Jonas Gutierrez said: "Thank you Chris Hughton for believing in us when nobody believed in us."
But what brought about the worst display by a Newcastle side this season?
The 3-1 defeat at the Hawthorns was not the worst result ... but it was by far the most gutless performance since we were relegated at Villa Park two season's ago.
That was the day the big star signings threw in the towel - led by the biggest parasite of them all - Michael Owen.
And on Sunday the echoes were there for all to see. Hughton could not inspire them and that was why the players were kept in the dressing room for an hour after the game.
The players normally do it themselves after a bad result, but Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton (the ring leaders) played no part in the game against West Brom, and Hughton had to do it alone.
Had he lost the dressing room?
I don't think he did. It was a gutless performance and only the players can answer the question "why?".
Quite why Mike Ashley felt the need to sack Hughton, maybe we'll never know, as he's never done a single interview since buying the club.