Hughes driven by ambion

MANCHESTER City have made a smooth start to what Mark Hughes realises is going to be a long journey to the top of English football.

While controversy still swirls around the Eastlands outfit over their pursuit of Joleon Lescott, they have at least been able to put some of the talk to one side in favour of action.

And, after a summer of immense upheaval – and six new players so far – the early indications are Hughes’ recruitment policy has been astute.

He spent £25million on Emmanuel Adebayor and was rewarded with a third–minute opener in City’s 2–0 win at Blackburn.

Then two more new faces, Kolo Toure and Shay Given, who arrived from Newcastle last January, signalled City’s defence does not intend to be quite so leaky as before, with fine individual displays to repel the threat of Sam Allardyce’s men before Stephen Ireland wrapped up the points in stoppage time.

“We are trying to break into that top tier of English football,” said Hughes. “It is very difficult because the top four are some of the best clubs in world football.

“It will be a long journey but it is a task we have set ourselves and we have made a start.”

In fact, the manner of City’s victory was probably better than a comfortable start to life at the top table.

If nothing else it proved why Hughes is trying so hard to prise Lescott away from Everton.

For years, Richard Dunne has been the rock at the centre of City’s defence, winning the player–of–the–year award four seasons on the trot.

Yet alongside Toure, the Irishman’s positional deficiencies are exposed.

The last–ditch tackles look more like attempts to make up for mistakes, however small, rather than astute defending.

As City are learning, the ambition attracts attention, not all of it positive.

“At times we are a bit bemused about the strength of some of the comments,” said Hughes. “All we are trying to do is make our club better.

“There is expectation now, and we are going to have to deal with it.

“For the moment we are just hoping to do better than we did last year.”

As City finished 10th last term, that should not be too difficult given in excess of £200million has been spent in the last 15 months trying to improve an already competitive squad.

Lescott would be the last addition of the summer and, for all the posturing of David Moyes, senior football figures expect a deal to go through at some point before August draws to a close, for a fee around £22million.

Everton’s 6-1 home humiliation by Arsenal may, in fact, hasten the move.