PA PhotosMark Hughes: Sacked after a winless start to the season

So, farewell Mark Hughes. You lasted little more than a year but will go down in the club's annals as perhaps the most divisive coach in our history.

And the most expensive.

Few could doubt the quality of some of the signings. It is a pleasure to be imagining Esteban Granero in the hooped shirt for a number of years. And the potential of Samba Diakite and Junior Hoilett is there for all to see.

But there are many expensive question marks, too. How effective Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora would have been together because Hughes' former charges got themselves injured.

Defence has been a mystery after some excellent rearguard performances at the tail-end of last season. While Ryan Nelsen has been a success, Jose Bosingwa has been less than inspiring considering the Champions League medal he picked up last season.

Hughes, though, has been unlucky. He was blameless in the hiring of Joey Barton, and his desire to get rid of him after the Man City sending off is understandable. The fact that we are yet to really see his defensive solution, Stephane Mbia, for more than a couple of games is unfortunate. And losing Fabio so early on was disastrous.

Also, one can have sympathy for Hughes as the slide in form of Anton Ferdinand was directly attributable to a series of events that he had no control over - and his efforts to find a central defender in the summer were futile.

But such sympathy was never going to last during such a monumental run of winless games. Where once he was lauded for having the tactical nous that previous incumbent Neil Warnock seemingly failed to possess, there came confusion and constant change.

Where he seemed positive and with a strong hand on the tiller at the start of his tenure, as the winless streak continued he appeared more withdrawn and defensive and isolated.

There was plenty of good off the pitch. QPR have made great strides to improve their facilities, and Hughes has been involved in updating the backroom operations so that it reflected the standing of the club. But now that consultation is over - the plans for the new training centre at Warren Farm are in place, and we are led to believe that the stadium plans are on the way - Hughes is surplus to requirements.

All that was left for him was the on-the-pitch matters. And after failing to beat a Reading side that was there for the taking, and being royally beaten by Southampton at home last weekend, it became clear that he was simply a poor fit for the squad that he built himself.

To have chanting for Harry Redknapp of all people last weekend, is a clear enough message that the relationship between manager and fans had irreversibly broken down.

Like Mike Walker, who was sacked by Everton in 1995 after a similar tenure, history will judge Mark Hughes. The new incumbent at Everton, Joe Royle, got The Toffees up to 15th.

You can follow Sean Smith on Twitter @seanshorn

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