Fulham are on the verge of giving Chris Hughton an ultimatum on their job offer to him. The ex-Newcastle manager has been offered the assistant manager's role at Craven Cottage. He had previously worked alongside incoming Cottagers boss Martin Jol at Tottenham. But with Hughton since gaining managerial experience in his own right, Fulham are aware that he has an interest in getting the top job elsewhere. He is believed to have applied for the vacant position at Cardiff and has also been linked with the Birmingham job, reports the Daily Mail. Hughton had originally delayed taking the Fulham job to see if he was offered a manager's post. But Martin Jol has reportedly had enough of the waiting game. Fulham are looking for a speedy resolution either way and are now pushing Hughton for an answer. Jol wants to finalise his backroom staff for the new season before the club's early return to pre-season training on June 23 and has told Hughton he needs to know by the end of the week. Jol's brother Cock and Michael Lindeman are already signed up to take their places in the Fulham dugout.
I'd love Hughton as part of our team, but he deserves the top job somewhere else - Brum or Cardiff would be ideal for him. He did well at Newcastle and didn't deserve the treatment he got.
I don't see Hughton coming to Fulham. The general consensus seems to be that he is a good manager poorly treated at Newcastle. He secured a quick return to the Prem for them, so the Birmingham job seems likely for him. He's currently the bookies favourite for it too.
I also think he will go to Birmingham now that job is open - he needs to be the main manager rather than an assistant
After his success at Newcastle it would be considered a backwards step to become a number two again. I'd love him to come here but the guy deserves to be a number one.
As Hughton seems to draw ever closer to the Birmingham job, I think the Fulham link is dead. There was a link on this forum to a great blog somewhere, which detailed exactly why Hughton is wrong for Fulham at this point. We need stability, especially after Hughes, and bringing in an assistant manager who would be looking at every job that came up is a negative step in that regard. Hughton deserves his chance at Birmingham (or wherever). Fulham should look towards Lewington again or, preferably, look at beginning to integrate Murphy into the management structure.
