Newcastle 0 Fulham 1: Hughes is shocked by Toon's relegation plight

18 May 2009 01:14
Amid the euphoria of a win which keeps Fulham on course for the Europa League, one adopted Geordie could reflect only on the sorry demise of a former club now on the verge of heading back into the Football League. But for the rashness of Graeme Souness, Aaron Hughes, who made his Newcastle debut in the Nou Camp, would still be a first-choice defender at St James' Park rather than proving his reliability and consistency in a Fulham back four which limited Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins to few chances.Perhaps, because he is now so far removed from Newcastle's fall from Champions League battlers to Barclays Premier League strugglers, Hughes was best placed to offer an honest perspective on the club. As manager Alan Shearer heads to Aston Villa hoping a victory will lift Newcastle above Hull City or Sunderland, if they fail to win at Portsmouth tonight, Hughes said: 'It's very sad to see what's happened and where Newcastle are in the table. I'm happy to have won the game, but I'm really sorry that things have turned out as they have. 'I've still got a strong connection and affinity with Newcastle. They're very close to my heart. I've been away for four years, but when the guys who are still here started chatting, it felt like I only left last week.  

Source: Daily_Mail