Pressure builds on Hughes

Under-fire QPR manager Mark Hughes is the overwhelming bookmakers' favourite to become the first Premier League manager sacked this season after a defeat to Southampton that chairman Tony Fernandes felt the need to apologise for.

The bottom-of-the-table Hoops suffered an embarrassing 3-1 home loss to fellow strugglers Saints - a side that came into the match just a point and a place better off. "Hughes out" and "You're only here for the money" were chanted by portions of the disgruntled home support, who again showed their displeasure with boos at the final whistle.

It was a result and, most pertinently, performance that led chairman Fernandes to take to Twitter, but, unlike so many times before, he stopped short of backing manager Hughes. He said: "I feel gutted."

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