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Mark Hughes to banish Fulham relegation blues

last updated Tuesday 03rd August 2010, 10:26 PM
Fulham manager Mark Hughes
Fulham manager Mark Hughes
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Fulham manager Mark Hughes believes he can establish the club in the Premier League's top 10.

Hughes faces a daunting task in succeeding Roy Hodgson, who led the club to seventh two years ago and last year's Europa League final.

However, the 46-year-old feels he can build on Hodgson's work, saying: "We want to drive the club forward.

"We want to make sure that Fulham is a top-10 club on a regular basis, which hasn't been the case in recent times."

To achieve that ambition, Hughes believes he needs to bolster the club's attacking options - while also retaining goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and defender Paul Konchesky, both of whom have been linked with moves away.

"It's not my intention to allow the better players to leave. [However] I think it's fair to say that we need more attacking options," he said.

Hughes, who was holding his first news conference since replacing Hodgson at Craven Cottage, admitted that finding a proven striker would not be an easy task.

The former Manchester City manager has been linked with moves for his former charges Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz - who may both find themselves struggling for regular starts at Eastlands next season - but he said: "I think what everybody knows is quality strikers are at a premium."

Hughes' desire to bolster the attack comes after a season in which Fulham scored only 39 Premier League goals with no player getting into double figures, though he was quick to praise the overall legacy left by Hodgson.

The 62-year-old left to take charge at Liverpool at the start of July and Hughes said: "I think the job Roy did was magnificent. He maximised the results out of the group he had. That's what I've always tried to do.

"The way I set my team up, I think that will lend itself to the work Roy put in place."

On the back of their run to a first European final, Hodgson was voted manager of the year last season - however Fulham's absence from Europe this campaign has convinced Hughes they can build on last season's 12th place Premier League position.

"We don't have the distraction of the Europa League," he said.

"That's a big ask when you're involved in that competition. We had that experience the year before at City.

"I think the fact we haven't got that this year is a bonus. If we can get into the top 10 this year, that'll be good progress."

Flanked by Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, Hughes also confirmed that caretaker manager Ray Lewington would remain on the coaching staff.

"Ray has a really important role to play," said Hughes, who may bring his City backroom team of Mark Bowen, Kevin Hitchcock and Eddie Niedzwiecki to Craven Cottage.

Hughes' first match in charge of Fulham will be a friendly against Werder Bremen on Saturday 7 August. Their Premier League campaign begins at Bolton a week later.







































































Source BBCSports
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