Hughton manages to keep his focus

Oct 16 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

CHRIS Hughton would like the Newcastle United job on a full-time basis, but the club’s caretaker-manager has reassured owner Mike Ashley he will never ask for it or worry about not getting it.

Hughton was again required to sidestep questions about his long-term future at St James’s Park ahead of United’s trip to Nottingham Forest this weekend, doing so with well-practised ease.

Although the 50-year-old is careful to never say it directly, he would accept the manager’s job on a permanent basis if it was offered to him following a successful start to the season which has put the Magpies three points clear at the top of the Coca Cola Championship with 11 games gone.

Asked about whether he was flattered to be linked with the job full time, he insisted the most important thing remained the team and its results as it looks to maintain momentum.

He said: “It has been a normal week and the speculation about my future is something I have got used to. “However, that is not the important thing. The important thing is being able to focus on football matches, and up until this stage we have been very much able to do just that.

“Always the appropriate thing for me to say is I am very happy to do this job for as long as I am asked to do it.

“Any publicity like that is nice and always flattering, but the only things we can really deal with are facts.

“We are where we are and until we are told anything different we just crack on as per normal.

“We are just getting into the campaign. We are a quarter of the way through it, and we are enjoying the experience so far. We are learning more and more about this division with each and every game.”