Mark Hughes: Park the bus, Sparky

Mark Hughes has dug Manchester United out of some pretty big holes in the past. None more so than in 1994 at Wembley when, at the end of a poor performance by the Reds, he launched an exocet missile of a volley out of the blue to break Oldham Athletic's hearts (Latics fans I know reckon they've never recovered) and rescued the Double bid. United's 1993/94 line-up is considered to be one of the best sides, if not the best, to be ever assembled at Old Trafford. But this great team stood on the brink of an ignominious defeat to local rivals on the big stage until Hughes intervened. Having dragged United back into the 1990 FA Cup final, hit both goals against Barcelona in Rotterdam and crucially shattered the deadlock at Selhurst Park when the Reds were closing in on the first Premier League title, 'Sparky' was always the man to fight fires and lead from the front. I agree with Sir Alex - if only Hughes was playing centre-forward for QPR on Sunday instead of managing them at the Etihad Stadium. I'm old enough to remember watching the Welshman's debut for the Reds, playing left wing if I recall correctly, so I know what it was like to witness such a talent coming through the ranks. And while he may have been famously quietly spoken off the field, he was a warrior on it. The 1994 side I've already mentioned contained some tough characters, but he was the one who often set the tone in terms of physical combat. The man with thighs the size of tree trunks knew how to handle himself. I remember one quote from Hughes which suggested that when he knew the United fans didn't like a certain member of the opposition, he'd go out of his way to give them a kick! Unfortunately, QPR do not have a striker of the calibre of Hughes in his pomp to punch holes through City's water-tight defence. The best hope the Hoops have of securing the point that will guarantee their Barclays Premier League status is probably to 'park the bus' as Jose Mourinho put it, and scrap for their lives. Having seen QPR crumble at Chelsea last month, it's almost certainly a forlorn hope. They were just as desperate for points then and succumbed 6-1 in a London derby. It's been QPR's home form that has given them a real chance of salvation and only a fool would back against Roberto Mancini's team not only getting the three points required to wrest the crown from United but also to do it comfortably. Of course, it goes without saying that the Reds still have to go to Sunderland and win, just like we did a couple of years ago in similar circumstances with a Nani strike. On that occasion, although we took the title chase to the final day, Wigan were slaughtered 8-0 at Chelsea and memories of that day must still be pretty raw for those making the trip to Wearside on Sunday. But can hope really spring eternal in the shape of Hughes, rightly regarded as a United legend but one who lost a little lustre in the eyes of some fans? After the move to Chelsea, it's been said that Sparky regards the Londoners as "his" club, which comes as a shock. We can probably forgive him for managing City but I didn't like his comments at the end of the 4-3 derby when he hinted referees were biased at Old Trafford. Yet City treated him badly. During his final game against Sunderland, everybody knew he would be sacked afterwards - the media had got wind of the story in the morning - and it must've been a humiliating experience to manage his team in those circumstances. Hughes has never lacked passion and revenge on those who have wronged him - Barcelona in the European Cup Winners' Cup for instance - has already been exacted in the past. If Hughes can instil his own footballing values into his players then maybe QPR can cause the biggest surprise in Barclays Premier League history. If he does manage to pull it off, expect his next welcome back to Old Trafford to bring the sort of ovation and acclaim that his work for the Reds' cause has always merited, and he'll almost be able to hear the cheers from the away end at the Stadium of Light.