MARK Hughes would be taking the biggest gamble of his life if he walks out on Blackburn to join Newcastle.

He has spent the last three-and-a-half years at Ewood Park building a reputation as one of the game's most forward-thinking managers. He has taken Rovers into Europe twice and has put together a squad many believe is the best in the club's history.

He has also been touted as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Old Trafford - a true measure of the job he has done at Ewood Park.

So why blow it all by stepping into the managerial graveyard that is Newcastle United? It's not so much a hot-seat, rather a seat from hell.

The job comes with ridiculous expectations from fans who haven't seen a proper trophy for almost 40 years. Three consecutive defeats equates to the last rites on Tyneside.

Many of the game's biggest names - Ruud Gullit, Kenny Dalglish, Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness - have all tried, and perished at the club with delusions of grandeur.

Hughes still has a lot of work to do at Ewood. He has a squad capable of breaking into the Premiership's top four if he's given the funds to fuel his ambition.

And he's at a club where he'll be allowed to develop and nurture his talent. The one strike and you're out' mentality that is tearing the Premiership apart will never be seen at Ewood Park.

It's a no-brainer, Sparky. You must stay.