Rangers sacked Neil Warnock after questioning his gung-ho tactics and ability to sign the players club targeted in this month's window to stave off relegation

By Wayne Veysey | Chief correspondent Mark Hughes was overlooked for the last Premier League job that became available at Sunderland but history is unlikely to repeat itself after QPR became the second top tier club to dismiss their manager this season.

Goal.com understands that Hughes is the board’s overwhelming first choice to succeed Neil Warnock after they acted upon their conviction that the 63-year-old was not the man to halt the slide towards relegation.

Gianfranco Zola, who has been out of work as a manager since being sacked by West Ham in May 2010, is also in the frame for the second London post of his coaching career.

However, it is believed to be Hughes’ job to lose should he convince the Premier League club during forthcoming negotiations that he is the safe pair of hands they need to steer them out of choppy waters.

The former Wales, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers manager has not yet been officially contacted by QPR but is expected to hold talks with the west London club soon after his advisor Kia Joorabchian arrives back from Brazil, where he has been on family business, on Monday.

With QPR owner and chairman Tony Fernandes believed to have briefly returned to Malaysia after spending the weekend in London, a meeting with Hughes - the man who took Fulham to their second highest-ever Premier League finish last season before abruptly quitting - could be scheduled for Tuesday.

QPR chief executive Philip Beard said on Sunday that the club “plan to move very quickly”, and it is understood that an appointment will be made by the club before the end of this week.

Hughes’ availability, proven Premier League pedigree and experience of handling big names make him the outstanding candidate in the eyes of the board, who acted with ruthless speed after concluding that a run of six defeats and two draws in the Premier League could herald a return to the Championship.

He is said to be interested in the possibility of taking over a club where there is ownership stability and funds to spend in the transfer market.

Fernandes was busy defending his actions on Twitter tonight, explaining to supporters angered by the dismissal of the man who guided the club to promotion only eight months ago that “in 47 years of life I have never had to make such a tough decision” but the board “had to think of the future of the club”.

Tough decision | Warnock's dismissal was a painful one for owner Tony Fernandes

It is believed there were doubts at the top of the club about Warnock’s ability to attract the players Rangers want, despite the signings of Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Anton Ferdinand and Armand Traore late in the August window in the immediate aftermath of Fernandes’ takeover.

Warnock had bids for Blackburn Rovers’ Christopher Samba and Fulham’s Andy Johnson rejected last week, while moves for Nedum Onuoha, James Collins and Bobby Zamora have also received a lukewarm response over the past few weeks.

Coincidence or not, Samba and Johnson both had some success playing under Hughes at Blackburn and Fulham respectively.

There was also some disquiet about Warnock’s tactics, with some within the club expressing their view that the Yorkshireman was too gung-ho and unable to shut up shop and sit on a lead. Rangers, who are 17th in the table and only a point above the relegation zone, have conceded 35 goals in 20 Premier League games this season.

Fernandes and his fellow directors feared that Rangers had begun a descent into the Championship and acted quickly to give the new man time to bring in players in the remaining days of the window.

Beard explained that time was not on the club’s side and they want to give the new manager as many of the 23 days left in January as possible to recruit new players.

“What I will say is we’re going to move as quickly as we can and we hope to make an appointment very soon,” he said.

“Time is against everybody and we’re already in the second week of January. I think the reality is there are some funds there but we’ve got to make the right purchases.

“It is a tricky month to try and make things happen but our appetite is to bring one or two players in if we can to strengthen the squad and the new manager will be part of that as soon as we can identify him and spend time looking at some of our targets.”

Follow Wayne Veysey on