Source: PA
Hughton relishing `massive challenge'
Chris Hughton admits a trip to Old Trafford is not what he would have chosen for Newcastle's first match back in the Barclays Premier League but he is determined his side will not show any fear.
The Magpies ran away with the Championship last season to book an immediate return to the top flight, where Hughton knows life will be much tougher.
Newcastle can draw on happy memories of Manchester having drawn 1-1 with United on their last trip there two years ago, which coincidentally also came on the first day of the season.
Hughton watched Sir Alex Ferguson's side collect their first trophy of the season with victory over Chelsea in the Community Shield last weekend, and he knows they have an uphill task if they are to take anything from Monday's match.
"Looking at Manchester United on Sunday and the squad they've got and the quality they've got, it will be a massive challenge for us," said Hughton. "But this is what we worked so hard for last season to get straight back up into this division.
"It's probably not the ideal choice. I think the ideal choice would have been to have a home game but we have been there before on the first game of the season two seasons ago and we certainly gave a very good account of ourselves so we're aware that everything's possible even though we're massive underdogs."
