Although high earners, like Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, have left, the wage bill is still dangerously high and relegation would have catastrophic consequences.Realistically, Hughes has been given three seasons, having signed a two-year fixed contract that will be followed by a one-year rolling deal, to achieve his aim of taking Blackburn to “the top of the Premiership’s second tier”. “It is possible to combine two jobs, as Steve McClaren and Peter Taylor do with England, but other people wouldn’t have allowed me to do it.”John Williams, the Blackburn chief executive, indicated that if Hughes had more experience of club management, they might have compromised. Hughes had wanted to remain as Wales manager for the whole of their World Cup qualifying campaign, but this was vetoed by Blackburn, who feared that a loss of focus might endanger their Premiership survival.”There were occasions when I thought it would be possible to go on,” said Hughes, who was wearing a signet ring with the Welsh crest on his first day as manager at Ewood Park. I am a completely different character to Sir Alex, but we do have in common an attention to detail. I have always made sure my teams are well-prepared.”Hughes smiled that he did not often employ “the hairdryer treatment” Ferguson used at half-time in Lyon on Wednesday night but that “he has his moments”.

Those moments have increased as Welsh momentum has slackened over the past year.There will be just two more internationals for Hughes to take charge of, against England at Old Trafford on 9 October and what is sure to be a difficult and emotional farewell to the Millennium Stadium against Poland four days later. “Sir Alex thought the time was right and I should make a move. I had an opportunity about 18 months ago to go to Manchester United, not as his No 2 but in another capacity, but I did not think it was right for me. A telephone conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson provided the reassurance Mark Hughes required to leave Wales for Blackburn Rovers.
Although it is nine years since he left Old Trafford, Hughes is still close to the Manchester United manager, on whom he leant for advice once it became clear that he topped a list of 50 serious candidates to replace Graeme Souness as manager at Ewood Park.”He was very supportive,” Hughes said yesterday. With the home side needing one point to confirm their place at the top of the table ahead of Hampshire, they were required to take three Essex wickets after the visitors won the toss and batted. They reached their target 14 overs after lunch when Paul Franks claimed Ronnie Irani’s wicket lbw for 16 Jefferson hit 167 from 252 balls with 28 fours..

When play was eventually abandoned some 70 minutes before the scheduled close, the requisite 104 overs had already been bowled.* The Essex opener Will Jefferson’s fifth century of the season was a sideshow to the main event as Nottinghamshire claimed the Second Division title at Trent Bridge yesterday. The ethical issue also overshadowed a career-best by Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Gary Keedy, who claimed the first seven wickets to fall. But the moment his team-mate Glen Chapple bowled Martyn Ball to interrupt his run, it prompted the declaration and the ensuing debate.Keedy’s 7 for 95 came from 42 of the 73 overs of spin sent down in the day. but without enhancing the batting side’s prospects of winning or saving the match” applied to Gloucestershire.But the England and Wales Cricket Board had Phil Sharpe, the former England player, on the ground as match referee and pitch liaison officer and he said: “When they were 278 for 6 shortly before tea Gloucestershire sought my advice and I said that to me it looked all right. I rang Lord’s and they said it would be all right.”If Lord’s had thought differently, then Gloucestershire would have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute and could have been docked Championship points, which would almost certainly have had a bearing on the relegation issue.But Mike Watkinson, the Lancashire manager, did admit later that in similar circumstances they would probably have done the same.