Hughes not under threat

MANCHESTER City executive chairman Garry Cook has stressed manager Mark Hughes is not in danger of getting the sack.

Cook said despite the club’s current lowly position, just one place above the Barclays Premier League relegation zone, there is no reason to panic.

City have won just one of their last eight league matches, picking up five points since the end of October.

After the takeover by the Abu Dhabi Investment Group, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, at the start of the season expectations skyrocketed at Eastlands.

With the new owners also bankrolling the £32.5million British transfer record signing of Robinho from Real Madrid the spotlight was immediately put on Hughes to deliver.

So far he has not managed to have the impact he would have wanted but Cook said the former Manchester United striker would be given time to implement his plans.

“The building of the future does not happen overnight. A few results from the last few games have not gone in our favour but what you don’t want to do on occasions like that is panic,” said Cook.

“Mark Hughes is an extremely talented individual and a manager we absolutely love working with.”