LONDON — "Chris will remain our manager. It is our intention to renegotiate his contract at the end of the year.''
— Newcastle statement, Oct. 27. Hughton fired — Dec. 6.
If Mike Ashley had sat down and tried to come up with a worse way to alienate Newcastle fans, the club's owner could not have done better than sacking Chris Hughton. Mind you Ashley should not be underestimated, because he topped that by appointing Alan Pardew as Hughton's successor.