TacticalBet's Analysis : Has 'Sparky' Lost His Spark?

Mark Hughes has enjoyed a hugely successful career to date, both as a player - winning 2 Premierships and 4 FA Cups - and latterly as a manager with the Welsh national team, Blackburn and Manchester City. Yet, after an un-inspiring season in charge of Fulham which ended in an acrimonious exit, and now struggling to ignite a QPR survival bid, is he starting to struggle as a manager?

In a four year spell at Blackburn in the top flight Hughes earned a 43% win record, exceptionally high for a club of Blackburn's stature, and took them as far as the last 32 in the UEFA Cup, and also an FA Cup run which saw them miss out on a place in the final only in extra-time, to Chelsea. Following this, the man affectionately known as 'Sparky' joined newly funded Man City, and despite being sacked he left with a credible record in charge, winning nearly half his games in charge in an 18 month tenure. So, upon joining Fulham at the start of the last campaign, everybody had high hopes for the club with a manager intend on proving what he'd already shown was exactly what he was capable of, and more. Where did it all go wrong? At Fulham Hughes never settled, drawing more games than he won. Although they did finish 8th, it was by no means a great season, yet the foundations were laid for an improvement and a push on towards the continental places. He verbally agreed to sign a contract extension, but bizarrely left under a week later meaning he'd been at Craven Cottage just 11 months. This, it appears, is the main turning point in both his abilities, and his reputation. After being branded a 'flop' and a 'strange man' by Fulham chairman Al-Fayed, there was much talk that Hughes would fail to land another top job.

So, last month he returned to management, signing a two and a half year contract to manage in London again, this time for Queens Park Rangers. Despite a string of signings, QPR have really struggled under Hughes. While England international Bobby Zamora was a coup for him, a lack of discipline including two first half red cards, along with a equally alarming lack of midfield creativity, means Rangers are just outside the relegation places with just only 12 games remaining. It is clear that Hughes has dropped a significant level, a slow decline which peaked at him chasing the Champions League with Man City, to fighting relegation with QPR. Hughes must arrest this slide, rediscover his 'spark' or he could well find himself a Championship manager come the end of the season, or worse still out of a job.

HA