In 25 full seasons covering Albion for The Argus, I have been very lucky with managers.
Never luckier than with Chris Hughton.
Establishing a rapport, a close professional relationship, is a crucial part of the job.
With Hughton that was easy because, put simply, he is just a nice bloke.
Polite, compassionate, dignified. A beacon of decency in a cut-throat industry.
Nice guys can be winners too. Hughton has been for the bulk of his career as both a player and manager.
He was a winner with Albion for four years out of four-and-a-half. Championship survival, promotion after a near-miss, safety twice in the Premier League.
The losing half-year has cost him his job but not his reputation.
There will be plenty of takers, clubs who will be grateful to have Hughton.
He has been harshly pigeon-holed as a manager to get you out of the Championship when he has never had the time or resources to make a real impact in the Premier League. Not with Newcastle, Norwich or now Albion.
We may never get to know if he is up to that job but we know the type of man he is.
That counts for a lot in any sphere. Thanks for the memories Chris.
Appointed: 31 Dec, 2014
Sacked: 13 May, 2019
Matches: 215
Wins: 88
Draws: 57
Defeats: 70
Win rate: 41 per cent
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