Newcastle manager Chris Hughton defends decision to stand by Andy Carroll

29 March 2010 11:05
An uncharacteristically spiky Hughton, speaking ahead of Newcastle's crunch game against Nottingham Forest tonight, is unapologetic over his stance even though he dropped Carroll earlier this season following a separate breach of discipline. [LNB]"I don't really have to go into specifics," Hughton said. "For every team I pick I pick what I feel is the best team to win a football match for me. Around that there are issues of fitness, form, individuals, players coming back - those are the things that I take into account. [LNB]"My job is to manage this football club and this group of lads. Around that will always come decisions. I have to make decisions every week on whichever team I pick. Sometimes you get things right, sometimes you get things wrong and I will continue to make decisions I believe are right." [LNB]Taylor is currently nursing a jaw broken in two places following the training-ground incident as well as recovering from a knee injury but Hughton has insisted the centre-half could figure this season presumably alongside Carroll. [LNB]"We're hoping that he'll play at some stage this season. We're still assessing where he is in his rehabilitation," said Hughton. [LNB]He also stressed both Carroll and Taylor would "absolutely" be at the club next season despite the off-field issues which he is determined will not be a distraction for the Championship leaders as he prepares to pit his wits against Forest counterpart Billy Davies and his third-placed side on Tyneside. [LNB]"I think it's part and parcel of football life," Hughton added. "What we have to do is make sure we're focused enough on football matches and that's what we have been. [LNB]"My philosophy is we've got to do everything we can to win football matches. We've got a crowd here with high expectations. They expect us to get promotion. That means winning enough football matches to do that and that's why such a big focus remains on winning those games. [LNB]"I think that at football clubs there will always be issues and it's about working around the issues and on the important thing - winning enough games. We have high expectations here and to meet them we have to win games and that is our focus. [LNB]"Everyone in the game - everyone in the position I'm in - has to always work the issues as they see them. Some managers might be more vocal than others, some not so. Of course, that's part and parcel of what a manager does." [LNB]

Source: Telegraph