Mark Hughes

[Still ill]

I'm sure if he had only disappeared after his playing career finished, he'd be one of our most loved former players. What a highlights reel that was.

 

[RedTiger]

My second favourite player after Robson.

 

[Jules_T]

His hold up play and first touch was better than anyone since.
He could control a ball from anywhere and bring it down in front of him ready to pass or shoot.
Those huge thighs probably helped.

 

[PeteManic]

Heading and hold up play in a United shirt only second to Felliani.

 

[fergiesarmy1]

One of the greats, played with the spirit that the likes of Pogba severely lack.

 

[Foxbatt]

Defenders must hate playing against him. He could do everything. Hold the ball, hold the defender off, can dribble, had pace, can shoot from range, can head the ball can do acrobatic shooting, one of the best volleys in the game and most importantly he can out kick them and out muscle them.

 

[Foxbatt]

His hold up play and first touch was better than anyone since.
He could control a ball from anywhere and bring it down in front of him ready to pass or shoot.
Those huge thighs probably helped.

I would say we had players who had better first touch than him of course. Berbs was better in his first touch. But Sparky can do everything.

 

[Class of 63]

When he came back after his loan to Bayern he was so much sharper and had great dribbling skills. Not sure what they did with him over there but he was much improved.

Never noticed any difference apart from a slightly better haircut.

 

[VJ1762]

I would say we had players who had better first touch than him of course. Berbs was better in his first touch. But Sparky can do everything.

I don't think anyone in history has a better first touch than Berba.

 

[Bondi77]

Definitely a club legend and one of my all time favourites along with Captain Marvel.
He was a complete centre forward and while he did not have the stats of a Rush or Lineker his value to the team with his hold up and link play made him an invaluable member of the team.
He used to terrorise defenders and was a nightmare to mark.
He was also voted PFA of the year twice which is no mean feat when you think that he was not in a side winning titles back then.

 

[FootyGirl88]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Brophs]

That’s an odd move. Fair play to him for wanting to get back into football but it looks a tough job.

Edit: might be no harm doing a thread title change, as plenty of folks on here will be interested.

 

[Hughie77]

Big game player, never injured always 8 out of 10. And when he was 10/10 . Unstoppable. Dragged us out of some shite. Cup winners cup , final , that's how you score from an angle. Sparky. Sold him to early to Chelsea, they got some great stuff out of him .

 

[CraftySoAndSo]

That’s an odd move. Fair play to him for wanting to get back into football but it looks a tough job.

Edit: might be no harm doing a thread title change, as plenty of folks on here will be interested.

I created a thread on this yesterday, is it possible to merge them?

 

[SirMattlives]

Loved him as a player. His managerial record is decent given the clubs and resources (though I do wonder what was going on at QPR), good luck to him at Bradford. I’m not sure I see the ‘bitterness’ about Utd people suggest, he’s a legend as a player to me.

 

[Varane around town]

Fair play.

The guy is obviously desperate to get back into football and must be bored senseless. I do think he's sold himself a little short by going all the way down to League 2. Don't get me wrong, I don't think any fanbase in the top 2 divisions would get excited by Mark Hughes taking over. That said, his last job was a underwhelming but not disastrous spell at Southampton.

You'd think that if he was more patient he could've been in with a chance of taking over at a club like Sheffield Wednesday or Hull.

Anyway, good luck to him. I think too many United fans forget what a good player he was.

 

[VivaRonaldo85]

I think he’s been found out as a generally failed PL manager and is having to go back down the leagues to build his stock up again. I always thought he used to get very good PL jobs far too easily without much of a record.

 

[Guapa]

One of my all time favourites.Would make my best 11 some how,any position.

 

[Jippy]

Look at that great first touch at 1:18

Bump, that's a brilliant video. I'd forgotten a few of those volleys and it's put a smile on my face after a shit day.

 

[dave1956]

I do not think we have found a player since who can hold the ball with his back to goal like he could, nor turn and strike the ball with such accuracy and power, and that is before we discuse his heading ability. Do not think I saw him knocked of the ball unless he was fouled.

 

[pintero]

Oh my. Cheers for posting that vid VorZakone. Rainy night in Rotterdam. What memories. Thank you Sparky!

 

[Revaulx]

It certainly turned out ok in the long term, but re-signing Hughes in 1988 was a major factor in us being so inconsistent in his first two seasons back. He and the previously prolific McClair didn’t hit it off as a strike partnership at all, and as a team we scored pathetically few goals in both 88/89 and 89/90.

One we’d got back to a position where we’d started to feature in “big” matches again, he was of course brilliant. A “clutch” player (yuk) if ever there was one.

I actually thought his managerial career started really well, and was really disappointed when it nosedived post-Blackburn. Letting him anywhere near a cheque book has proved pretty disastrous for a number of clubs.

 

[Josh 76]

I do not think we have found a player since who can hold the ball with his back to goal like he could, nor turn and strike the ball with such accuracy and power, and that is before we discuse his heading ability. Do not think I saw him knocked of the ball unless he was fouled.

The reason we haven’t found a player since who could hold the ball with his back to goal, is because he was the best. The closest I’ve seen to him was Alan Shearer.

 

[padzilla]

I always felt we let him leave too early but you can't argue with the success we had in the same period though either - we won the double in our first season without him.
I guess that was a Fergie strength, one of many, knowing when to move a player on and replace him.
One of the traits of the post-Fergie era is the club being inundated with players long past their best still here on huge wages and lengthy contracts.