Chelsea visit Ewood Park on Wednesday in the Carling Cup and the match marks Mark Hughes’s 100th game in charge and the club are making rapid progress.
Norway international Morten Gamst Pedersen (25) has become a fixture in the side since the former Wales boss took over in September 2004.
He said: ”I think Mark Hughes will get a big club some day because of the good work he is doing here.
”I hope he stays but if we continue to improve then bigger teams might want him. He is showing he is a really good manager.
”He changed things and brought good staff with him.
”In the beginning the manager needed some time with the group. But after things settled down we have done really well.
”We finished sixth last season and are going well again. I am glad to be one of his players.”
Hughes is proud of what he has achieved after returning to Ewood Park, where he finished his playing career.
”It seems only yesterday I was waving to the crowd before the Portsmouth match, my first in charge,” he said.
”The games have come thick and fast.
”We have moved not only the team forward, because of the type of football we are now playing, but the way we are viewed.
”However, there is still work to be done.”
Hilario looks certain to continue between posts for Chelsea as Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini are still recovering from injuries sustained at Reading.
Hughes insists goalkeepers should not be viewed as a special case.
”As an ex-centre forward, I would disagree about offering them extra protection,” he said. ”These incidents were very unfortunate as you do not like to see someone seriously injured on the field.
”But to offer goalkeepers more protection than outfield players would be wrong.”
Blackburn go into the match on the back of a defeat by Bolton, but Hughes added: ”We can take heart from that performance. We played very well but it just wasn’t our day.
”This is a high-profile game against the champions and we want to do well as the cup is a route into Europe.” — Sport365.co.za