Hughton keeping his cool in Reds’ hot seat
BOSS SAYS HE’S NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO SPECULATION ABOUT FUTURE AS HE PREPARES FOR BORO ENCOUNTER
CHRIS Hughton says he pays no attention to any speculation surrounding his future as Nottingham Forest manager.
And he insists he remains confident of turning the Reds’ dismal form around after Cardiff City piled on the pressure at the City Ground.
Five of Forest’s first six Championship games have ended in defeat, with the Bluebirds coming from behind to triumph 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
That made it the club’s worst start to a campaign for 108 years, as they sit rock bottom of the Championship table.
Amid Hughton coming in for plenty of criticism, national reports have claimed Chris Wilder and John Terry would be interested in the job, should a change be made.
But the man in the hot seat says he is simply focused on tomorrow night’s clash at home against Middlesbrough.
“First and foremost, anything you’re telling me is news to me,” Hughton said.
“One, because the only thing I do is concentrate on the job.
“It’s been a very difficult summer. With the recruitment process we have ... yes, thankfully, we brought in players and there has certainly been a change here.
“It’s been difficult not being able to work with some of those players earlier in the pre-season but it’s been a very difficult window for most.
“I only think about the next game.
“It’s a hugely disappointing result. And one thing I can tell you is I’m as disappointed as anybody.
“This is the job I do. I’m only thinking about how we get a result on Wednesday night, because this club deserves it. The supporters deserve it.
“I’ve got a group of players here who desperately want to get a result as well but we have to go out and prove it.”
The hosts had taken the lead against Cardiff through Lewis Grabban’s first-half goal, only for Rubin Colwill to come off the bench and turn the match around with a brace.
“I have to be (confident of turn
ing the form around),” Hughton said.
“I have a group of players. Our responsibility, in whatever way we do it, we have to get results.
“Whether that’s on Wednesday night, if we don’t play well but get a result, whatever way it comes, we have to get results.
“That means players stepping up to the mark. That means a group of players gelling together and doing enough to get results.”
Asked if he has the players in his squad to do that, the Reds manager added: “This, we have to see.
“Up until this moment, that hasn’t been the case.
“We have brought players in. Some have come very late in the window and some I haven’t had the opportunity to work with.
“We have two players at this moment who will miss the next two games.
“It’s my responsibility to bring them up to speed as quickly as possible, integrate them into the group and start to get results.
“On the other side, it’s still small margins.
“If I’m looking at clear chances, this is a Cardiff side that didn’t have real clear chances, but neither did we, apart from the goal we scored.
“Each of the games we have lost, it’s been one goal. It’s about turning those margins in our favour.
“That means a group of players gelling and getting up to speed as quickly as we can.”