Manchester City manager Mark Hughes does not
believe he is getting the praise he deserves for his first year's
work at Eastlands.
The Blues head to Tottenham on Saturday needing a
victory to maintain their hopes of qualifying for next year's
Europa League.
Spurs are also in the same position, despite a tepid start to
the campaign under Juande Ramos, Harry Redknapp eventually being
called in to sort the mess out.
Redknapp has been credited with Spurs' revival, further
enhancing a reputation that blossomed at Bournemouth and West Ham
before he added the FA Cup to his CV at Portsmouth last season.
Hughes notes no such accolades coming his way, even though he
felt the team he inherited from Sven-Goran Eriksson not only lacked
quality but also sufficient strength in certain areas to challenge
for major honours.
"If you look at all the managers in a similar position in the
league to us, they seem to get a lot of plaudits," observed
Hughes.
"I don't get many. That is predictable and understandable I
suppose.
"Harry Redknapp has done a good job at Spurs. But I feel it is
very similar to myself, it's just that he gets a bit more credit
than I do."
Hughes recognises analysis of his own work tends to be more
critical because of the vast wealth he has been afforded.
It means City are linked with all the top stars in Europe, Real
Madrid legend Raul the latest big name the Eastlands outfit have
been forced to distance themselves from as potential deal makers
spring up claiming to act on behalf of the club.
"That is the world we live in," he shrugged.
"What we have to do is make sure people understand the process
we go through when we want to acquire players. We have worked
really hard to send that message out.
"At the moment a lot of people are flying around professing to
have mandates to do deals for Manchester City. It was always going
to happen I suppose."