Hughes may need to change style â Parker 10/01/2012 by David McIntyre Ex-QPR and England star Paul Parker believes his former team-mate Mark Hughes may have to adjust his style if he is to succeed at Loftus Road. Parker knows the Welshman well, having playing alongside him for Manchester United after leaving west London in 1991. And he insists the sometimes aloof Hughes will find managing Rangers a very different type of assignment to his last job at Fulham. âQPR are in a precarious position and need to dig themselves out of it, but âSparkyâ doesnât lose many battles,â Parker told West London Sport. âHe inspired Blackburn after taking over from Graeme Souness and will be looking to do the same at Rangers. Itâs a great chance for him.â Parker, who started his career with Fulham, added: âWhen you manage QPR youâre part of a community as well as being a manager. âI hope Sparky appreciates that and is open, comes out and speaks to people. Heâll need to engage the fans. âHeâs managed Fulham but I can say that QPR is 100% a totally different club to Fulham â and heâll find that. âFulham donât have the same mentality or hardcore of fans as QPR. At Rangers you find loads of fans who were there way before I played there and can tell you everything about that club. âItâs a proper club â a smaller version of Man United in that sense. Fulham is a different type of club and the QPR way is something I hope Sparky embraces. âIâve always likened QPR to West Ham, who were my local team. Theyâre similar sorts of clubs. âItâs a great chance for him there and Iâve love to see him do well because I love QPR â itâs always them I look out for first.â Hughes, 48, is remembered by many Râs fans for his bruising â and sometimes controversial â encounters with Parker, Danny Maddix and in particular Alan McDonald during the 80s and 90s. He also played for Rangersâ local rivals Chelsea, but Parker believes supporters will be keen to get behind the new man. âSparkyâs got a reputation from when he was a player and heâs got to earn the respect of QPR fans,â he said. âA lot of Rangers fans donât like him because they accuse him of getting Alan McDonald sent off [in an FA Cup tie in 1989]. âBut results make all the difference and theyâll of course give him an opportunity if things go well.â Hughesâ appointment was confirmed within 48 hours of Neil Warnockâs sacking. He met the players for the first time at Rangersâ Harlington training ground on Tuesday afternoon. And with the Râs having recently been linked with the likes of Chris Samba, Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora, Parker suspects the ex-Manchester City boss was lined up by majority shareholder Tony Fernandes some time ago. âHe must have been in the thoughts of Tony Fernandes,â Parker said. âYou look at the players QPR have been linked with over the last six to eight weeks and theyâve mostly been at Blackburn or Fulham â players whoâve played under him before. âIt may be a pure coincidence, but it seems very strange to me. It suggests to me that Fernandes wanted Mark Hughes all along.â He added: âTony Fernandes is all about big names. He wants big-name players and a big-name manager. âAnd for quite a small club, Rangers has always been a very good club â a top club in London for many years â and will feel theyâre back where they belong now. âBut you have to earn the right to sign big players. You first have to consolidate in the Premier League and once that happens, Iâm sure players will want to go to QPR because itâs a good club. âItâs also a club in the best part of London. Players from up north and outside England will want to live around west London rather than anywhere else, so Sparkyâs got a great opportunity.â http://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/hughes-may-need-to-change-style-parker/? Nice to hear from good old Paul Parker. Should know what he talks about after playing for all of QPR, Fulham and Chelsea. Played with Mark Hughes at both Manchester United and Chelsea. Should put some of the Foolham fans to rest, nuff said.
I know you've highlighted it already Norway, but this is so good, I have to highlight it all over again! "Fulham donât have the same mentality or hardcore of fans as QPR. At Rangers you find loads of fans who were there way before I played there and can tell you everything about that club. Itâs a proper club (QPR) â a smaller version of Man United in that sense..." There you go, little ManU, that's us! If Paul Parker knows the score, how come we keep having to clue so many outsiders up so often? Just can't accept the truth can they?!!
I love the fulham bit, he doesnt let back there and hes totally right, they arent a "proper" football club.
I liked it so much that I've just read it twice, especially love the part which you've highlighted Brix. Fantastic article. Mini Man U? Not sure about that bit though. Good 'ol Paul Parker, he was always a favourite down at LR.
Brixton, why didn't the headline change show on the front page? Can you fix this as surely it would get the views and debate it deserve?
You chose the title didn't you Norway? Once they're in place they can't be edited unfortunately. Only thing I can do is start another thread with a more poignant title and then try and merge the two threads with mine taking priority. Could work but might fail since merges are about posts going in chronological order. Do you want me to give it a try?
Yeah, bad choice made, should have gone for a more tabloid headline! Sure, give it a go. This is to much fun and don't deserve a silent death.
No chance. But without Northolt to bail me out - and a new mod to blood - I've learnt stuff in the last couple of weeks I was always duff at before. Amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it innit!
You're an absolute legend for what you do on this site Brix! It's the first thing i check when i wake up and the last i go through before i go to bed, brilliant. Not sure if i'm allowed to ask?? But am i reading to much into you're reply, are Northolt involved in some sence? Don't have to answer if you mind.
This is exactly what I mean about Hughes - he is glum and schtum. That's what worries me. I don't know if he knows how to really open himself up, he's been pretty dull in most of his interviews which can be seen as lack of verve and enthusiasm, and if that's the way he speaks to his players, they'll just ignore him, especially Adel.
"This is not going down well in the foolham fourm" hahahahhahaha. Well, what can you expect from a team wth a statue of Michael jackson outside their ground.
