Mark Hughes Quits Fulham

[dave.woodhall]

I honestly think Randy has enough class about him that he wouldn't be a shit about it.

When push came to shove.....

Ged left, and not willingly by the looks of it. Randy may not be Sullivan or gold, but he can still get what he wants.

[hilts_coolerking]

Percy, Benitez and Ancelotti ARE better managers than Mark Hughes. That is a fact. They are only 3 years his senior and have both won trophies. The fact they have both won trophies in 2 countries is even more impressive. Both have won domestic leagues. The best Hughes has done is 6th, and had the opportunity to push on at City and in reality didn't take it, was a little unlucky but go the boot from the big time.

The argument of whether Hughes may be better for Villa in certain circumstances is totally valid, but to judge a guy on how good he is you look at his achievements. Just like you look at a forward and see goal ratios.

Thank you.

[D.boy]

I think Randy has a stronger backbone than some give him credit for. Just because he doesn't mouth of in the press doesn't mean he is weak.

[TheSandman]

Percy, Benitez and Ancelotti ARE better managers than Mark Hughes. That is a fact. They are only 3 years his senior and have both won trophies. The fact they have both won trophies in 2 countries is even more impressive. Both have won domestic leagues. The best Hughes has done is 6th, and had the opportunity to push on at City and in reality didn't take it, was a little unlucky but go the boot from the big time.

The argument of whether Hughes may be better for Villa in certain circumstances is totally valid, but to judge a guy on how good he is you look at his achievements. Just like you look at a forward and see goal ratios.

Ancelotti I'd give you.

Three years ago I'd give you Rafa. Now I'm not so sure.

[Summers]

Jesus. Things getting crazy. Hughes has quit, but we've said we haven't spoken to him and he says he's spoken to no one. Honestly, it seems like Hughes isn't coming to us. Chelsea sounds possible, but would be a shock. Surely he has something lined up, otherwise I'm confident he wouldn't walk away.

If we're lucky, we'll get Ancelotti. That'd be the perfect appointment - but there is every chance (rightfully) he'd turn us down. If he did, the only reason we shouldn't consider Hughes is the fact he just easily left Fulham (and that may well be for us, anyway). If Hughes is available, Ancelotti turns us down, and we don't go for Hughes we may end up McClaren or Curbs.

[mcgrath_85]

What a terribly exhausting day. I resigned myself to Hughes, spoke of how he'd  bring us stability and build for the future, being a relatively young manager. I don't think he'll be a bad appointment, but to have the chance of bringing a bloke like Ancelotti to the club would be such a great statement that we mean effin business.
It could be the start of something fantastic. I really hope he wants to be part of Aston Villa.
If he's not and does turn out to be the Welshman, then I'll revert back to telling my mates and myself what I wrote in the first couple of sentences.

I must admit, it's all rather exciting...and infuriating for that matter. Nobody knows what's going on, other than Randy and the board.

Good evening.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

For the record, I wasn't implying Randy was weak, or lacking a backbone. I LIKE how he goes about his work it's important that Aston Villa act with dignity and class

[Greg N'Ash]

I love it how hughes is suddenly a better manager than CL/double winners. If he's that good he wouldn't have been at Fulham.

[The Situation]

Randy is alpha as fuk



Swagga is off the charts

[Dave]

I love it how hughes is suddenly a better manager than CL/double winners.

Which once again, is something that nobody, anywhere has said.

[pauliewalnuts]

I love it how hughes is suddenly a better manager than CL/double winners. If he's that good he wouldn't have been at Fulham.

I know it is all about opinions, but it is pretty hard to see how anyone could argue that Hughes is a better manager than either Benitez or Ancelotti.

[Greg N'Ash]

oh i'm sorry. A better manager for villa, whatever that means

[themossman]

But did Randy slap his helmet on Kenwright's desk?

[adrenachrome]

Grauniad

 

Mark Hughes leaves Fulham but Aston Villa do not want him as manager

• Hughes activates break clause to leave Craven Cottage
• Aston Villa unimpressed by course of events

    Stuart James, Jamie Jackson and David Hytner
    guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 June 2011 23.00 BST


Mark Hughes will not be the new Aston Villa manager, despite walking out on Fulham on Thursday night. The Welshman had been the favourite to succeed Gérard Houllier but Villa, unimpressed with the course of events that culminated in Hughes activating a break clause in his contract and leaving Fulham, have turned their attention elsewhere. Hughes has been left without a club and Martin Jol and Steve McClaren are at the top of Villa's short list.

In a further twist Jol and McClaren, who are out of work and eager to return to employment in the Premier League, will also be leading candidates to take over at Craven Cottage, where Hughes had been expected to sign an improved two-year contract. Martin O'Neill, a former Villa manager, will be another major contender for that post.

Mohamed Al Fayed, the Fulham chairman, was furious after Hughes activated the break clause and tendered his resignation. A Fulham spokesperson said: "The chairman became increasingly annoyed by Mark positioning himself for another club, whilst still negotiating with us, and having agreed terms."

Fayed was, however, ready to extend Hughes's deal. One view from sources at the club is that contract talks with Hughes fell apart when Fulham felt unable to match the fees demanded by his representative, Kia Joorabchian.

Villa's reluctance to move for Hughes comes as something of a surprise. He has been the frontrunner for the Villa post since it emerged this week that Houllier would be stepping down on health grounds. Villa, however, told Fulham that they would not be making an approach for Hughes in the hours before his decision to leave.

The Midlands club have since made it clear that their stance has not changed after Hughes's departure from Fulham. It is understood they would have grave reservations about appointing the former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City manager because of how his departure from Fulham has been handled.

Hughes, who is on holiday in Dubai, said in a statement: "I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that neither myself nor my representative have approached or have been approached by another club. This decision to leave Fulham has not been influenced by any outside party."

When Villa parted company with Houllier on Wednesday evening, Fulham believed that Hughes would stay loyal to them, as Fayed had done with him on Boxing Day, when the Craven Cottage crowd had called for Hughes's sacking after a 3-1 home defeat by West Ham United that dropped the club into the relegation zone. Hughes's new contract had even gone to the lawyers, with the terms and conditions agreed, in readiness for his signature.

Yet in the hours that followed Villa's announcement of Houllier's departure, Hughes went cold on Fulham – and nobody at the London club considered the two events to be unrelated. What Fulham could not understand, however, was that Paul Faulkner, the Villa chief executive, had made it clear to Alistair Mackintosh, his counterpart at Craven Cottage, with whom he gets on well, that Villa did not want Hughes. The Welshman, who describes himself as an ambitious young manager, may have taken a leap of faith as there was a deadline of midnight on Wednesday on the activation of his break clause. The clause permits him to walk away from the club as a free agent at the end of June. Premier League rules prevent him or his representative from contacting or being contacted by other clubs until after that.

His back-room entourage, which includes Mark Bowen, Eddie Niedzwiecki, Glyn Hodges and Kevin Hitchcock, remain under contract at Fulham for another year, with no break clauses in their deals.

Fulham accepted Hughes's resignation and their impression was that he thought he would get the Villa job, despite the assurances they had received from Faulkner that he would not. Fayed is clear that there is no way back for Hughes at the club. "Roy Hodgson appreciated the club after he had left and [Fayed] believes Mark will do the same," a spokesperson said.

Villa say they have an open mind about filling their vacancy. Speculation that Carlo Ancelotti is among their leading candidates is wide of the mark, however. The former Chelsea manager has not received any contact from Villa and he is known to have no interest in the position. Ancelotti, according to sources close to the Italian, is holding out for a club that can offer Champions League football. Roberto Martínez, the Wigan Athletic manager, has, however, emerged as an outsider for the Villa post.

O'Neill, who has been out of work since leaving Villa last August, is the bookmakers' favourite for the Fulham jobAs well as Jol and McClaren, other names likely to feature on Fulham's shortlist may include Gianfranco Zola, the former West Ham manager, and Chris Hughton, who led Newcastle United back to the Premier League at the first attempt before being sacked in December. Jol had been Fulham's No1 target last summer, ahead of Hughes, and he had wanted to come. He was blocked by his then club, Ajax.

[hilts_coolerking]

I love it how hughes is suddenly a better manager than CL/double winners.

Which once again, is something that nobody, anywhere has said.

No but some - well, one - has been taking great exception to my saying that he is not.