Former manager says owners 'disrespectful' over his sacking• Roberto Mancini has no regrets over manner of Hughes's exitMark Hughes says of his sacking that City's owners 'made the change with the view that they wanted to accelerate the process of getting success. That doesn’t seem to have happened'. Mark Hughes has dismissed Roberto Mancini's record since the Italian replaced him as Manchester City manager last season, claiming he would have taken the club further by this point than the former Internazionale coach has done.
Despite spending around £135m on players, Mancini's record this season is worse than Hughes' at Eastlands last term, with the same points accrued after 13 games but with an inferior goal difference. Hughes implied that City should not have sacked him as he prepared his Fulham side to face them at Craven Cottage .
"They made the change with the view that they wanted to accelerate the process of getting success," he said. "That doesn't seem to have happened. I know what I left behind, that the club and the group of players I had there was good enough to hit the targets I was given. I knew they had to spend significantly more money [last] summer – that opportunity was going to be given to myself. It wasn't. If I had still been there I would have been there two and a half years so that I think would have helped."
Mancini strongly defended his record, claiming City are far stronger under his management. "We have improved a lot," he said. "We have won a lot of away games. We are in fourth position, two points behind [Manchester] United. We must check again at the end of the season but I think we will get into the Champions League and probably win something."
His problems have increased, though, amid revelations of a row with four players – Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott and Wayne Bridge – over what they perceive as special treatment for Mario Balotelli. They took issue with Mancini after Balotelli left training early the day after the Manchester derby despite not having played in that match.
Mancini admitted after his appointment last December that he had been speaking to City before Hughes's sacking, yet he denied he should have regrets or feel guilt over how the Welshman was dealt with. "No. This is life. This is the manager's life," he said. "Today you can stay here, tomorrow you can be at another club. When one manager doesn't work there is another manager. The world is full of football managers. It's not my problem. If the manager doesn't accept this, he doesn't do this job."
Hughes disagreed. "It is not something that sits comfortably with me or something I've ever done," he said. "I have respect for people's position. If clubs come to you and ask 'are you interested?' I would say I wasn't aware there was a vacancy but, when the wheels are set in motion, these things happen. I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen. I'm big enough to understand."
Garry Cook, City's chief executive, has admitted he began the search for Hughes' replacement the previous summer, despite publicly stating on various occasions that Hughes had the full backing of the Abu Dhabi owners. "It was disrespectful towards me, the way I was treated in the end," Hughes said. "In fairness I had all the support on occasions when I needed it. There were occasions when there was not a lot of support. Towards the end, when I needed support, it was absent. So read into that what you want."
Hughes further raised the temperature before Sunday's game by accusing the City hierarchy of not understanding the unique nature of football. "You need more time," he said. "Football is different from business. Sometimes when business people come into football then there's a lot of strategy, business-speak, that flies around because that's their world. They think they can apply those business principles to football. GUARDIAN
DANNY MURPHY: ROBERTO MANCINI'S ON HIDING TO NOTHING
DANNY MURPHY last night warned Roberto Mancini to expect the same fate as former boss Mark Hughes at Manchester City.
Fulham midfielder Murphy, 33, reckons the Italian is on borrowed time at Eastlands – just like Hughes before he was sacked last December.
Hughes faces his old club again at Craven Cottage tomorrow with Mancini in trouble after a run of just one win in six games.
City also have problems in the dressing-room after a series of high-profile bust-ups which have undermined their manager.
That is why Murphy insists it could be years before City are challenging for the Premier League title – and why Mancini is on a hiding to nothing.
Murphy, whose side have only lost once at home all season, said: “The big problem for Mancini is keeping all those players happy.
“No matter how much money is put in, those players are going to want to be playing. You can’t keep that many egos happy.
“I’ve seen it all before. I don’t think City will be title contenders because it’s too many new players at once.
“They’ve got quality but it does take time. The transformation of that squad has been immense and I feel it’s going to be years before they are challenging.
“I don’t think Mark Hughes was given a fair crack, but I think it was inevitable. He wasn’t their man.
“He was already in charge when the new owners came in with all that money. As soon as there was a downturn there was talk about a change of manager.
“Well, who’s to say it won’t happen with Mancini now that he’s spent a lot of money? It’s the first time it’s really happened since Chelsea did it.
“They bought all those players under Roman Abramovich, but their squad is probably smaller than City’s now.
“It has to be a problem for them. I could be wrong. City could end up blowing everyone away with their spending power – but I doubt it.”
Murphy knows all about the title race from the seven years he spent at Liverpool desperately trying to stop Manchester United.
And he claims City just don’t have the sort of experience yet to challenge the likes of United and Chelsea for the right to be crowned champions.
Murphy said: “United and Chelsea have their backbone. They have experienced players. You only have to look at Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
“You need to have a spine, and City have changed their players so much I don’t think they have that. Time will tell I suppose.
“Giggs and Scholes are a little bit older than me. But what they’ve done, at their age, gives me hope. People assume when you pass 30 that’s it.
“Look at Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger has a policy of only giving one-year contracts when you get past 30. It’s a case in point.
“One of the main reasons we did well at Fulham under Roy Hodgson was because of the experience the manager brought in.
“You can’t buy experience. You just can’t. Players who have been there and done it have that calmness in big games. Chelsea and United have it. EXPRESS
'Balotelli has it easy at City'!
Adebayor and Co vent frustration at Mancini's 'blue-eyed boy'
Roberto Mancini has had a blazing row with four Manchester City players who claim he is giving Mario Balotelli special treatment.
Emmunuel Adebayor, Shaun-Wright Phillips, Joleon Lescott and Wayne Bridge confronted their boss the day after the goalless Manchester derby, when striker Balotelli left training early, despite not having played the night before.
It is felt that Mancini, who recently accused players of laziness, does not apply his usual rules to the former Inter Milan striker, who arrived in August for £23million.
'The lads are not happy because they are not playing as much as they'd like to be, but they work hard,' said a source. 'Balotelli is Mancini's blue-eyed boy because he came from Inter.'
Adebayor was furious at having only played a few minutes as an injury-time substitute, and kicked over a tactics board after the game.
Balotelli is on a five-year contract but could be leaving next summer. He was seen dining with AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani this week. 'The likelihood is I will be at City up to June,' he said.MAIL
WAG OF THE DAY
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DAILY BOLLOX
Aston Villa want to sign Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson either permanently or on loan. Daily Mirror
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has warned fans not to expect a flood of new signings in the January transfer window after the club was bought by the Rao family. talkSPORT
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could be on the look out for more Asian players after signing 17-year-old Japanese midfielder Ryo Miyaichi. Daily Mirror
Everton manager David Moyes has refused to dismiss speculation that Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga is looking to leave in the January transfer window. The Guardian
Harry Redknapp has declared he would not stand in Niko Kranjcar's way when the transfer window reopens if the midfielder tried to carry out his threat to quit the club. Croatia star Kranjcar this week reiterated his intention to leave White Hart Lane if he continues to be frozen out. (Press Association)
Nicklas Bendtner has been left out of Arsenal's squad to face Tottenham, with his father saying the striker is being punished by the club. Daily Mirror
Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate could be in line for a shock return from the groin injury that was thought to have put his career in doubt. talkSPORT
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti says it is "not the right time" to say how he feels about the surprise sacking of assistant Ray Wilkins, and that his successor Michael Emenalo will not be allowed to coach the first team. Daily Telegraph
The scheduling of the Wimbledon tennis championships during the World Cup in 2018 could harm England's chances of landing the tournament after Fifa's evaluation report said it "could have an impact on the public attention" given to the World Cup.Daily Telegraph
Fifa chief Sepp Blatter admits having the voting for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at the same time has turned out to be a bad idea. Guardian
Striker Fernando Torres insists the entire Liverpool squad are behind under-fire manager Roy Hodgson. Daily Mail
Olympic mixed doubles badminton silver medallist and former world champion Gail Emms was intending to be at the Emirates Stadium for the north London derby - but not as a Gooner, she is a huge Spurs fan and got a ticket off an Arsenal supporting friend!.
(The Times)
