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The 21-year-old striker did his blossoming reputation on the pitch little harm with a creditable display on his senior England debut on Wednesday evening, and although his off-the-field problems have been well documented, speculation over his future is already mounting. But amid talk of some of the Premier League's big guns monitoring his progress, Carroll has been told that the good times he has enjoyed so far this season could just as quickly turn to bad if he does not maintain his standards. Hughton, who will hope to have his in-form frontman available for Saturday's trip to Bolton following an injury scare at the beginning of the week, said: "It's something you don't think about. "You can't afford to think about those things and the reason you don't think about them is you know what the game is. "At this moment, he is on a high. He is playing very well, he has made his England debut - but he is a striker and strikers will go through barren spells where perhaps they are not playing so well and where they are not scoring goals. "I know the ups and downs of a player, but in particular a striker, so you can't afford to think about those things. "At the moment, we have to make the most of the form he is in." Carroll's seven goals to date this season have been a major factor in the Magpies' impressive start to life back in the top flight. A return of 18 points from their opening 13 games has left them in eighth place in the table, and but for a disappointing record at home, where they have already lost three times and dropped 13 points from a possible 21, they could be significantly better off. Remarkably, their form on the road has been more impressive with victories over West Ham, Everton and Arsenal and a draw at Wolves giving them 10 points from a possible 18. They are rapidly closing in on the halfway stage in what would represent a total for survival, although Hughton is well aware of how quickly the momentum has slipped away from the likes of promoted sides Hull and Burnley in recent seasons after excellent starts. He said: "You have to go into each game and trying to get points from each game. "In a league where there have been surprises this season, those surprises have come because teams have gone to places believing they can get something. "You see Sunderland going to Chelsea at the weekend, us going to the Emirates, West Brom going to the Emirates - you just have to believe you can get something from wherever you go. "I don't think you can go into any game with fear. Irrespective of the team you go into the game with and your position in the league, you have to believe you can get a result anywhere. "We have been good away from home - that has been a particular strength of ours this season. "But we know what we are up against, so it will be a very, very tough one, but we have to go there with a good spirit and in confident mood." Newcastle will head for the Reebok Stadium hopeful of extending their promising run away from St James' Park against Owen Coyle's side, who are currently enjoying the dizzy heights of fifth place. Hughton said: "They are playing as well as any team in the country at the moment. "They are capable of scoring goals, he is getting the best out of the players he has got and hence the position they are in and the run they are on."
