Are football managers given enough time?

Hughton may not be the biggest name in football management, but his sacking by Newcastle is an absolute disgrace.

A 3-1 defeat at West Brom and the recent 5-1 drubbing by Bolton were unacceptable, but when you put it in the context of the Magpies’ season as a whole it is definitely not a reason for him to be given the boot.

When Newcastle dropped down into the Championship, the future looked bleak for the club. But Hughton lifted the spirits of the players and guided them to the Championship title. Expectations of teams coming up from the Championship are not usually very high but, after a defeat at Manchester United, Hughton guided the team to a 6-0 home win over Aston Villa.

Although some of the later results have been very poor, victory at Arsenal and a 1-1 draw with champions Chelsea, are proof of Hughton’s credentials. The fans seem to have a lot of respect for the 51-year-old and many have already started venting their anger at the decision.

But Hughton’s job has been under scrutiny of late despite the fact that Newcastle sit 11^th in the Premier League.  When you consider how the last few years have been for the club that is a remarkable achievement. In October, Newcastle thumped bitter rivals Sunderland 5-1 before claiming a win at Arsenal, what more could Hughton have done?! Sacking the manager will only deflate the players.  Are the board really looking at the best long-term interests of the club?

Managers are sacked too quickly these days as people’s expectations spiral out of control. Just look at Notts County – Craig Short was sacked back in October after less than five months in charge at Meadow Lane.  Although the league position wasn’t great, County were also not too far of the play-off positions. For a side that had just earned promotion into League One surely beating the drop or a mid-table finish is a realistic expectation, not another instant promotion. That takes time….but unfortunately that is hard to come by in football these days.

I firmly believe the player’s must sometimes take more of the blame than the manager, but you don’t see them getting contracts cancelled after a few defeats. Football is just becoming more and more crazy.  Hughton should not be too downbeat…the sacking is not a reflection of his ability, but more about a football club’s board being fickle. I just hope he gets another chance soon!