Pre Blades: Butt backing Hughton

In the week Chris Hughton has become full time gaffer, the club`s sale pulled and the revelation that we`d be willing to pimp out a major part of our near 120 year history to the highest bidder, Nicky Butt has spoken for the dressing room in support of Chris Hughton. Butty said:

"It is definitely a big relief for everyone in the dressing room to have Chris Hughton`s situation sorted out and to have stability.

Chris, along with Colin Calderwood and Paul Barron, have done an impressive job here under difficult circumstances right from the beginning of the season. Chris getting the job now is very much justified. He has done an excellent job. It gives us stability, everyone knows who the boss is now.

The owner has said the club is not for sale but that doesn`t really bother the players as it is away from our domain. But what has happened on the coaching and managerial side is a massive plus for us.

He has done well, done it his own way, treated the lads well and let them know every other day what has been going on upstairs. He has shown he is good enough to be a manager. He has got the respect of all the players and the staff and rightly so. He has been big enough to drop big players. He dropped Michael Owen last season. He is not afraid of that side of the challenge. He is definitely worthy of the job in my eyes.

We don`t know what to call him yet - whether it is Chris or gaffer. We are not sure yet. It`s Chris at the moment until he tells us something different. But I don`t think things will change."

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