summer, is in line to take over for the last 8 games of the season. However Hughton has been quoted in The Northern Echo saying;

"I am convinced I still have the dressing room behind me 100%. It doesn't worry me in the slightest that a player has supposedly said these things.

I think the only thing that you can react to are facts. And at the moment there is no fact to anything that's been written or from the sources that it's supposedly coming from.

To be honest with you, I just dismiss it."

The source he refers to is The Sun which reported;

"The players have all been talking about how they need someone of real authority to sort it out.

There is no leader since Joe Kinnear took ill. It is not that they don't respect Hughton as a coach because they do, but he is no manager."

Hughton might, as he says, have the backing of the players but is that enough to stay up? In another interview he has said that he believes that the players will be shocked into winning games by the threat of playing in the Championship.

He said;

"I think that there's always a different feel when you're in that bottom three - that is the defining line.

We've known for a while this will be a tough end to the season - certainly if we didn't get results. But I think it's right to say that it does focus your mind.

I think for those that didn't realize it's going to be a tough end to the season, they certainly realize now."

It shouldn't really take being in the bottom three to shake the players into action, the situation has been dire for a long time now with just 1 win in 14 games, how much worse does it have to get for action to be taken?

Hughton Remains Confident and 100% Backed

Discussion started by TyneTalk (IP Logged), 25/03/2009 17:50

TyneTalk
25/03/2009 17:50

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Gallowgate Luke
25/03/2009 17:54

Well I heard a rumour at work (someone knew someone who knew someone who worked at the Academy) that during the team talk on Saturday, when it was announced that Michael Owen wasnt starting the game, Steve Harper got up and walked out in disgust.

Could be b0ll0x - could be true, I dont know.

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Joesftbh
25/03/2009 17:58

Ok, hopefully this will end the speculation. Like it or not, it's Hughton and Calderwood for now. Say what you like about Hughton's abilities, but he will give 100%, as will most of the players (Shola and Viduka, I'm not looking at you...)

This is the toughest it's been in recent years, and the media will never be off our back. So screw them. Let's just get behind the lads and show why we are the best fans in the world.

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MissC
25/03/2009 18:36

Bottom line is the players don't play like they have faith in the current set up so saying it in the dressing room is b0llox they need to be proving it on the pitch.

Points from chelsea and il fall off my chair in suprise but the very best could be 90 minutes of consistent play which shows an attitude that we want to win (whether we do or not)

I haven't seen that attitude for a full 90minutes in ages.

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