The talk seems very much about Frank Rijkaard taking over the poison chalice Chelsea hotseat in the near future and whilst I’ve seen that one coming for a while and would probably see it as an acceptable appointment (if I can get over the fact I can’t stand him as a person), there’s been another name in the press lately that’s caught my imagination – ex-Chelsea star and current Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes. Now while I appreciate this is probably just the usual press speculation, it’s got me thinking about Hughes as a real possibility.

Having earned himself some brownie points at international level during a five-year spell in charge of Wales and pretty much turning Blackburn around following his arrival there in 2004, Hughes is quietly becoming a top British manager.  Whilst Blackburn might not appear to set the world alight, guided by Sparky’s winning mentality and his sheer determination not to lose, they’ve certainly become a pretty hard team to take the points off, as Arsenal, Utd and Chelsea have found to their cost. And even with funds much more conservative than those dished out to managers at Stamford Bridge, Hughes has shown himself to be pretty shrewd in the transfer market. During his time at Blackburn, Hughes has put together a squad with proper depth and it should be noted that Blackburn aren’t just robust defensively, they also have some of the most sought after attacking players in the Premier League.

Of equal importance, is Hughes’ ability to man-manage. Not only is his ability to get the best out of his players apparent, but also, in dealing with players like Bellamy and Savage, his attention to discipline speaks for itself – not that we don’t get the odd glimpse of the old ‘Sparky’ on the touchline now and then.

Hughes would certainly be a popular choice amongst the fans as a firm favourite during his time with us as a player, and the possibility of Steve Clarke and even the legend that is Zola teaming up with him, is surely the stuff (wet) dreams are made of. And if it’s an attractive, attacking style of football Abramovich is after, he might like to observe Hughes favours playing with an attack on the wings as well as two front men - memories of the pre-Mourinho days anyone? Certainly, with the on-again-off-again plans to address our ridiculous transfer policy, maybe a change to a more British management style is the way to go.

So, in terms of meeting the necessary requirements to manage Chelsea, Hughes knows the club and has admirers on board already, he’s young and ambitious, with a strong enough personality to command the respect of even Chelsea-sized ego’s. He’s got a good record in the transfer market, is tactically astute and has the ability to both manage and motivate his players. Add to that the fact that he doesn’t feel the need to surround himself in a blaze of publicity and it’s hard to imagine why Roman isn’t banging down his door for a signature.

Of course there’s the small matter of whether a manager like Hughes would actually subject himself to the ordeal that goes with the Chelsea job. Having said that though, with the average stay usually only around the 3-year mark anyway (for those that excel of course) and Fergie considering retirement around the same time, maybe a bit of Champions League experience to add to his CV might be something worth suffering temporarily for?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCBfQeRI4FQ&hl=en]

Filed under: Rants