Mark Hughes: Southampton appoint former Stoke manager until end of season
Last updated on .From the section Southampton
Mark Hughes says his "affinity" with Southampton is the reason he agreed to take charge of the Premier League strugglers until the end of the season.
The former Stoke boss replaces Mauricio Pellegrino, who was sacked on Monday with the club one point above the relegation zone after one win in 17.
"The objective is to make sure we're a Premier League club next year," Hughes said. "That's where we should be."
Hughes was sacked by Stoke in January, with the club in the bottom three.
The Welshman, 54, had been with Stoke for four and a half years and has taken charge of 445 Premier League matches for the Potters, Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR.
He started his managerial career with five years in charge of his country.
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Hughes spent two years at Southampton from 1998 to 2000 in a 22-year playing career that also included spells at Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona.
"It's a challenge I'm excited by. It's a great opportunity to come back to a club I know well, and a club I've got real affinity with, and I couldn't turn that down," Hughes said.
"I understand what it takes in this league to win games. But it's about coming in and being that different voice that will enable the players to recognise and focus on what needs to be done."
Hughes' first game will be Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against League One side Wigan.
Southampton were beaten 3-0 by Newcastle on Saturday and their next league game is away to fellow strugglers West Ham on 31 March.
Hughes is the club's fifth permanent manager in the five years since Mauricio Pochettino, now Spurs manager, replaced Nigel Adkins.
Premier League record | |||
---|---|---|---|
Games | Win % | Points per game | |
Blackburn Rovers (2004-08) | 147 | 39.5 | 1.45 |
Manchester City (08-09) | 55 | 40 | 1.44 |
Fulham (10-11) | 38 | 29 | 1.29 |
QPR (Jan 12-Nov 12) | 30 | 20 | 0.8 |
Stoke (13-18) | 174 | 33.3 | 1.26 |
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A man so miserable he makes Mourinho look like Timmy Mallett!
Clubs like Southampton need to invest in promising upcommimg managers otherwise they'll simply stagnate and end up like West Brom/Palace/West Ham etc
I can only sympathise with Saints fans
You think Dyche is a failure? Burnley, a team with a tiny budget, getting promoted, relegated, promoted immediately, surviving and now 7th in the league where the top six are always shoe-ins? In that context, I suggest he is not a failure. He wasn't a failure at Watford, either; it was that the owners appointed a 'name' in Zola, who WAS a failure. Dyche is good.
They could have had Sam Allardyce
Can someone please take Sam off Everton please