Steve Howey: “I was very, very disappointed by what happened to Chris Hughton.
“He deserved better than what he got.
“He had done a great job, the fans liked him and the players did too.
“And you couldn’t see where the problems were that he needed to be sacked.
“I just don’t understand the thinking behind it from Mike Ashley and we haven’t heard really why it happened.
“It seems like jobs for the boys to be honest.
“I’ve got nothing against Alan Pardew – he seems a nice man but at the same time I can’t understand the decision.”