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United travel to Ewood Park holding a two-point lead, and a game in hand, over nearest rivals Chelsea as the Premier League season approaches its final four weeks.And Hughes is adamant that the Red Devils deserve their status atop the table, insisting they have been the most entertaining and efficient team throughout the term so far."I think over the length of the season they have been the most consistent side and the most attractive to watch," Hughes said. "The combination of those two things has enabled them to have the points they have at this stage."

Blackburn host the league leaders this Saturday with only a top-ten finish to play for this season, as they sit some 10 points behind fifth-placed Everton and the sole remaining UEFA Cup spot.And Hughes, who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups at Old Trafford as a player, insists that his former club simply knows how to win trophies, and has hailed the mix of attacking flair and defensive solidarity Sir Alex Ferguson has created.“I think they won't lose it because they have the knowledge of being in this position before and they get the job done,” he said. “Nobody in managerial terms has more experience than Sir Alex and he has been in this situation time and time again and he will just get the job done, I am sure."The basis of their season this year has been the fantastic ability they have and the standout season of a certain guy from Portugal, but I think the real platform they have had is defensively, where they have been absolutely rock-solid."When you know you have that defensive platform then the guys in front can just be a lot freer in their play, safe in the knowledge that they are not going to be exposed at the back."

Furthermore, Hughes claims Ferguson’s current squad is the best he has ever assembled in his 21-year managerial career at Old Trafford, suggesting it even eclipses the legendary Treble-winning team of 1999."I think he [Ferguson] possibly said it was his best squad, which means they have strength in depth,” said Hughes. “That is definitely correct. "When he makes changes, when he tries to freshen up the team, invariably he brings in players of a very similar stature and ability and the whole squad is of a high quality. It is very difficult when you go up against top teams because collectively they are always very strong, but even when they are on a day when they are not firing on all cylinders you always have individuals that are able to produce things that no-one else can. "That spark and inspiration that the top players have makes them stand out and United have five, six, seven of those players, so it makes it very difficult to be able to legislate for every single one of them."