Chris Hughton: I’m proud of so solid Magpies

Dec 26 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

KEEPING clean sheets is more pleasurable than scoring for members of Newcastle United’s close-knit squad, according to boss Chris Hughton.

United have managed 13 shut-outs so far this season in their bid to return to the top flight with their first-choice central defensive partnership of Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor looking flawless at Championship level.

It is a record that has pleased Hughton, a full-back during a decorated 16-year playing career and a man who made his name as a coach with defensive responsibilities at Tottenham.

And he reckons his team are so rock solid that they now prefer collective achievements to picking up individual accolades.

“It’s a fantastic achievement and it’s credit to the entire squad that we’ve got that record,” he said. “That solid defence has been our trademark this season and it’s a wonderful trademark to build on. If we are able to be solid and capable of clean sheets then we have the sort of players who can score goals and win games for us.

“If anything, though, the lads take more pride in keeping clean sheets collectively than they do in the individual moments of skill that win us games because they are so close as a team. This start to the season has been a team effort and the same goes for keeping clean sheets.

“It gives them more pleasure to keep those clean sheets because they are doing it as a team. That is great credit to them.

“Look at the goal we scored on Sunday. Shola Ameobi scored it but he couldn’t have done that if it hadn’t been for a wonderful cross by Danny Guthrie.

“That is the way we’re going about things this season. The lads know that they can rely on their team-mates.”