Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton deserves a lot of credit for transforming the troubled club.

Two years ago they were relegated from the Premier League in dire circumstances, with the relationship between fans and their larger than life owner Mike Ashley at breaking point.

Very few of the Toon faithful wanted Hughton as a permanent boss but to promote a big club saddled with massive problems on and off the pitch in the manner he did is to be admired.

 

Many big clubs that have been relegated in the past have turned into footballing relics, even plummeting though the divisions. Leeds, Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday have suffered such a fate in recent years.

After Newcastle’s comfortable promotion, they look anything but relegation candidates.

Hughton even had the confidence to name a second string team against Accrington Stanley in the Carling Cup, and they displayed the resilience previous sides have lacked.

In Andy Carroll they have a fully committed and talented striker in the making and he will surely earn a senior call-up to the England squad soon.

And Hughton has managed to do what no other person on earth is capable of – tame Joey Barton for at least one game.

It may be a while before the days of title challenges and Champions League football returns to St James’ Park, but at least there is cause for far more optimism than in the recent past.