Hull chairman Adam Pearson is planning to meet Mark Hughes for
one last ambitious attempt to convince the former Manchester City
manager to save the club from relegation.
Pearson is likely to fail - Sportsmail understands Hughes has
already turned down the job offer - but he wants to try the
personal touch as he looks for a successor to Phil Brown, who was
sacked on Monday.
Hughes, who has recently watched Arsenal and Real Madrid on
Champions League scouting trips, is believed to have his eyes on
bigger jobs in England, but Pearson wants to hear it from him
face-to-face.
Survival spark: Embattled Hull want to appoint Mark
Hughes as their new boss
Hull hope Hughes can be tempted, even on a short-term deal until
the end of the season with a massive bonus for staving off
relegation.
The news emerged just as it looked as if former Bolton manager
Gary Megson, who was in hospital with kidney stones on Monday,
would be taking over the hot seat.
However, the £1million transfer fee to be paid to Bolton, who
are still paying his wages, is putting off Hull.
Iain Dowie, Paul Jewell and Doncaster's highly rated manager
Sean O'Driscoll were other contenders, although Alan Curbishley has
been ruled out.
Pearson wants the new man in place for Saturday's must-win
bottom-of-table battle at Portsmouth.
With the club around £40million in debt, they are desperate to
avoid the drop. Brown was sacked after three years in charge
following the 2-1 defeat by Arsenal - as revealed by Sportsmail - a decision which is
believed to have been instigated by club owner Russell
Bartlett.
In with a shout: Former Bolton boss Gary Megson
remains a possibility to replace Phil Brown but ex-West Ham manager
Alan Curbishley is not interested in the job
Sportsmail has learned
that the Hull board first made moves to find Brown's replacement
last week, but Hughes turned down an approach, as did former Wigan
manager Jewell, who worked with Pearson at Derby County.
Curbishley, who was finally freed from his West Ham contract
last month after leaving the club in 2008, has told his advisers he
is not interested in the job and is hoping to find his next club in
the south.
Pearson said: 'I wouldn't think that is someone we will be
pursuing. He is a fantastic manager, but it's someone we need to be
able to get in straight away and he is not on that list.'
Pearson revealed there are 'about five people' on his shortlist
and he is hoping to have made his decision, with Bartlett's
backing, by Tuesday night.
Asked whether it would be Megson, Pearson said: 'I'm not going
to go through them all.'
Megson, who was in the frame before Brown was appointed in 2006,
would fit the profile of a manager who has a proven track record in
relegation battles.
Not singing anymore: Phil Brown, who kept Hull up
last season, has been sacked
Brown had survived until now despite another disappointing
season leaving Hull second from bottom and three points from
safety.
He infamously dragged his players in front of players for a
halftime rollicking at Manchester City last season, but had managed
to unite the dressing room, although there were still difficulties
to contain.
Last week he was forced to issue a humble apology to members of
the Women's Institute after captain Nick Barmby and record £5m
signing Jimmy Bullard had a fight in a public park as up to 100
women took part in a march on the Humber Bridge.
The embarrassing incident was not well received in the
boardroom.
Get your coat: Phil Brown yon Monday at the end of
his reign as Hull City manager
Brown, who has been placed on gardening leave by the club, said:
'I am obviously very disappointed with the decision and the fact
that I will not have the opportunity to secure Hull City's status
in the Barclays Premier League for a third consecutive season.
'Although I am extremely sad to be leaving. I am very proud of
my achievements during my time as manager, especially having led
the team into the top flight of football for the first time in the
club's 104-year history and ahead of schedule.
'It has been a fantastic experience.'
