Chris Hughton curbs Newcastle fans' expectations

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Promoted Newcastle still focused - Hughton

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has warned the club's fans to lower their expectation levels ahead of their return back to the Premier League.

Hughton has led the Magpies back into the top flight at the first time of asking with five games left and the club currently top of the Championship.

But he told BBC Radio 5 live: "It might be a question of lowering expectations.

"What we have to be able to do is to consolidate and become a very solid and steady team before we can push on."

Newcastle have exceeded expectations this year with 26 wins so far from 41 matches, helping them to win promotion on Monday when Nottingham Forest's 0-0 draw with Cardiff guaranteed them a top-two finish.

Their next task is to ensure, having led the division for so long, they go on to win the Championship title, says Hughton.

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But the manager is also allowing himself a glance into the future to consider Newcastle's preparations for next season, saying: "The most important thing is that we have a good group of players.

"You do take heart from other clubs that have gone up - like Birmingham and Wolves - and who without the big finances and without making wholesale changes have been able to cope and cope very well with a higher division.

"In some ways, what we hope is that we can learn from this season. We can learn from our relegation, learn what it takes to stay in the top division.

"What you see at this club is a group of people and players that realise how difficult it is to stay in the Premier League, the consistency you have to have in a team and in a club.

"We're a club going back up to the Premier League and the expectation levels cannot be so high."

Hughton also revealed that he had been contacted by former Newcastle player and manager Alan Shearer, who was briefly in charge in 2009.

"Alan called, yes, and it was very welcome," said Hughton.

"He's someone I've got a lot of admiration for from my dealings here with him. And of course, apart from anything, he's a massive Newcastle supporter and is delighted to see the club back in the top division."