Ton-derful Toon delight Hughton

Magpies man targets steady season back in Premier League

By Danny Wright   Last updated: 2nd May 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Ton-derful Toon delight Hughton

Hughton: Big achievement

Related links

Teams

Also see

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton hailed the "very big achievement" secured by his players as they rounded off their Championship title winning season with victory over QPR.

Peter Lovenkrands' 71st minute effort was enough to separate the two sides, with the win ensuring the Toon surpassed the 100-point barrier in their final match of the season.

Hughton was delighted to have finished the campaign in style, and although he was pleased to have reached the century milestone, the Magpies chief was just happy to have returned the club to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

"It feels great," said Hughton. "It was the least of our targets but an important one. We've achieved our three big targets - promotion, then winning the title and keeping our home record.

"But we have a very competitive changing room and it will be wonderful for this group of lads to look back on.

"It might be a different division to what this club is used to being in but it's a very big achievement."

The promotion back to the top flight a year after the heartbreak of relegation has helped restore some of the club's dented pride.

The main goal for Hughton now is to keep his charges amongst the country's finest, and he feels the examples of Wolves and Birmingham - who have stayed up following promotion from the second tier - can provide a benchmark for his team as they seek to establish themselves once again.

He went on: "It's a big club and a club that is used to being in the Premier League. But a good percentage of our supporters realise where we have been and it has to be about growing and developing as a team and as a club again.

Encouraged

"So expectations maybe won't be as big as they have been in the past. At this time we are enjoying being where we are. The big aim is to become a consistent member of the Premier League.

"You can be encouraged by what Birmingham and Wolves have done this season. The big thing is going up and staying up. I do think we need to bring players in but I don't see wholesale changes."

Defeat rounded off a turbulent campaign for QPR and manager Neil Warnock admitted he is glad to have completed the season.

Warnock, the fifth person to take the Loftus Road hotseat this campaign, said he was looking to make his own mark on the team in the close season.

The former Sheffield United chief is looking to bring some stability to a club known to be impatient with their managerial selections, although the 61-year-old insisted his eyes remained firmly on the future.

He said: "I can't say I was disappointed when the final whistle went. I'm looking forward to the summer and bringing my own players in.

"But it was a great atmosphere today and we want that every week - and the only way to get that is to be up at the top."