Morning everyone, I have posted a few times on why I think Hughes should and will stay this summer. However, word up here in Birmingham is that Houllier is leaving Villa by 'mutual consent,' due largely to his health not allowing him to return to the dugout. http://www.birminghammail.net/news/...-leave-club-by-mutual-consent-97319-28792703/ All of sudden, this leaves the alarm bells ringing about sparky, as I fear he will be a top target for villa and may be tempted due to what could be a bigger transfer budget, not to mention are bigger ground and fan base. Villa are a big club up here and sparky may feel he has what it takes to get them back to at least the top six where they will feel they belong. I know they're not one of the very top teams in the league and I personally think he will be better waiting for a bigger offer to arrive, with a very outside chance of going doing the road to that team in fulham broadway. However, I hope I'm just being premature and he'll be true to his word and stay at the cottage.
I pretty much echo your thoughts Robes. Though Sparky hasn't got it bad here - Europa next season, good infrastructure - I couldn't put my hand on my heart and say he'd turn down the Villa job. I just hope (like I and others have said) that he sees that Fulham are a good project and that he's got a good thing going.
I don't buy this whole 'bigger club, bigger stadium, bigger fanbase etc' Leeds are a bigger club than us, but would Hughes join them? I don't think so. Villa finished below us next season and are not in Europe whereas we are. Europa gets you noticed on the big stage, which is exactly what Hughes wants. Villa pushed above their weight under MON as he spent a heck of a lot of money. I really don't see why everyone is looking at Villa as a huge threat.
I certainly don't think Hughes would leave because Villa "are a bigger club". I also don't think he'd leave for a supposed bigger transfer budget, as Villa seem to be in a sell to buy position like us. I do, however, see Hughes leaving for Villa if they offer him a pay rise back towards his City days. He (and his backroom staff) took a paycut to be here; I would not be surprised if he left to join a club who massively overpays its staff.
IMO, Villa is a bigger club, occupying that rung below the big five with Everton, Tottenham and Newcastle (if it can every get its act together). But while I'm willing to concede Villa's bigger, I wouldn't concede that its a better opportunity for Hughes. To me, unless he's offered a management post at a big five club, I don't see the move as worth the effort. Villa's bigger, but not that much bigger. *** Danger - Wild speculation ahead *** Success at Fulham over the next few years puts Hughes in line for his dream job - Alex Ferguson's position. To me, it's either Hughes of David Moyes who's next likely manager of ManU. I'd say Moyes has the edge in success (plus he's Scottish), but Hughes already has experience with ManU as a player.
I think once again we are faced with the same dilema- despite being to be honest a good team- better than Villa arguably, we are a much smaller side, and inevitably this leads to people and players eing much more likely to play for Villa than for us. This is always going to be a problem, even though i feel in the last couple of years we have shown we are a force to be reckoned with. In this materialistic world people are always going to want to be associated with a team like, say, Villa or arguably Newcastle if they get their act together financially, tha they will fulham. Lets hope Mark feels differently
It's less relevant with managers, I think, but it's worth saying that being a London client helps when we are competing with Newcastle and Villa. I also think it's rather soon for Hughes to consider Old Trafford having "slept with the enemy" as it were, down at the City of Manchester Stadium...
I'm inclined to agree with Bandit and othes that Villa are a bigger club, but they're not that much bigger nor much more attractive. Didn't Martin O'Neil leave because he wasn't given any (or many) transfer funds? Has the owner's financial situation changed so much that the new manager will be guaranteed a big budget? Plus, as others have said, Villa aren't in Europe and we are and I agree with Surlyc that geography plays a part, at least to the extent that MH and his team have just settled in London and they (or at least Mrs Hughes) won't want the upheval of another move half way across the country (and out of the Kings Road!) I also think we have a lot in our favour. Yes, we're small but MAF is a famously hands off owner and, as MH has said many times, the set up behind the scenes is exceptionally good. I think he's got something good going here and I think he knows it. When he arrived he didn't seem like the natural fit with Fulham that Roy did but as the season went on, and his predictions of improvement were proved true he grew in confidence and in commitment to the club. Suddenly he was using a lot of phrases beginning "My team..." and "We...." and his actions spoke even louder than his words (as they certainly did when he was player!) There was a lot of impassioned striding about the technical area, not to mention the Wolves water bottle incident. Hopefully he's learned from his own mistake in going to Man City and Roy's mistake in going to Liverpool and knows that the pitch isn't always greener. However, as Gilly and others have said, ultimately it may all come down to money and it would be a shame to see him leave what's he's started so promisingly just for a bigger pay packet.
I understand that clubs must be measured predominantly on success, and with us being in europe and having finished above villa, albeit by only one place, there is a case to suggest that villa are not really bigger than us. However, this has arguably been a one off this season, as villa have come very close to champions league football in recent seasons. Indeed, Randy Lerner has to his credit also been understood to be a hands off owner, remember O'neill allegedly left because of a lack of transfer funds, not due to a fundamental falling out with Lerner. My main concern is that they it may still be enough to tempt hughes. Villa are a sizable institution up here and although I wouldn't agree with Hughes joining them, I can understand why he would.
MAF needs to get it sorted out ASAP in my book. Why drag it on and de-stabilize the club. Not good. If Mr Fayed reads this, please can you get the signature we want from MH. Thanks. In response to the Villa part of the thread I would say he would be fairly tempted by the money he would get. Does his family still live in the northern regions of the country or have they moved down sarf? If they are still up there then I would say the writings on the wall as MH doesn't strike me to be the sort of person to think about sentiment (aaah, isn't Fulham a lovely club) if he feels he's being messed about. IMO
