Chris Hughton Says NUFC Cannot Rely On Others - So Are The Magpies Down?

Chris Hughton is one of the few men to actually have sampled what it really is like to work under Mike Ashley at Newcastle United - and the Brighton & Hove Albion manager fears they are once again heading towards the Premier League trapdoor. The 56-year-old guided the Magpies out of the Championship as the division's winners back in 2009-10 - only to be unceremoniously sacked by Ashley the following season - and he thinks that Newcastle need to start winning games if they are to avoid being relegated once more. Aston Villa, Leicester City, Hull City and Sunderland remain in vulnerable positions - but they are gathering points, while the Magpies have failed to add to their tally of 35 since the end of February, and Hughton thinks relegation could even come down to goal difference. Newcastle have lost eight-straight matches and look simply incapable of getting anything from their last three matches - so does that mean the Magpies are already as good as down?

Burnley and Queens Park Rangers are expected to occupy the bottom-two slots in the Premier League table, but the third relegation place could yet be filled by any of the five teams previously mentioned - with Hughton believing Newcastle need to add to their 35-point tally if they are not to fall into the Championship once more. The former Birmingham City, Norwich City and Magpies boss told TalkSport:

"It is a pivotal time. They (Newcastle) are in very, very bad form at the moment, the worst form they have had this season, going into the most important part of the season. It could come down to goal difference. "The positive at the moment, psychologically, is they are not in the bottom three and on paper, with due respect to the teams they are playing, they are not playing teams in that top half, apart from West Ham, and two of their games are at home. "(But) irrespective of where they are, they have got to get points because I€™ve got no doubt that Sunderland, Hull and Leicester will get points so they have got to get points somewhere and those two homes games will prove pivotal.€

Unfortunately for Newcastle fans, Hughton looks likely to be returning to St James' Park next season with his Brighton side - because the Magpies are hurtling towards relegation to the Championship. How Magpies supporters long for a man like Hughton to be at the Newcastle United helm right now... For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCultureNUFC on Twitter and Facebook.