Chris Hughton deserves cheers, not jeers, from the Toon Army
Chris Hughton can hardly have been happy to see his substitutions being jeered by the Toon Army during the second half at Boro on Saturday.
Replacing Peter Lovenkrands with Nicky Butt earned boos and at the time, following a five minute attacking spell by United, seemed needlessly negative.
Indeed, Boro soon took the lead.
But I’d like to think that Hughton has achieved enough this season to be given a break when he decides to switch tactics and personnel.
In actual fact, Hughton has managed his squad expertly this season, freshening up his starting line-up and tinkering with tactics for home and away games.
The results are clear to see. United are hard to beat, have been energetic enough to sneak points in games in which they haven’t deserved a result, and even injuries have been coped with well.
The result is Hughton’s squad is nine points clear of third place, with a game in hand, and could be promoted at this rate in early to mid-April.
That doesn’t merit booing. It merits the unswerving support that the Toon Army gave Newcastle for the other 89 minutes at the Riverside.
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