English Premier League: Hughton Axed By Newcastle For Being "Too Nice"

Newcastle United Football Club are said to be close to snapping up former Charlton, West Ham and Southampton boss Alan Pardew, the sixth manager in the last three plus years under current owner Mike Ashley.

Public opinion has been consistent regarding the appointment of Pardew, with most fans voicing their concerns over his managerial accomplishments rather than the number of years he has been in the management game.

Online polls have shown that Pardew is the least favoured candidate of the Toon faithful and fan factions have promised that should Pardew be brought in, owner Ashley may face the wrath and full fury of Tyneside. 

Chris Hughton, an immensely popular figure in Newcastle, was one of the nicest personalities in football, well-liked by his peers and respected by his players. He was never regarded as a great tactician, but rather a fantastic man-manager with acute motivational skills.

His nice-guy image, his non-confrontational, down-to-earth mannerisms and attention to detail were the calming effect that the players needed in the wake of their disastrous relegation to the Coca Cola Championship in 2009.

Under him, Newcastle flourished and won the championship title with games in hand, and daylight between them and their nearest rivals West Brom.

However, the board was not satisfied.

Hughton's time grew short during the summer when it became apparent to Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias that his lack of knowledge of the world outside the training ground could be fatal in the transfer market.

Hughton's recommended transfers have thus far been Leon Best, James Perch and Sol Campbell—none of whom have shown any light at the end of the tunnel of patience the fans have been guided through by Hughton. The only credit Hughton can receive in the market is the snapping up of Danny Simpson from Manchester United, who was flourishing under the former Spurs No. 2.

Graham Carr, the chief scout of Newcastle United, was behind the transfers of Mike Williamson, Dan Gosling, Cheik Tiote and Hatem Ben Arfa, while Hughton is said to have been unaware of the French international's talents altogether. But once at the club, the wayward winger was tamed by Hughton's calming hand and began to show his considerable talents, which raised eyebrows in just a number of appearances in the Premier League.

Ashley began to lose patience with Hughton's lack of managerial experience, not only regarding transfers but due to his inability to change tactics when Plan A failed during a match; he also could not take the tough decisions that every manager has to take in the fear of rubbing some of the senior players in the wrong way.

There were reports that he was not even picking the teams; instead, players such as Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton were doing the selections behind the curtain—something Hughton denied, but Ashley suspected nonetheless.

It is due to this lack of managerial experience that Ashley began to fear. Hughton and the board had held meetings prior to the sacking, which was not a surprise at all for the board, as preparations for a replacement had begun some two weeks back.

Fears were expressed regarding the size of the squad, but Hughton, knowing little about the transfer market, refrained from making a pursuit for money, stating that his side was good enough for the Premiership.

It is this ambition, and not the mythical top six finish, that was questioned by Ashley. The board was not concerned with the position of the team, but rather with survival—under Hughton, they did not see it.

Sources close to the club also confirmed that Pardew would have money to spend, simply due to the fact that Ashley would trust a man with managerial experience and with experience of dealing in the transfer market, than a man who openly admitted to have no knowledge or interest in the January market. 

Hughton feared of being a spender who failed and rather maintained a low-key approach to management, which cost him dearly. Ashley is willing to spend money but only if the man pulling the strings knows what he is doing.

Alan Pardew may not be that man and Chris Hughton was certainly not that man. Martin Jol would seem to satisfy that criteria, as would Martin O'Neill and high-profile candidate Frank Rijkaard.

But Newcastle are far from being the club they once were—neither do they have the money nor the pull to attract big names anymore.

In the wake of a sacking that has been criticised more than the relegation of the club, Ashley is taking a massive risk in appointing Pardew—a man whose managerial record is worse than Hughton's and has been leader to clubs who were relegated from the top two divisions of English football.

A step in the right direction? Hardly, but Hughton can find solace in the thought that like him, Pardew will be looking for a job in the next six months.