I adore the both of them to bits. But if am force to choose between one of them as the future United manager, I'd deffo' go with Sparky.
Sparky entered a rudderless club in disarray when Graeme Souness departed Ewood Park for Newcastle United early in the 2004-5 campaign. Indeed, Blackburn lay slumped without a win in 4 games when Hughes was appointed on September 15th. Instantly, he guided the Lancashire outfit to a win over Portsmouth. Yet he still had a ship to steady, but hitherto has masterminded and revived the club's fortunes in much the same way he did with the Welsh international team in the years prior to arriving at Blackburn.
The club's latin motto translates as ‘by skill and hard work', attributes one would associate with Hughes in his playing days, and he began to imprint them on his team. The following season Blackburn finished in 6th place and European football was ensured. The signing of Craig Bellamy was a masterstroke: a player notorious within the media for having a lot of baggage, the striker hit 17 goals under his old international manager with few problems, proving that Hughes, who learnt his trade under Sir Alex Ferguson as a player, showed he had picked up a thing or two with regards to discipline. Post Christmas 2005, they won 13 of their last 20 games and picked up the home scalps of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.
While the season after Blackburn had to rely on the Intertoto Cup as a European route following a respectable 10th placed finish, 1 defeat in the first 11 Premiership games in 2007-8 shows that Hughes is doing something right again.
He has turned Rovers around completely, moulding old fashioned grit with a plethora of attacking talent in the space of 3 years. In terms of signings, Hughes has frequently dipped into the market and found gems oozing with class, and nearly all have been exemplary finds for any aspiring manager at bargain prices; Benni McCarthy, brought in to replace Bellamy, hit 24 goals in all competitions last season while Christopher Samba has proved an absolute steal at £400,000 to complement Ryan Nelsen in defence, picked up on a free transfer.
There have been others; Hughes virtually acquired a new player when he reignited Morten Gamst Pedersen's confidence on the left flank, while David Bentley, signed for around £3.5m from Arsenal, complements the Norwegian beautifully. The two wingers are a joy to watch, both capable of scoring, consistently landing the ball in the danger zone, a frequently devastating threat from set plays and generally wreaking havoc in and around opposing defences. The additions of Stephen Warnock and Roque Santa Cruz also look like excellent forays into the market.
The way in which Matt Derbyshire burst onto the scene in the 2006-7 season has further reinforced the manager's canny judgment. His relationship and popularity with the board and fans are first rate, and while he has been linked with a host of once vacant jobs, such as Tottenham recently and Manchester City through the Summer, his loyalty has been commendable. Surely, however, it can only be a matter of time before Hughes is destined for bigger things, which is our beloved United.
