In the statement issued by the club today, Ashley says Hughton will have to get by with the players he used in the Championship!
In effect ... he hadn't even TOLD the manager of his plans. Hughton still believed he would get transfer funds.
Chris Hughton: “Now the season’s finished it’s a time for evaluating where we are and what direction we want to go in.
“We have a scouting network in place and it’s just a case of formulating all that. The most important thing is to get the decisions right.
“The season’s literally just finished but we continue to gather new information every week. It’s an ongoing process right throughout the summer.
“We’ve seen a lot of players this season and you have to try and cover as many bases as you can because you’re not 100percent sure what division you’re going to be in.
“It leaves you a little bit behind.”