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Magpies test 'biggest' of all - Hughton
Newcastle United, 12:12, February 18, 2009 ,
Chris Hughton has admitted that keeping Newcastle in the Premier League this season is set to be his 'biggest challenge' in football.
The 50-year-old has been handed the managerial reins on a caretaker basis following Joe Kinnear's triple heart bypass operation. And, despite a lengthy spell working as an assistant with ten different managers at his former club Tottenham, Hughton feels the job he now has on his hands at St James' Park will be more testing.
Hughton, first team coach Colin Calderwood and goalkeeping coach Paul Barron have been handed the task of dragging the Magpies further away from the drop zone as they currently sit just four points ahead of third-bottom Blackburn.
And ahead of Sunday's visit of Everton, Hughton said: "This is the biggest challenge I've faced. You put pressure on yourself because you desperately want to get results, you want this team to be winning football matches.
"That's my responsibility for the time being and that's the pressure you put yourself under. I've had experience of being in this position before so I'm quite capable and confident of coping."
Meanwhile Hughton has revealed that 62-year-old Kinnear is recovering well following his heart surgery and he is backing him to be back in the hot seat before the initial eight-week estimate given by the club.
He added: "Everything that we've heard is good news, he's recovering very well. He moved into his own room on Tuesday and his progress has been good.
"But at some stage he will be very much itching to get on that phone and to know what's happening. At what stage that will be I'm not sure but it'll no doubt be at the earliest convenience."