Get on with it - Hughton

Jul 13 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

NEWCASTLE United caretaker boss Chris Hughton admits that returning from the team's Dublin training camp may bring them closer to the chaos engulfing the club.

Hughton reflected on a positive week for the players in which he insisted that the mood was “excellent”. But he admits that may be because they were “shielded” from the problems at St James’s Park while they were in their Irish training camp.

Hughton oversaw only his second win as temporary Newcastle United boss by leading the team to a routine victory over Shamrock Rovers.

Hughton was pleased that there were no injuries and the team was able to return to the North East unscathed. “I do not sense any frustration among the players yet, probably because we had the first week at the training ground and then we have been in Dublin,” he said.

“The first four days were in Newcastle but that is usually quite a good time because they are catching up with each other, telling stories and it is normally quite a good time for the players. Then it has helped coming away here because we are away from Newcastle and we have been in a very, very good training complex where we have been shielded away from everything else. But I accept that might change from Monday once we are back in Newcastle.”

The caretaker boss feels that – whatever the situation they find themselves in over the next three and a half weeks – United’s players must concentrate on their pre-season preparations.

“It will be a tough season in a tough league and the aim has to be to come up straight away and whoever is in charge, that will be their aim,” he said. “I am getting on with the job in hand and if there are other things going on, I am not aware of them. From reading the speculation, there is plenty of interest at this stage.

“I have worked with Alan towards the end of the season and I have spoken to him about the structure we have in place for pre-season regarding games which were organised by Alan, but we have not talked about anything else. We would all like the situation to be resolved as soon as possible but the players have to get on with it and they know that.”