Mark Hughes was a slow starter at Fulham but brought touch of Barcelona to the training ground

Candidate: Mark Hughes is one contender to take over at Fulham
11 April 2012

Iain Dowie knows the ins and outs of Queens Park Rangers better than most, and the former boss at Loftus Road believes Mark Hughes' credentials make the Welshman an ideal replacement for Neil Warnock.

Dowie, the former QPR defender who as manager fell victim to the turbulent regime headed by Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, said: "Mark Hughes would be a very safe pair of hands. Mark comes with his team, he's got Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki. They would be well-placed, I think they live in the London area, so they tick the boxes."

But do they? A glance at supporter website message boards reveals that Hughes would be a popular choice to lead QPR away from their perilous position just above the Premier League relegation zone, given what, on the face of it, is his solid managerial record with Wales, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Fulham.

Perhaps, however, those same fans should be careful what they wish for. If, as expected, Hughes is appointed as QPR's new manager by chairman Tony Fernandes within the next 24 hours, the 48-year-old will have to be quick out of the starting blocks.

But Hughes' record in charge at Fulham, his most recent job, suggests he is more of a marathon man than a sprinter.

Having taken the reins at Craven Cottage from Roy Hodgson in July 2010, it took Hughes four Premier League matches to achieve his first win. After 10 games he had won just twice and drawn six times. Even given the injury problems that plagued Fulham in the first half of that season, more was expected of the new man.

Equate that run to QPR's plight and 12 points from their next 10 games would do little to ease relegation concerns. And those 10 fixtures include a difficult test away at Newcastle on Sunday and a home game on 25 February to a Fulham side that will want to do no favours for a man who walked away from the Cottage after just 11 months haughtily claiming "my ambition for where I wanted to take the club was not matched".

This was the same Fulham taken to a club record seventh place in the Premier League, and the final of the Europa League, by Hughes' rather more grounded predecessor, Roy Hodgson. How QPR would settle for Hodgson's success right now.

Fulham, under Hodgson, were organised with military precision. Players would come away from repetitive training sessions complaining of boredom, but readily conceding they were prepared to put up with the manager's methodical methods for as long as they brought results.

Unlike Hodgson, Hughes was not hands-on on the training pitch, leaving much of the day-to-day coaching to his close-knit backroom team of Mark Bowen, Glyn Hodges, Kevin Hitchcock and Eddie Niedzwiecki. But his methods earned him respect, even if his quiet, slightly menacing character, won little affection.

QPR's roster may be interested in what Diomansy Kamara had to say a couple of months into Hughes' reign. The striker observed: "We play more attacking football now, so for me it is better.

"There is no fault with Roy Hodgson, he did really well here, but training with Mark Hughes is better. You do more with the ball. You do more running with the ball, and you are trying to score."

Eidur Gudjohnsen went as far as to compare Fulham under Hughes to the Barcelona side for whom Hughes appeared during the late eighties. The Icelander said: "I'm sure you take things from your playing career into management. The training sessions reflect that.

"There is high intensity and possession play, that is the same as at Barcelona."

Fernandes may, indeed, harbour fanciful ambitions to establish QPR as the Barcelona of north London, playing exciting, expansive football at a sparkling new stadium. But first and foremost Premier League survival, not certain under Warnock who banked just two points from his last eight games, is essential.

To achieve it, Fernandes will have to place faith in a Hughes wish-list that is likely to include rugged centre-back Christopher Samba, who he originally signed for Blackburn Rovers, and Chelsea discard Alex.

Not all of Hughes' big-money signings with Manchester City were successful, but he notably brought Mousa Dembele to Fulham for £5 million, a bargain considering the Belgian international with the dazzling footwork is now thought to be a £10 million target for Tottenham Hotspur.

Hughes, whose attacking style at least saw Fulham among the goals, may also go back to his old club for Bobby Zamora in a bid to address QPR's second worst scoring record in the Premier League of 19 strikes.

What is certain is that those few hairs Hughes possesses that are not already grey are likely to go the way of their brothers if the anticipated appointment is made. Will he become a devoted follower of habitual Twitterer Joey Barton, and will he fall foul of the enigmatic Abel Taarabt?

More importantly, will he get quick points on the board? Down the road at Craven Cottage, they will be watching with more than passing interest.

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