Mark Hughes: Bradford City boss says managers too 'precious' about reputational damage
- Published
Mark Hughes has won 20 and lost 17 of his 50 matches in charge of Bradford City
Bradford City boss Mark Hughes has said that out-of-work managers from higher divisions should be less "precious".
Hughes celebrates one year in charge of the League Two side on Friday.
The 59-year-old had been out of work since December 2018 prior to taking the job and had never previously managed below the Premier League.
"I've been guilty in the past of overlooking roles below the Premier League or Championship," the Welshman told BBC Radio Leeds., external
"The reality is that managers higher up can be a little bit too precious about their reputation and think about reputational damage more than getting out there and doing the job.
"I wanted to get out there and get my hands dirty again and I haven't regretted it for a moment."
'Maximise the potential'
Hughes, whose clubs included Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in a distinguished playing career, had previously managed six clubs in the Premier League including Manchester City, following a spell in charge of Wales.
"The fundamentals apply whatever level you play at," he added.
"I've really enjoyed it. The league is good and every team has one or two players who can hurt you.
"It's been a really satisfying period of my career and there's more to come."
The Bantams, who visit Yorkshire rivals Doncaster on Saturday, are eighth in League Two, seven points behind third-placed Carlisle with two games in hand, and one point off the play-off places.
Hughes believes the team are well-placed to challenge for promotion to the third tier.
"We're right in the mix, which is where we wanted to be," he added. "We were never going to run away with it because we were making a lot of changes.
"I'm really excited, so long as we maximise the potential we have and make sure we finish games that we should do.
"I'm pleased with what we have done up to this point but we will be judged on where we are at the end of the season."