Wednesday, June 4, 2008

England: Hughes Heads to Man City

Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes took the same position at Manchester City today, replacing Sven-Goran Eriksson. I'm not convinced this is much of a job upgrade for Hughes; Blackburn finished two positions and three points ahead of Man City this season, although Hughes' new squad will be headed to next year's UEFA Cup thanks to the UEFA Fair Play slot. The bigger issue is meddlesome owner Thaksin Shinawatra.

Eriksson's first season in charge was widely considered a successful one, with Man City sweeping their crosstown rivals United and staying in contention for a European berth. But despite the pleas of the fans, Shinawatra was unimpressed with Eriksson's efforts, eventually driving the Swede to Mexico where he'll serve as the head coach of the national side. If a coach with Eriksson's credentials can't earn the owner's respect, one wonders what sort of uphill battle Hughes will be facing.

Hughes' name was mentioned in connection with the opening at Chelsea. Readers of The Guardian think he could have made a better career move, with two-thirds thinking it was the wrong choice as of Wednesday night.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think its the potential at Eastlands that has drawn Hughes to Man City and not current form or position. I think Man City have more money to spent than Rovers.