JOHN GIBSON
Old boss could come to our rescue
COULD it just happen the manager who rescues Newcastle United this nail-biting season will be their old boss Chris Hughton? How ironic would that be? The fella who was repeatedly treated shoddily by Mike Ashley yet fashioned promotion as champions at the very first ask and was then sacked with United comfortable in the Premier League table having destroyed Sunderland 5-1, coming to the rescue of his old paymaster. Because, believe it or not, it could easily happen. United remain in some considerable trouble, having cruelly lost at Spurs and sacrificed precious points to Wolves twice in the 95th minute. What do they have to do to survive? Apart from have a change of luck that is. Well, Fulham and Huddersfield look doomed so they must find a third team to take the hearse into the Championship. The bar has been heightened by Cardiff securing back-to-back wins and Burnley also gaining three away points, which made United’s inability to see out a 1-0 victory at Molineux all that more crushing.
So who will be that third club? Often a team falls from the skies into the relegation cesspool – and right now that looks like being Brighton.
When they triumphed on the first Saturday of December they were in the heady position of 10th but since then have produced a shocking run of figures - they have won only two of their last 12 matches (three draws and seven defeats) and only one of their last seven (two draws and four defeats).
In that time the Seagulls have lost twice to Burnley, to Fulham and to Bournemouth. Significant games all.
Newcastle, of course, have themselves seen a five-point cushion to danger evaporate since their shock victory over Man City. Sure it has been down to bad luck (or bad individual mistakes), but nonetheless they remain only a point from the dreaded last relegation place.
Hughton is a man of great dignity who has defied the odds at Brighton, just as he did in a different way at Newcastle, and I am certain Toon Army foot soldiers would, like me, prefer Southampton, Cardiff, Burnley, or Uncle Tom Cobleigh to take the drop before Chris . . . but if needs must! ■ LEE Clark, one of Newcastle’s grand young Entertainers of the early 90s, is doing a gig with me at Wallsend Buffs on Friday, March 8, in aid of top junior club Walker Central.
Clarkie has stepped in to rescue the night after John Beresford had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances.
The original tickets still stand for the night and any Clark fans can book via the club.