Hughes plays down Newcastle link

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has distanced himself from the vacant Newcastle role, insisting he and the club have had no contact about the job. Hughes told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I have not spoken to them, it’s speculation.”

Meanwhile, speculation linking Harry Redknapp with the job at St James’ Park heightened when his planned Friday press conference was cancelled.

The Portsmouth boss, who has previously played down links with the Magpies, is the favourite to succeed Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce was sacked on Wednesday after just eight months at St James’ Park.

And Newcastle are expected to make an official approach to Portsmouth to talk to Redknapp about taking over the position on Friday.

The 60-year-old recently signed a new four-year contract at Fratton Park and told The News in Portsmouth on Thursday: “To say a deal has already been done is absolute rubbish.

“There has been no approach. All I’m doing is trying to get a couple of players in before the Sunderland game (Portsmouth visit the Stadium of Light on Sunday) but I haven’t got anywhere with that.

“Nobody from Newcastle has contacted me and in any case, that wouldn’t be allowed. Nobody has contacted (Pompey chief executive) Peter Storrie.”

Portsmouth responded with a statement of their own, reading: “The club has received no approaches for the services of our valued manager Harry Redknapp. He remains as committed as ever.”

However, regardless of his stance and Portsmouth’s claims, Redknapp’s absence from Friday’s conference will do little to quell reports linking him with the role - although assistant manager Joe Jordan later claimed Redknapp and Storrie were en route to talk to a potential new signing.

BBC Radio 5 Live’s Eleanor Oldroyd was at Portsmouth’s training ground awaiting Redknapp’s regular Friday media briefing when the Pompey boss made a hurried exit.

“He was in conversation with chief executive Peter Storrie at noon, but 15 minutes later journalists were ushered to the back of the building,” she said. “A few minutes later Redknapp and Storrie appeared and drove off to an unknown destination.”

And the speculation appeared to be further strengthened by Hughes’s apparent withdrawal from the race to take the job.

“I have not spoken to anyone from Newcastle. Neither has my chairman and I do not expect he will,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“There’s always speculation when a big job comes up. I seem to be talked about in good terms but it’s just recognition of the work me and my staff do here.

“I am in a very strong position here, I have a great relationship with the chairman and board and that is really important. I would not give that up lightly.”

Another name heavily linked with the post following Sam Allardyce’s sacking on Wednesday is former Toon striker Alan Shearer.

BBC sources close to the 37-year-old, though, say he is extremely unlikely to take the role as he is happy with his pundit work on Match of the Day.

Other names linked with the job include Martin Jol, Jose Mourinho, Italy’s World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi and former England boss Steve McClaren.

But McClaren appears to be a very remote prospect after Ashley quipped last month that the former Boro manager was “there with the ex-wife on the ‘Do not get a Christmas card’ list”.

Magpies assistant boss Nigel Pearson has been put in temporary charge for Saturday’s match against defending champions Manchester United.

However, former Tottenham vice-president Paul Kemsley, who is a close friend of Ashley, has hinted a permanent appointment may not be far off.

Kemsley, who is a known admirer of Redknapp and is thought to have wanted Spurs to appoint him as Martin Jol’s replacement, would not be drawn on whether Ashley already had a manager lined up.

But he told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Mike is a considered guy, he does not make rash decisions. He will have a plan and I am sure he knows what he is doing.

Ironically, Allardyce had spoken about the lack of time afforded to Premier League managers in the modern-day game just before he was sacked.

“I would be very excited if I was a Newcastle fan, as I know Mike will deliver for them. He wants to see good quality, attacking football and he wants to win games.”

The fact remains that Newcastle are now looking for their sixth manager in 10 years.

But Kemsley feels Allardyce may have been living on borrowed time because he was appointed by ex-chairman Freddy Shepherd before Ashley’s takeover.

He added: “Allardyce was not Mike’s choice - but he gave him time because he wanted to see if he could deliver.

“However, he felt it was in the best interests of the club to sack Allardyce and that is what happened.

“Mike has already invested £250m in the club and is prepared to invest more but he wants to do that with his own man in place.”

source:bbcsports