CHRIS HUGHTON has got plenty of incentive to kick Town out of the Carling Cup tomorrow – whether he gets the Newcastle manager’s job or not.

The 50-year-old former Tottenham stalwart (he both played and coached at White Hart Lane) has so far made a success of one of the toughest jobs in football.

Hughton, on the St James’ Park coaching staff for the last 18 months, was left to pick up the pieces after the Toon’s traumatic relegation from the Premier League.

He conducted pre-season training against a background of boardroom paralysis, players departing (10 have jumped ship so far) and uncertainty over the managerial situation.

All three problems are ongoing, with star defender Steven Taylor being linked with Everton and Fulham, but Hughton has still managed to confound the critics by leading Newcastle to their best start to a season in 14 years.

While the club’s future ownership is still a grey area, one thing’s for sure – the boys in black and white stripes are riding high in the Championship.

Saturday’s 2-0 win at Crystal Palace put them joint top of the table with Cardiff, Middlesbrough and West Brom on 10 points.

That’s after a battling 1-1 draw at West Brom on the opening day was followed by home wins over Reading (3-0) and Sheffield Wednesday (1-0).

Shola Ameobi scored all four goals at St James’, then came Saturday’s success at Selhurst Park, when Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor were on target.

Hughton, who has lost the man who netted at West Brom, Damien Duff, to Fulham, is now coming round to possibly extending his stay in the hot seat.

But if Alan Shearer, or anyone else come to that, gets the nod if and when a takeover occurs, Hughton will step back with quiet satisfaction.

“If I were offered the job permanently I would take it,” he said. “But if I have to hand the reins over, I would take great pride in the fact that the team is in good shape and at the right end of the table.

“It’s great to bring the feelgood factor back to the club, but that’s football. When you’re winning, there’s always a spring in everyone’s step on a Monday morning.”

Ameobi certainly believes in Hughton, who had two stints as caretaker manager at Spurs and is assisted by his former Tottenham teammate Colin Calderwood.

The 27-year-old Nigerian-born striker who came through the Toon academy ranks said: “We’re living with uncertainty, there’s a lot of turmoil upstairs, but Chris and Col (Calderwood) have done fantastic things in what is an almost impossible situation.

“They’ve really brought us together. If the owner doesn’t sell the club, he’s got two guys who can do a great job here. The players really respect and really believe in Chris and Col. They can get us back into the Premier League.

“If we can keep the core of this squad we can really do something special. I’ve seen a big response to Chris from the players, even from people you wouldn’t have assumed would respond that way.”