Hughes hopes for exciting final

Blackburn boss looks to former sides to put on a show

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 1st May 2008

mark hughes

Hughes: Praise for Lampard

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Mark Hughes hopes that an all-English UEFA Champions League final will provide a thrilling spectacle.

The Blackburn boss represented both Manchester United and Chelsea during his playing days and admits that the two sides have enough quality to put on a real show.

However, he is slightly concerned that the game could become a war of attrition, similar to the FA Cup final meeting between the two sides last season.

Talent

"Well you hope it's going to be an outstanding final," Hughes said.

"You hope it's not going to be on a par with the FA Cup final which was poor given the quality of the team.

"But it's a European Cup final, the highest game in European football, so if you can't get motivated and your performance can't be high in a game of such significance then you're doing the wrong thing.

"There's a high level of football talent which will be on show and I would suggest that it will be one of the better games. I certainly hope so."

Courage

Chelsea booked their place at the Moscow showpiece after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Liverpool on Wednesday, and Hughes has praised the performance of Frank Lampard in that game following the death of the midfielder's mother less than a week earlier.

"I thought he was absolutely outstanding on the night," said the Rovers boss.

"Not just his all round play, but to be able to take on the responsibility of taking on that penalty given the circumstances, the tragic circumstances, that he has been involved in leading up to the game.

"I thought that showed an immense strength of character and single mindedness to separate his professional life from his personal life, and that takes a lot of courage and I think everybody was impressed by Frank last night."

Percentage

With the possibility of both sides fielding a number of home grown players in the final, Hughes also admitted that he is at a loss as to why the England national team continues to punch below their weight on the international stage.

"I think there is nine or ten possibly involved, which as a percentage is correct," he said.

"I think there are 400 or so Premier League players and about 200 are English so I would have thought it was quite easy to get 11 out of 200 to win games, but maybe it's more difficult than I thought."