New era at the Britannia
Former Wales manager Mark Hughes was today revealed as the new manager of Stoke City on a 3-year contract, just six months after parting ways with QPR.
The news has been met with a mixed reaction from fans after long-serving boss Tony Pulis vacated the position last week following seven years at the helm. Pulis has consistently kept Stoke out of the relegation firing line since the club gained promotion to the Premier League in 2008 and some Potters fans fear that the appointment of Hughes will waste the years of good work laid down by fellow Welshman Pulis.
The assumption of some that Hughes will lead Stoke into trouble is solely based on his ill-fated spell at Queens Park Rangers. Having taken Wales to the brink of Euro 2004 qualification, the ex-Manchester United striker delved into the world of club management with Blackburn Rovers and he took the Ewood Park outfit to three top-ten finishes out of the four seasons he presided over.
His team had a poor disciplinary record and that rough-and-tumble approach was a huge part of his tactical masterplan to allow Rovers to compete within the top half of the league, though they often produced some decent football during his tenure. His successful time in charge of Blackburn opened the door for a move to ambitious club Manchester City, where Hughes spent 18 months before new owners gave him his marching orders.
Hughes bounced back a few months later at Craven Cottage with Fulham and his solitary season at the west London club resulted in an 8th-place finish and a spot in the Europa League via the Fair Play league, showing that the he'd learned enough in management to allow his side to be competitive without resorting to underhand tactics.
Fulham owner Al-Fayed wanted him to stay on, but Hughes said his ambition was forcing his hand in leaving his role with the Cottagers and he handed in his resignation before seeking a new position.
There were widespread rumours of interest in his services from both Aston Villa and Chelsea, but nothing materialised and six months on he somewhat surprisingly pitched up at QPR. Despite the rich ownership of the club, the R's were in serious relegation strife and Hughes kept them up, as was his brief.
During his first summer with Rangers, Hughes spent money on a wide variety of new signings and they failed to gel spectacularly. Having gone 12 league matches without victory, Sparky was released from his duties and replaced by Harry Redknapp, who could not save the club from relegation.
Apart from that spell at Loftus Road, Hughes has a decent overall record in management and has gone from encouraging a rather rough approach at Blackburn to a more stylish brand of football with the likes of Manchester City and Fulham. His record in the transfer market was decent with Rovers and Fulham, but some of his signings at City and especially QPR were questionable at best.
However, if he gets Stoke playing a nicer version of football and pushes them on to a top half position in the Premier League, then few fans will be unhappy at his presence at the helm.
The key to success at the Britannia Stadium will be to allow the players to express themselves more freely, while still retaining that hard edge that Stoke have displayed under Tony Pulis for many years. He will also have to hold on to star players such as Shawcross and build a team around them with astute buys, something he hasn't always been able to do everywhere he has been.
There's no doubting the uncertain nature of this period in the Potteries, as with a new manager invariably comes a new identity for the team and they will be a club under construction for a while before Hughes can finally say he's put his own stamp on the way he wants the team to look and perform.
If the new man can repeat previous feats with Blackburn and Fulham, then all doubts will be quickly dispelled amongst supporters and observers alike.
Twitter: @davewh1980
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