Former Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes has admitted that the lack of finances made available to him meant that he had to accept the offer from Manchester City.
Hughes has basically said that had a takeover at Ewood Park taken place, which would have allowed him access to a greater amount of funds to strengthen the side he probably would have stayed at Ewood. However, with no further strides made on this front, despite a year or more of speculation with the funds available to him at the City of Manchester Stadium he feels the time was right as Rovers could no longer match his ambition.
Hughes told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I’ve got a fantastic feeling for Blackburn, and it was a fantastic opportunity when it was first presented to me.
“John Williams, who I feel is one of the best chairmen in the Premier League, gave me every support and as a chairman he was second to none.
“I’d like to think he’s a personal friend, so I will cherish that.
“But he knew himself that he couldn’t give me the finances to take the club to where I felt I wanted to take it as a manager.
“He gave me every penny that he was able to give me, and had the takeover happened then more resources might have been made available.
“But as it was, we’ve been in limbo to a certain extent for the last 12 to 18 months, so I knew if there was an opportunity for me out there then I would probably have to leave.”
Sparky has nothing but fond memories of his time with Rovers but with the funds at his disposure at Man City (even though I personally feel that these might be lost at any time as Thaksin Shinawatra’s millions are somewhat “questionable” to say the least) he felt it was to good an opportunity to turn down.
He added: “I had a fantastic time at Blackburn. It’s a great club, with great people, and they gave me every support they could.
“It was difficult on occasions because of the amount of finances that I had available, but it was a job that I was really pleased to do, and we had great success.
“But I knew there was a limit to how far I could take the club and I feel I am now at a club that can match my ambitions.
“This is a chance to build a football club, not only from a playing point of view, but from a club sense as well.
“I just think it’s a project that’s going to be exciting for everyone that’s involved in it, and I’m extremely pleased that an opportunity like this has presented itself at this stage in my career.
“I’ve got ambitions and I want to be the best that I can be at what I do, but I needed the means to do that.
“And I think at City, I will be given those means.”
I have nothing more to add on this topic now, I felt it only fair to put forward Sparky’s thoughts shared exclusively with the Lancashire Telegraph but now it is time to move on. Yeah we thank Sparky as we have but it is time to start thinking about WHO will replace him and what they can now do for Rovers, no longer WHY Sparky left, or if he was right or wrong, it is now about US and Rovers not Sparky any longer.
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