So the craziness of football management goes on with owners/chairmen always having the power to state 'it is a decision that hasn't been taken lightly, but it is felt that this is the right time for change'. The words are always the same, the personnel are usually different.
So we have the case of Queens Park Rangers deciding to replace Neil Warnock. As is always the case in such situations, the negative aspects of Warnock's tenure will be pointed out and an early optimism will prevail as a 'better' candidate enters the fray. If only it were so simple. Modern day football sees that it is the players who hold all the cards, the same players who were being praised for their performances in the 'good times' are now, for whatever reasons, not pulling their weight for the manager who brought them to the club.
Neil Warnock isn’t exactly Marmite - he is more a Brussel Sprout with only the staunch traditionalists defending him....but took QPR up, automatically, into the Premiership last year for the first time in 15 years, when working under very difficult circumstances. His target would have been to keep them in the Premier league, but started off with a disastrous summer when speculation on the sale of the club prevented him strengthening the squad.
In the end he had 10 days left to wheel and deal in the transfer market, to get a squad together that is still outside of the relegation zone. It would have been expected, given his achievement so far at the club, that he'd have been given at least one season in the top flight.
However there is very little loyalty in football anymore and no money in loyalty.
Tony Fernandes is a very ambitious man and no dreams are achieved without a gamble. It is his money that has been spent, and will be spent, and he clearly wants better than he has.
The question is ' Will he be getting that with Mark Hughes?' Well there are a number of highly respected journalists falling over themselves to tell you what a great appointment it is. This is of course the man who paired Roque Santa Cruz and David Bentley and inspired them to their finest seasons. He also bought the former for over £20million whilst at Manchester City ... and didn’t get much back.
In his 5 years with Wales he did not manage to get them to qualify for Euro 2004.
He then joined Blackburn Rovers and managed to keep them clear of relegation in his first season. He then got them into Europe in his second season, finshed 10th in his third season and finally seventh in his final season. In each of these 4 seasons his side finished bottom of the Premier League disciplinary table and were widely accused of being 'over physical' and 'dirty'.
Cesc Fabregas’ high profile confrontation with the Blackburn boss questioned if he had learned anything in his time at Barcelona about the true values of football. Hughes was at pains to point out his financial constraints.
And then it happened. Hughes had his chance to prove Fabregas and all his doubters wrong. The Nou Camp at the Blue Camp? No.
Manchester City acquired his services, but he stayed there only 18 months. His first season saw City finish 10th and he was then allowed by the new owners to invest heavily in the squad. However, with only 2 wins in 11 matches, Hughes was sacked in December 2009.
Joining Fulham in 2010, he led them to 8th in the Premier League before resigning after less than 11 months at the club citing 'ambition' as the reason for wanting to move on.The Fulham owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed responded by calling him a 'strange man' and a 'flop'.
There are no guarantees in football. And the cheque guarantee is out of date.
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