Why I Have Lost Respect for Man City … (But Gained Respect For Mark Hughes)

The treatment of Mark Hughes was, simply put, disgraceful. The fact that the whole ground knew during the match that the Welshman would be replaced shortly by Italian Roberto Mancini is a shambles. My previous respect for the way in which our Abu Dhabi backers, namely Sheikh Mansour and Khladoon Al Mubarak, conducted themselves has disappeared.

I’m not here to debate whether Mancini is the correct man for the job, or, indeed, whether it was the correct move to dispose of the services of Hughes. I’m more concerned with the way in which the business was conducted.

Since arriving at the club, Sheikh Mansour and his trusted companions have gone about their business carefully, taking into account the feelings and sentiments of many City fans. Despite the media on countless occasions calling for the head of Hughes, our owners remained steadfast in their support of him. They maintained a quiet public profile, with rarely any news emanating from Abu Dhabi.

They have been prepared, and ultimately done so, to invest unlimited resources and funds into City in an attempt to turn us into a side which is capable of breaking into the upper echelons of the Premier League. Despite some poor results and performances last season, including the time when City were in the bottom three, Sheikh Mansour conveyed the impression that he supported Hughes to the tilt, supplying him with even more funds to strengthen in January.

However, all that respect which I had for them has now disappeared in an instant. Surely they should have sacked Hughes and approached Mancini in due course if they wanted to appoint the Italian. Surely, it should not have become common knowledge during the match that a managerial change was due to happen following the conclusion of the game. Surely Hughes’s position was untenable as, by all accounts, he was aware of his forthcoming departure prior to kick-off.

With Mancini reported to have present at the game, I can’t even begin to imagine what Hughes must have felt like when he made any decision, knowing that it coult not have any meaning for him. I have the fullest of respect for Mark Hughes for the way in which he has handled himself and for the digninty and professionalism he displayed today. Perhaps our owners could learn a thing or two…