There have perhaps never been greater differences surrounding the circumstances surrounding one manager’s last game in his old job, and the first game in his new one. Three years ago, Mark Hughes’s tenure as Southampton manager came to an end with a 2-2 draw against a Manchester United side managed by José Mourinho which featured Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford.
This Saturday, it is Mansfield Town and players such as Lucas Akins and Jordan Bowery who stand in Hughes’s way for his match as manager of League Two side Bradford City. The challenges are different too. Back then, Hughes was fighting to keep Southampton in the Premier League and retain his record of having never managed outside the top flight. That record officially disappears when he takes charge of Bradford, who are 15th and 10 points adrift of the play-offs.
