Archive for tag: Chris Hughton on player suspensions.

Are Newcastle United a ‘dirty’ team?

November 25th, 2010 | 29 Comments |

Hughton: Defending his little angels.
Hughton: Defending his little angels.
Newcastle United manager, Chris Hughton has recently come out and defended his team’s disciplinary record in the wake of three suspensions of major players, namely, Joey Barton for a crafty dig at Blackburn’s Morten Gamst Pedersen, Fabricio Coloccini for an elbow in in the face of Bolton’s Johan Elmander, and finally, Mike Williamson for a debatable ‘headbutt’, once again on Elmander.

Former Magpie, Alan Shearer, has accused the team of deliberately roughing players up in his role as a pundit on ‘Match of the Day’. However, Hughton responded to the accusations in an interview where he referred to a “freak fortnight” of disciplinary lapses from his little angels. He said:

“I don’t think that anyone who has seen us play would call us a dirty team.”

“It’s not a concern that we’ll pick up a reputation at all because we’re not that kind of side at all. But of course the players need to be aware of their actions and what it might mean.

“But what we have had really is a freak fortnight. To have one ban like this is quite unusual, but to have three in two weeks is really quite rare. (more…)