City failing to match owners’ ambitions

MANCHESTER City could find themselves in the Premier League’s relegation places by the time they travel to Hull City on Sunday.

Should tomorrow’s results go against them, the pressure would certainly mount on an under-achieving team who have collected only four points from a possible 21.

And despite a vote of confidence for Mark Hughes from the club’s Abu Dhabi owners, the City manager must be feeling the strain.

When the owners completed their £210m take-over in August, they boasted of making City a global power on and off the field.

And they backed their words with deeds, splashing out £32.5m for Brazilian superstar Robinho.

But though Robinho has been a hit with eight goals, his team-mates have failed to deliver.

City have flair and style in abundance, but possess a soft centre and desperately need an injection of steel, especially in midfield.

Promoted Hull, on the other hand, have exceeded expectations.

They currently lie sixth in the table – not bad for a club which as recently as 2004 was languishing in the basement division.

Manager Phil Brown still has survivors from the days in the bottom division – Ian Ashbee, Andy Dawson and Boaz Myhill – while his transfer dealings have been astute.

Striker Daniel Cousin, a £4million buy from Rangers, was the costliest capture, while striker Marlon King was brought in on a season-long loan from Wigan.

Plymouth winger Peter Halmosi and Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner cost £3m and £2.5m, while Middlesbrough’s George Boateng was another seven-figure buy.

But the most influential player in the Hull side is Brazilian Geovanni, who was discarded by City despite scoring the winner in last season’s Manchester derby at Eastlands.

The free-transfer capture is the Tigers’ five-goal top scorer and his spectacular long-range strikes have become a feature of the campaign.