The Simon Garner column

WHEN Blackburn Rovers began the search for a new manager to replace Graeme Souness, the two names on everyone's lips were Mark Hughes and Iain Dowie.

Tomorrow at Selhurst Park, Hughes and Dowie will find themselves in direct opposition once again in a game neither manager can afford to lose.

I, personally, believe Rovers got the right man when they appointed Hughes.

There are many similarities in the way Hughes and Dowie approach their work. Both are young, ambitious managers with reputations for being forward thinkers and both place great emphasis on the scientific approach to sport.

Fitness, preparation and organisation are the core values they are trying to instil at their respective clubs but where Hughes scores more points for me is he's done it at a higher level.

As a player, Hughes spent most of his career at the very top level, working under some of the best managers in the business in Alex Ferguson and Terry Venables, and when you've been exposed to people like that, you can't help but pick things up.

As a manager, Sparky then cut his teeth as the boss of Wales, which must be one of the toughest jobs in international football, but the huge strides Wales have made on and off the pitch over the last five years is a testimony to the impact he made.

Dowie, in the meantime, never quite hit the same heights that Hughes did as a player and he spent the early part of his managerial career in the lower leagues.

However, I've been impressed with the jobs he has done, often with little or no money to spend. I'm sure he'll go on to bigger and better things at some point in the future but right now his brief is to keep Crystal Palace in the Premiership, which is no mean feat.

Every season, the Premiership seems to throw up a surprise package - a player who manages to surpass everyone's expectations.

Last season, it was Jon Stead. Now, it's Andy Johnson and as long as he keeps scoring goals at the rate he is then Palace have a fighting chance of staying up.

Johnson appeared to have lost his way at Birmingham but suddenly people are now talking about him as a possible England international and a target for Liverpool in the transfer window.

I've got to say that's premature to say the least.

How often do you see a player set the Premiership alight in his first season and then disappear?

But he's the man Rovers need to watch tomorrow. If the team perform like they did on their last visit to London a fortnight ago then it should be Blackburn's - and Hughes' - day.

TALENT: Iain Dowie