Hughes' Head On The Guillotine At City

According the The Sun, that ever-reliable beacon of truth and insight, last night's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur has officially put Hughes in the danger zone.

The Welshman only arrived at Eastlands in the summer, deserting his post at Blackburn Rovers to pick up the slack left by Sven-Goran Eriksson - but it would appear that City's new owners are even more demanding than Thaksin Shinawatra was.

And fair enough, some would say, given the money Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) have already invested in the club. The €42.5 million required to prise Robinho from Real Madrid didn't spring out of thin air, after all.

ADUG and Hughes have set about planning their assault on the January transfer market, with plenty more high-profile stars expected to join the revolution at the City of Manchester Stadium. But it remains to be seen whether 'Sparky', as he is affectionately known, will still be in charge when winter hits.

The Sky Blues have been erratic this season, alternating between masterclasses in creative, attacking football and sloppy, indifferent showings from week to week. Their away form has been of particular concern - three points in six games - but just as worrying is their inability to scrape results at home.

The loss to Spurs, who were sitting dead last, means City now have three wins, three defeats and zero draws on their own patch - hardly the consistency expected of a team hoping to challenge for Champions League spots.

A Sun source said: “Hughes has not got long. Even if he had beaten Spurs his job was in jeopardy — now losing has taken him to the edge.”

The validity of these rumours remains in question, however, especially as Hughes recently claimed that he and City chairman Garry Cook were embroiled in a continuous and long-sighted discussion over the club's future.

Kieran Quentin