Wednesday 11 January 2012

Mark Hughes and QPR

One of the least earth-shaking pieces of recent football news was the decision of Queen's Park Rangers to dispense with the services of Neil Warnock, followed by the swift enlistment of Mark Hughes as his successor.

What was the thinking behind this change at the helm at Loftus Road?

One of the salient factors would have been the realisation that relegation was looking a distinct possibility, and that the position would probably only deteriorate if the status quo was allowed to persist. Making the switch now at least gives the new man the opportunity to assess the playing talent at his disposal, and strengthen the squad during the transfer window.

Why Mark Hughes, or somebody of his ilk?  There is a perception within the game that the Welshman is a "big name", with the cachet to invigorate the club, and to attract "big name" players.  Also, recruiting Hughes fits in with QPR's self-image as a club going places and ascending the footballing pecking order.

It is also true to say that Hughes has ample untapped potential, and can develop in parallel with the club. Whether he will be given sufficient time to realise his potential in West London remains to be seen...

The first task of the new boss looks like being to guide Rangers away from the drop zone between now and May.

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