[Archived] Mark Hughes - Good Choice ?

[Manc Rover]

Unfortuntatley it's inveitable that he will eventually go to United. He's a red through and through and is probably the outstanding candidate for that job.

That's life!

[FourLaneBlue]

While I'm not surprised at the nationals bringing it up it does annoy me when the local rag picks up on the story and puts on their front page "I could manage Man U". Not really what the readership are wanting to hear from a local paper that makes many of its sales from the coverage of the Rovers...

Hughes : United job wouldn't faze me

[Mr. E]

First lets win the cup, and then he can leave.

[Fife Rover]

First lets win the cup, and then he can leave.

Oh no he can't!! As good as the job he has done so far goes, he is by no means finished here yet. The present squad that MH has built is very good, but it still needs a couple of tweaks. Then we could be playing in the CL instead of the EUAFA Cup. Plus winning some trophy on a regular basis could become a reality. And who knows if we then attract a benevolent type of super rich investor we COULD even get back to seriously challenging for the Prem Title. (oh happy dreams).

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

You've trophy's to be won at Ewood before you can fantisise about holding the reins at Old Trafford Mr Hughes!

[gumboots]

If you read the article in the LET he also says that's he's really excited about the squad he's got at Rovers now and is looking forward to next season. What's the guy to do? He can't say I don't want to be United manager and the prospect fills me with horror if he wants the job at some time in the future. I think he's perfectly content to learn his trade here, to build up respect and credit for being good at his job and then, at some future date he'll go. Can you honestly see United or Chelsea taking him at the moment? He's good but still relatively unproven and both the United and Chelsea managers had achieved before they moved to those jobs. Ambitious Mark Hughes certainly is but unrealistic, no.

[AlanK]

We would have to be deluded to think he won`t manage Utd at some point.

Just enjoy his time at Ewood while you can.

[blue phil]

Anything can happen in the next 5 years .

Except Ferguson leaving UTD .........

[philipl]

I enjoyed reading this profile of Mark Hughess. No doubt the sinks at Brockhall are being scrubbed by Andy Todd at this very moment.

[Philly Rover ®]

Hearing £3.3 million as the mooted fee for Santa Cruz has got me thinking about what a fantastic job Mark Hughes has done in the transfer market. I believe that his net outlay is small, but he's nonetheless managed to reshape the side with some real quality.

I've done some searching online but haven't been able to find anything, so my question is: does anyone have a list of Mark Hughes' transfers in his two and a half years at the helm? If we're able to put together an accurate list, I think we'll be astounded at his success. Here's what I could come up with (going off Soccerbase and some of my own recollections):

Out:

Neil Danns

Javier de Pedro (free)

Barry Ferguson (£4.5 million)

Ciaran Donnelly (free)

Jonathan Stead (£1.8 million)

Jay Bothroyd (end of loan)

Youri Djorkaeff (free)

Craig Short (free)

Nissa Johansson (free)

Garry Flitcroft (free)

Matt Jansen (free)

David Thompson (free)

Paul Dickov (free)

Richard Lee (end of loan)

Florent Sinama Pongolle (end of loan)

Craig Bellamy (£6 million)

Vratislav Gresko (free)

Jemal Johnson (£100,000?)

Jonathan Douglas (£100,000?)

Shefki Kuqi (£2.5 million)

Dominic Matteo (free)

Lucas Neill (£1.5 million)

Jay McEveley (£600,000)

Michael Gray (free)

Andy Todd (£750,000)

Total Out: £17,850,000

In:

Youri Djorkaeff (free)

Aaron Mokoena (£600,000)

Ryan Nelsen (free)

Robbie Savage (£3,000,000)

Richard Lee (loan)

Shefki Kuqi (free)

Craig Bellamy (£3.75 million)

Jason Brown (free)

Zurab Khizanishvili (£500,000)

Florent Sinama Pongolle (loan)

David Bentley (£1 million)

Francis Jeffers (free)

Jason Roberts (£3 million)

Benny McCarthy (£2.5 million)

Andre Ooijer (£2 million)

Stephane Henchoz (free)

David Dunn (£2.2 million)

Stephen Warnock (£1.5 million)

Christopher Samba (£400,000)

Maceo Rigters (£250,000)

Gunnar Nielsen (£100,000?)

Roque Santa Cruz (£3.3 million)

Total In: £24,100,000

Net Outlay: £6,250,000

Wow, I really got a bit carried away with that. Anyway, I figure I'm probably off a little bit, as I did guess on some of the undisclosed fees, but Hughes' net spending is probably right around that mark. I also realize that wages aren't factored into any of this, but assuming that the wage bill hasn't grown astronomically (i.e. it has only grown in the manner budgeted for, maybe a few percentage points each year), then it's incredible to note that Hughes has turned this club from a bottom end side to a UEFA Cup side for the price of one Diomansy Kamara.

[Fife Rover]

Hearing £3.3 million as the mooted fee for Santa Cruz has got me thinking about what a fantastic job Mark Hughes has done in the transfer market. I believe that his net outlay is small, but he's nonetheless managed to reshape the side with some real quality.

I've done some searching online but haven't been able to find anything, so my question is: does anyone have a list of Mark Hughes' transfers in his two and a half years at the helm? If we're able to put together an accurate list, I think we'll be astounded at his success. Here's what I could come up with (going off Soccerbase and some of my own recollections):

Out:

Neil Danns

Javier de Pedro (free)

Barry Ferguson (£4.5 million)

Ciaran Donnelly (free)

Jonathan Stead (£1.8 million)

Jay Bothroyd (end of loan)

Youri Djorkaeff (free)

Craig Short (free)

Nissa Johansson (free)

Garry Flitcroft (free)

Matt Jansen (free)

David Thompson (free)

Paul Dickov (free)

Richard Lee (end of loan)

Florent Sinama Pongolle (end of loan)

Craig Bellamy (£6 million)

Vratislav Gresko (free)

Jemal Johnson (£100,000?)

Jonathan Douglas (£100,000?)

Shefki Kuqi (£2.5 million)

Dominic Matteo (free)

Lucas Neill (£1.5 million)

Jay McEveley (£600,000)

Michael Gray (free)

Andy Todd (£750,000)

Total Out: £17,850,000

In:

Youri Djorkaeff (free)

Aaron Mokoena (£600,000)

Ryan Nelsen (free)

Robbie Savage (£3,000,000)

Richard Lee (loan)

Shefki Kuqi (free)

Craig Bellamy (£3.75 million)

Jason Brown (free)

Zurab Khizanishvili (£500,000)

Florent Sinama Pongolle (loan)

David Bentley (£1 million)

Francis Jeffers (free)

Jason Roberts (£3 million)

Benny McCarthy (£2.5 million)

Andre Ooijer (£2 million)

Stephane Henchoz (free)

David Dunn (£2.2 million)

Stephen Warnock (£1.5 million)

Christopher Samba (£400,000)

Maceo Rigters (£250,000)

Gunnar Nielsen (£100,000?)

Roque Santa Cruz (£3.3 million)

Total In: £24,100,000

Net Outlay: £6,250,000

Wow, I really got a bit carried away with that. Anyway, I figure I'm probably off a little bit, as I did guess on some of the undisclosed fees, but Hughes' net spending is probably right around that mark. I also realize that wages aren't factored into any of this, but assuming that the wage bill hasn't grown astronomically (i.e. it has only grown in the manner budgeted for, maybe a few percentage points each year), then it's incredible to note that Hughes has turned this club from a bottom end side to a UEFA Cup side for the price of one Diomansy Kamara.

This information should be classified TOP SECRET, unless of course we want to lose Mark Hughes

[John]

Bentley was £500k.... Savage said it in the Sky studio last season when they were talking about him.

I am guessing there could be add-ons though which Arsenal would have stupid not to include.

[tcj_jones]

£500k could be the best Premiership transfer deal since Anelka went for £24 million, or whatever it was. Such unbelieveably good business. I remember being unimpressed with Bentley after his first season with us and wondering whether he was worth buying. That was probably one of the worst cases of me misjudging a players ability, embarrassing really.

I really hope that we can keep Mark Hughes and John Williams together for as long as possible. This is one of the best run clubs in England.

[yankrover]

We just lost a friendly to Huddersfield. Hughes out.

[philipl]

Sparky hits absolutely the right note in setting the targets for 07/8 in these comments in the LT.

And more on the same lines from the LT

Incidentally, plaudits to the LT for having vastly improved their Rovers' coverage of late.

Edited August 7, 2007 by philipl

[thenodrog]

"I haven't got a problem with expectations and raising expectations because the supporters want to hear people being positive.

"It's very easy to underplay your chances and then hope to over-achieve.

What a contrast to so many comments attributed to our last manager who treat European and domestic cup competitions with complete disdain.

[philipl]

Click on Hughes the Daddy to see Sparky showing Roque a trick or two.

[DanLad]

Click on Hughes the Daddy to see Sparky showing Roque a trick or two.

LOL! Superb!

[thenodrog]

Click on Hughes the Daddy to see Sparky showing Roque a trick or two.

You never lose it eh?

But.....

Typical Rovers PR to show off Santa Cruz to the world's press and media with the Riverside shed in all it's glory in the background! I despair at times.

[Eddie]

You never lose it eh?

But.....

Typical Rovers PR to show off Santa Cruz to the world's press and media with the Riverside shed in all it's glory in the background! I despair at times.

Well it either had to be in front of him or behind him. Until it is improved we can't exactly hide it. Great clip though.

[roversmum]

The shed does look particularly dreadful in that clip though......

[thenodrog]

Well it either had to be in front of him or behind him. Until it is improved we can't exactly hide it. Great clip though.

eh?

Whats to stop the photgraphers assembling on the Riverside Eddie?

Edited August 15, 2007 by thenodrog

[philipl]

Covetous Manc eyes on Sparky. Sparky is already managing one of the top clubs in Europe.

[Billy Castell]

I've said no. I'm not totally against the appointment, but I just feel that the gulf in experience between Souness and Hughes is eventually going to tell. I am mentally prepared for relegation now. Anything other will be a huge bonus. I hope I can eat my words.

Before you ask I'm number 3. I have stated my reasons. This is nothing more than a cop out by the Board, it was a popularity contest rather than scouring the length and breadth of the football World to find the right man.

It reeks of a self preservation type appointment by John Williams and show him to be less of a forward moving CEO than I thought of him being.

Our club should not be the one to see if Hughes can cut it at this level. I fear relegation, and I fear the man has no savvy to rebuild this club from the grass roots level. Then again what do I know.

Good luck Mark Hughes, welcome and please save my Football Team. If you should happen to be a success, how long will you stay?

Great job??? Fight and hold their own?? against Azerbjain and N. Ireland, wow, that's me suitably impressed. Oh he NEARLY got to the Euro's it was theirs to lose and they did.

Will we all think it's so great if he NEARLY saves us from relegation.

Unfortunately for us, I think he will.

Sorry, I felt like being naughty. Couldn't find anything I wrote as I don't think I was on board at the time. I think my choices were 1. Strachan 2. Dowie 3. Hughes. And there was not much between them. Surprised at USABlue's hostility at the time.

[brfc fan]

3 years today since he became manager!