Mark Hughes

[One Martin Thomas]

After listening to Hughes' post match comments, I feel the "ambition" chants should stop now.  It does appear he was right all along and he appeared more than respectful about Fulham on SkySports (good people at the club / wanting us to bounce back etc...).

No point being bitter...  the only thing that's important now is that we take stock and bounce back. 

[Craven Mad]

I agree that the chanting should stop, but wasn't the main reason he left that we wouldn't stump up for Osvaldo? Hughes has changed the story to suit his personal agenda, but he left because Mo wouldn't give him the funds for Osvaldo.

[One Martin Thomas]

I agree that the chanting should stop, but wasn't the main reason he left that we wouldn't stump up for Osvaldo? Hughes has changed the story to suit his personal agenda, but he left because Mo wouldn't give him the funds for Osvaldo.

Stoke probably do not have a massive budget, so it will be interesting to see how Hughes reacts to it all.  I hope he has learnt that the grass is not always greener.

[Neil D]

Stoke probably do not have a massive budget, so it will be interesting to see how Hughes reacts to it all.  I hope he has learnt that the grass is not always greener.

I think Premier League 'grass' is a tad greener than that of the Championship...

[Twig]

I agree that the chanting should stop, but wasn't the main reason he left that we wouldn't stump up for Osvaldo? Hughes has changed the story to suit his personal agenda, but he left because Mo wouldn't give him the funds for Osvaldo.

Stoke probably do not have a massive budget, so it will be interesting to see how Hughes reacts to it all.  I hope he has learnt that the grass is not always greener.

But the grass clearly will be greener.

[HatterDon]

I agree that the chanting should stop, but wasn't the main reason he left that we wouldn't stump up for Osvaldo? Hughes has changed the story to suit his personal agenda, but he left because Mo wouldn't give him the funds for Osvaldo.

source? Other than rumor or twitter, please.

MAF wanted Jol and told Hughes he'd have no money for transfers. Hughes leaves, Jol signs, and Ruiz comes in on a big-money transfer. Remember that MAF wanted Jol the season before, but he was unable to break his contract.

[Pluto]

He shouldn't have said what he said but he's been pretty much vindicated. He's apologised now and has been gracious since so I don't bear any ill will towards the guy. We've got bigger problems right now than Mark Hughes.

[Craven Mad]

I agree that the chanting should stop, but wasn't the main reason he left that we wouldn't stump up for Osvaldo? Hughes has changed the story to suit his personal agenda, but he left because Mo wouldn't give him the funds for Osvaldo.

source? Other than rumor or twitter, please.

MAF wanted Jol and told Hughes he'd have no money for transfers. Hughes leaves, Jol signs, and Ruiz comes in on a big-money transfer. Remember that MAF wanted Jol the season before, but he was unable to break his contract.

Top pages after a quick google search:

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/espanyol-striker-osvaldo-flashpoint-hughes-fulham-1675951#.U2ZZWF4eWag

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/stokes-mark-hughes-set-face-2666938

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2443610/Mark-Hughes-admits-wrong-quit-Fulham-ahead-return-Stoke-City.html

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Manager-Mark-Hughes-reveals-tried-sign/story-20024360-detail/story.html


Hughes himself:

'I wanted to sign Pablo Osvaldo but it slowed down and it looked like we might not get him.
'That was one of the things that I factored in.
'I left then they got Ruiz for about 10 or 11 million euros.
'I got that completely wrong.'
'I made a decision that, with hindsight, was wrong,"

[GrahamG]

I wish he'd stayed.

[win-dup]

Overall I think we owe him an apology for the things we (including me) said about him when he left. He was right and Fayed and us were wrong.

[jarv]

I also wish he had stayed. He had the team playing good football and finished in the top half again. I think he was one of the best to make the necessary changes to improve Roy's team.

[Berserker]

Actually Sparky's team drew too many matches the first half of the season at Fulham. Alledgely it wasn't until Muphy etc. Got together with him after the dubbing by West Ham on Boxing day that things started looking up.

[Chesh]

He explained clearly in yesterday's programme that he was aware the club was due to be sold, knew he wasn't going to get a transfer kitty, and rightly felt he didn't want to be tied into a contract with such a situation.

Yet, Al Fayed continues to get lauded when he stopped the flow of funds years ago, and hHughes gets lambasted for being honest with himself and the club.

As he says, they had only given him a 12 month contract, and either one of the two parties could pull the plug.

That chant yesterday did have a bitter feel to it, especially on the day his Stoke team sent us down with absolute ease.