Hughton fires Toon warning to Seagulls
CHRIS Hughton has warned his Brighton side that they face a tough test at St James’ Park despite the Magpies being on their worst run of home results since 1953.
The former Newcastle United boss guided the Seagulls to victory in the reverse fixture at the Amex Stadium earlier in the campaign.
Now, the duo will go toe-to-toe in a crucial six-pointer on Tyneside as Newcastle look to haul themselves away from the relegation zone.
Speaking before the trip to St James’ Park, Hughton said: “It was the club that gave me my first opportunity to manage and that’s something I’m always very grateful for.
“I’ve been back there a couple of occasions since; it’s always enjoyable to go back, but mostly you want to go back and play well enough to get a result.
“It’s still a difficult place to go, a wonderful stadium, and full of fans who want to get behind their team.
“Whatever problems they have had, they always get through it and that makes them very tough opposition.”
Newcastle pipped Brighton for the Sky Bet Championship last term and took six points from them during their title-winning season.
Hughton added: “Newcastle are a team that we know very well, having already played them once this season, and twice last season.
“We know they have a lot of quality, and even though they haven’t had the best of times of late, we know they can be a fairly formidable team on a good day.
“They showed that earlier in the season and have enough quality to make them very dangerous opponents.”