Hodgson will be fondly remembered at the west London club after first saving them from relegation at the end of the 2007-08 season and then taking them on an improbable run to the Europa League final the following year.

Towards the end of last season's historic campaign, the love towards the 62-year-old was so strong that Fulham fans were calling for a statue of their manager to be erected alongside that of club legend Johnny Haynes outside Craven Cottage.

Admiration among contemporaries was also strong as Hodgson and his team of unlikely heroes marched through Europe, slaying the likes of Juventus and holders Shakhtar Donetsk to reach the Europa League final.

Sir Alex Ferguson probably summed up Hodgson's achievements best when he said: "What Roy has done is a miracle. Hopefully he does win it now, but it's one of the best British performances of all time."

Sadly for the thousands of Fulham fans who travelled to Hamburg, and others who had taken their team to heart, Hodgson's team fell at the final hurdle against Atletico Madrid largely due to two goals from the man who would go on to run rings around the world's best defences at the World Cup, Diego Forlan.

The suggestion that Fulham would even be competing in Europe would have been laughed at when Hodgson took over in December 2007.

Then the club were in danger of dropping into the Championship before Hodgson guided them to safety, although it took a Danny Murphy winner against Portsmouth on the final day of the season to secure survival.

A record seventh-place finish the following season ensured that the club would be playing European football for the first time since 2002.

The key to Hodgson's success on the pitch was his tactical nous and meticulous preparation. Training sessions at Motspur Park involved hour upon hour of rigorous drills to ensure that come matchday, every one of the players knew exactly what was required of them.

"He is a perfectionist," captain Murphy said.

"We know our jobs; there's no question mark over what he wants from us. "He gets the lads playing, in terms of their commitment, hunger and work ethic."

Perhaps the biggest target for Hughes is to stop key players from following their former manager out of the door.

Mark Schwarzer and Brede Hangeland are thought to be on Arsenal's radar, Paul Konchesky continues to be linked with Birmingham and West Ham while Bobby Zamora's 19-goal haul last season make him an obvious target for any club looking for a proven goalscorer.

Hodgson's successor will also have to replicate the new Liverpool boss' cunning knack of getting the best out of players who could quite easily now be on the scrap heap.

Zoltan Gera, an erratic performer in the Championship with West Brom, performed so well in tandem with Zamora last term that he was named the club's player of the season.

Damien Duff looked past it at Newcastle but excelled last year down the right wing while Murphy also credited Hodgson with transforming his career.

The likes of David Elm, Stephen Kelly, Chris Baird and Bjorn Helge Riise will also have to be kept happy, knowing that they will not get as much playing time as they did in last year's 63-match marathon.

The theme of this year will undoubtedly be stability, with a top-10 finish the target the club must aim for.

Transfers have understandably been in short supply this summer. Philippe Senderos has joined to fill the gap left by Chris Smalling's departure to Manchester United while Jonathan Greening has signed a permanent deal following his loan spell from West Brom.

Andy Johnson's persistent knee injury, and Diomansy Kamara and Eddie Johnson's unproven track record, mean Hughes will probably be in the market for a striker when he arrives, with Spurs striker Robbie Keane an obvious target.

Steve Sidwell is reportedly set to join the midfield ranks while cover at full-back, and a replacement for Schwarzer if he goes, is also a priority.