Uncertain times

Last night's game was played against an unsettling backdrop, with rumours rife that Chris Hughton could be about to get the boot. The club responded with an official statement: "Chris is our manager and will remain our manager. It is our intention to renegotiate his contract at the end of the year".

Unequivocal though the opening sentence might seem to be, there will be those who read much into the deferral of contract negotiations, while it's also true that such declarations have an uncanny knack of turning out to mean nothing a few days later. The club were effectively damned if they didn't acknowledge the speculation, and will probably be damned now that they've tried to lay it to rest.

Amidst it all, Hughton acknowledged the rumours but maintained his usual dignified stance: "I can't affect anything that is said but I think it is unfair. As far as I am concerned I'm a very strong character and have to work around these situations ... I've been at this club for two and a half years and have thoroughly enjoyed it and I would like to stay here as long as possible".

Prior to last night's match, in my moonlighting capacity as a contributor to The Two Unfortunates, I was by complete coincidence writing about a manager bizarrely and unfairly shown the door after a reasonable start to the new campaign at a higher level by a club in desperate need of stability. Let's just hope Jabba and Llambiarse don't decide to emulate the other Magpies...