Source: Telegraph
Chris Hughton confident of Newcastle job
Hughton spoke out as Tyneside-born Wigan manager Steve Bruce was said to have told friends that he was ready to answer Ashley's SOS should the spectre of relegation grow under Hughton following Kinnear's triple heart bypass operation.[LNB]Hughton is optimistic that the club can prosper under his guidance even though Newcastle suffered four defeats on the bounce when he held the reins following Kevin Keegan's dramatic resignation last September.[LNB]"It is different, I have been in this position before but the circumstances are very different now," Hughton said. "What I was aware of is that last time I took the reins it was a very difficult period.[LNB]"Kevin had just gone, the first game I took was against the backdrop of protests and there was a fair amount of indecision from the players, they didn't know what was going to happen. It coincided with key players being missing.[LNB]"At this stage, as a group, we're in a better position now than we were then. I'm more comfortable and more confident now than I was then." Hughton continued: "As a coach, you're always looking at yourself, and one area of your pride that does take a knock is when you lose games," said Hughton.[LNB]"Even though I knew it was going to be a difficult period, there was still that hurt inside.[LNB]I would like to have gone through that period and at least won a couple of games from it.[LNB]"It's normal to feel a mixture of emotions when someone else comes in, but you have to look at things practically and accept it's about the club moving forward.[LNB]"They decided that bringing Joe in was the right decision." Hughton, who was Martin Jol's right-hand man at Tottenham, is hoping Kinnear returns to take the helm at St James' Park although he has been told he faces convalescence period of at least two months.[LNB]"We all feel for Joe and wish him well," Hughton added. "The ideal scenario, and the one that we all want to see, is Joe back amongst things before the end of the season.[LNB]"He's out for a period of at least two months but when he can actually come back, that is a matter for the doctors.[LNB]"Until then I've been told that nothing will change â " I'll look after the side assisted by Colin Calderwood. I don't know what has been said elsewhere, but that is something that has been said to me." Hughton has admitted he may seek an extra pair of hands to steer Newcastle to safety.[LNB]"We're both coaches who are used to the training pitch," Hughton said. " There will be some parts of training that I will take and some that Colin will take, but on the Saturday I will be the manager and he will be assisting me.[LNB] "He's a good person for me to lean on because he's had managerial experience, but if at any stage we felt we needed to bring someone in, we would. But the only reason we would do that is to cover.[LNB]"We feel that we're okay at the moment, but we wouldn't hesitate to do it if we felt like we needed another body to perhaps do some individual work. We wouldn't hesitate to do that." [LNB]
