Source: Daily_Mail
After Chris Hughton's axeing, we chart the five shameless sackings that rocked football
Surely a Newcastle manager that oversees a 5-1 thrashing of Sunderland is guaranteed a life-sized bronze statue outside St James' Park, let alone a contract extension?[LNB]Welcome to the Looney Toon world on Tyneside.[LNB]The search for another new boss begins at St James' Park - owner Mike Ashley has now overseen five managers in three-and-a-half years - after Chris Hughton was relieved from his duties on Monday.[LNB]But he isn't the first manager startled to be handed his P45 as Sportsmail looks back at five bosses who found out that football is not always a results driven business.[LNB] Shock wave: Chris Hughton was told to clear his desk at St James' Park, despite the newly promoted club sitting mid-table and after a 5-1 win over Sunderland and victory at Arsenal[LNB]Up for the FA Cup: Ruud Gullit continued the revolution began by Glenn Hoddle at Stamford Bridge[LNB]Ruud GullitFresh on the management scene after replacing England-bound Glenn Hoddle in 1996, Chelsea were a comfortable but mid-table Premier League club when Gullit stepped up from his Blues playing duties.[LNB]His first season was a major success, becoming the first foreign manager to win a major trophy with an English club by winning the FA Cup in 1997, thanks to a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough, ending the Blues' 26 year wait for silverware.[LNB]Momentum continued but with Chelsea sitting second in the league, Ken Bates shocked everyone when he sacked the Dutchman in February 1998.[LNB]Despite turning Chelsea into a major force, Gullit's excessive but not unreasonable wage demands was the cue for the Chelsea board to promote another player-manager in the shape of one of Gullit's first buys, Gianluca Vialli.[LNB]Vicente del BosqueEven for a club as trigger happy with their managers as Real Madrid, Vicente del Bosque's dismissal in 2003 came as a great shock.[LNB]In just four years at the club the low profile boss had won two Champions League titles and two league titles. He was sacked just days after winning his last La Liga title.[LNB]The only reason anyone could think of was that Del Bosque only got the job on a caretaker basis in the first place, after John Toshack left in 1999 and it was never in the club's plans to keep him.[LNB] Just champion: Vicente del Bosque is hoisted aloft after winning the Champions League in 2000. He repeated the feat two years later - and was last seen guiding Spain to their maiden World Cup win in South Africa[LNB]Either way they must regret it now. Since his departure Real Madrid have never gone beyond the last 16 in the Champions League and didn't win a league title until 2007.[LNB]That was under Fabio Capello, who was sacked shortly after. Some teams just never learn.[LNB]Martin JolSpurs spent nearly a year looking for a successor to Glenn Hoddle. But when Jacques Santini resigned after just 13 games in 2004, his assistant Martin Jol stepped up to take the manager's seat which by then was a poison chalice.[LNB]Despite a slow start, the fans quickly took to the likeable Dutchman and after a solid first season then recorded two back-to-back fifth place finishes - at the time Spurs' highest in the Premier League.[LNB]But after spending big in the summer of 2007, rumours began to circulate about his position after an opening day defeat at Sunderland.[LNB] Shock exit: Martin Jol takes charge of his last game as Spurs boss[LNB]Results continued to be shaky but despite a strong backing from fans, Jol found out he had been sacked at half-time during a group stage UEFA Cup match against Getafe.[LNB]Juande Ramos took over within days but despite winning the Carling Cup, league form continued to plummet. Ironically the Spaniard was gone exactly one year later.[LNB]Mark HughesWith the benefit of hindsight it always seemed Hughes was fighting a losing battle at Manchester City, given a blank cheque book to spend he simply had to deliver after a summer of frantic spending in 2009.[LNB]But he never got that chance. With City sixth in the league, Hughes was sacked just before last Christmas with a club statement reading that he had not met agreed targets.[LNB] Inner City Blues: Mark Hughes says farewell to the Manchester City faithful after steering the club to a 4-3 home win over Sunderland[LNB]Sitting six points behind fourth placed Aston Villa with a game in hand, the board wanted Champions League football and didn't hesitate in writing off the Welshman's chances of closing the small gap.[LNB]His successor Roberto Mancini failed to improve. City only moved up one place from where Hughes had left them and failed to qualify for the Champions League.[LNB] Though Eastlands is looking brighter this term, one does feel 'Sparky' was hard done by.[LNB]Far from Saintly: Pardew's clandestine sacking still shocks Southampton fans[LNB]Alan PardewSouthampton's fall from grace has been dramatic as it has been demoralising for their fans since relegation from the Premier League in 2005.[LNB]In 2009 they hit rock bottom, starting the season in League One on minus 10 points after going into administration.[LNB]But Pardew managed to turn it into a memorable year which saw them only just miss out on a play-off place by one position and win the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.[LNB]For the first time in a long time Saints fans finally believed they had a manager who could take them forward - or so they thought until Pardew was sacked following a 4-0 win over Bristol Rovers earlier this season.[LNB]Such was his backing by the supporters, in a newspaper poll only 13 per cent agreed to a decision that was thought to have come about after a breakdown in the relationship between manager and board.[LNB] It's not rational! Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger slams Newcastle for sacking of Chris HughtonToon turmoil: Jol and Pardew in the frame after Newcastle sack Hughton NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Farewell to Chris Hughton.... the dignified servant humiliated by NewcastleNEWCASTLE UNITED FC
