Hughes hits out at City

New Cottagers boss insists Mancini should have done better

Last updated: 4th August 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hughes hits out at City

Hughes: Has taken swipe at City

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Mark Hughes says Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has no excuse for failing to challenge for the Premier League this season.

New Fulham boss Hughes, who was sacked by City last December and replaced by Mancini, also insists he would have secured a Champions League spot - something his successor was unable to achieve.

The 46-year-old, who signed a two-year deal at Craven Cottage last week, says he feels no bitterness about his dismissal, but believes he would have met the targets set by the Manchester club's new owners if he had been allowed to stay on.

Targets

When asked whether he would have guided City to the top four, Hughes said: "Yes, I think I would.

"I agreed to the targets at the beginning of the season, which were to get sixth position.

"I thought fifth and fourth were very, very achievable."

City have spent more than £70million on transfers this summer, and Hughes believes that amount of investment should secure the club at least a top-four finish.

He added: "Given the amount of investment that they've already spent and put into their playing staff then really they should be looking at... certainly top four has to be nailed on for them.

"And, really, they should be looking to push to win the Premier League."

Hughes also defended his spending record during his time at Eastlands, insisting he had no say over the transfer fees paid for players.

And the manager confirmed what many suspect about the inner-workings at the Manchester club in regards to transfers.

Input

"Actually, the amounts paid weren't really directly influenced by me, I would suggest," he said.

"On some occasions at City, in fairness, players were presented to me which I didn't really have a direct input in.

"But you get a phonecall and somebody says, 'Would you like Robinho?'

"As a manager you say, 'Well, yeah - I would'.

"But whether or not the situation like that was correct in terms of timing and the development of the club at that stage, that's open to debate."