Hughes: I deserve more credit
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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."