Manchester
City captain Kolo Toure is determined to prove
Manchester United boss
Sir Alex Ferguson wrong.
Ferguson backed Arsenal rival
Arsene Wenger's decision to sell
Toure in the summer.
But the Ivory Coast defender told the News of the
World: "I respect all my critics but there are always ups and
downs.
"Ferguson should remember that he suffered bad times in his
career as well. I had periods when I was at the very top of my game
and now I have to work hard to get back there.
"The most important thing is to realise when you are having
difficulty. I strongly believe that at the age of 28, my best is
still to come.
"When I hear critics like Ferguson and Lee Dixon, who I learned
so much from at Arsenal, it
makes me play harder and work harder to prove them wrong.
"At the moment it's a great challenge to come to a lower club
and help make them big.
"I stayed at Arsenal for too
long and, when you do that, everything becomes a habit. Every day
is the same. You become like the marble or the furniture in the
house.
"And sometimes the importance of the furniture isn't always
noticed. I became very relaxed and I lost my focus and my
sharpness.
"Now at City there is a new expectation and pressure and it's so
exciting."