what the papers say

Hughes the boss

The Sun

'Hughes is told: You're the boss'

MARK HUGHES has been promised there will be no meddling from Manchester City’s new owners.

Two Premier League managers have already walked out of their clubs this season at Newcastle and West Ham because of boardroom interference.

But City’s new chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak says that Hughes will not be the owners’ puppet — and will make all the football decisions.

He said: “I’ve made clear to Mark any player he wants comes from him.

“It comes from his requirements, his plan for the club. I’m a fan, but I am not an expert.”

Hughes has hit back at Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger for questioning why the Sheikh bought City.

He believes Wenger fears City could crash the top four.

Hughes said: “It’s nice he has such concern about our club. I don’t have as much concern about his.”

Hughes will rest Robinho and his stars for tonight’s Carling Cup trip to Brighton.

Looking ahead to tonight's Carling Cup clash with Brighton, the south coast team's local paper, The Argus says...

'Smarting Albion can make City pay'

Albion boss Micky Adams believes his “smarting” side has a chance of toppling the richest club in the world. The Seagulls face seemingly insurmountable odds against Manchester City in the second round of the Carling Cup at Withdean tonight.

They suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat at home to nine-man Walsall in League One on Saturday, while City destroyed Portsmouth 6-0 in the Premier League 24 hours later. Adams accepts the task for his team is monumental, even with Robinho left behind in Manchester, but he is looking for a reaction after the woeful outcome against Walsall.

He said: “The disappointment of Saturday has to take care of itself in as much that we need players to be hurting from that and to put on a performance.

“When we sat down to analyse the game, you won’t see many like that ever again. The fact is we got 56 crosses into their box in the second half.

“You expect a little bit of carnage in there and there wasn’t too much carnage, so we have to learn the lessons from that.

“There is no doubt at all that was a disappointing result and performance but we have got to pick ourselves up, because there is no time to sulk. We are all smarting. We have got to prepare for Man City and, whichever side they pick, it is going to be strong.

“If you look at their bench, Ben-Haim, Ball, Sturridge, Ched Evans, Dietmar Hamman, it’s going to be a decent side whoever comes out and it is a big ask for all of us but we have got a chance, of course we have. We are not writing ourselves off.

“I think there will be times in the game when we don’t touch the ball on too many occasions and it’s important we don’t lose our discipline and shape. Then, when we get the ball, we have got to try to retain it as best we can.” Adams is calling on his players to perform without the fear which has inhibited them at home so far this season. They have yet to win in the League in front of their frustrated fans and yet are unbeaten away in all competitions. “There are players at the moment playing without fear away from home but with a little bit of fear at home,” he said. “They need help from me and the coaching staff and their families but they need it from the supporters as well.

“If they get that love and that little bit of care and attention I think we’ll see the best of them again.

“If our home form had been like our away form I don’t think there would be any sort of hysteria. We are expected to win our home games but we have done it around the other way. I do know one thing – it will turn around eventually.” The match is sold out and Albion are anticipating the crowd will narrowly eclipse the current record of 8,691 for the visit of Leeds last October.

Adams sees it as an opportunity to restore fans’ faith.

He said: “I would think we’ve scared a few off but we’ve got to get them back,” he said. “A decent performance against a team fifth in the Premiership – what ever team they put out – will give everyone a massive boost, not least of all the supporters.” On-loan Preston winger Joe Anyinsah, sent off on his debut at Yeovil, could make his first home appearance after Adams criticised his wide men against Walsall. Skipper Nicky Forster is still 50-50 with the dead leg which has troubled him in the last two games.

The Times

'Robinho is excused Brighton's big night'

Manchester City expected to rest stars and send out squad players for Carling Cup second-round tie at the Withdean

The wealthy visiting the homeless would normally be a tale to warm the heart, but the Carling Cup second-round tie between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City at the Withdean Stadium this evening is unlikely to have a happy ending for the have-nots as they take on the haves.

The richest club in the nation are hosted by a team whose cramped and temporary rented accommodation will allow them to do little more than break even financially, while the result looks a foregone conclusion. At the weekend City thrashed Portsmouth 6-0, while Brighton managed to lose their Coca-Cola League One match at home to Walsall 1-0, with their opponents playing nearly an hour of the match with only nine men.

City are expected to give outings to squad players, sparing Robinho the shock of playing his first away match for City at the converted athletics track at the Withdean, where the costs of rental and laying on transport will eat up any profits even on this evening's sell-out crowd.

“The contrast between the clubs has been put into even greater relief since the draw was made,” Martin Perry, the Brighton chief executive, said. “One is a situation of great wealth, one is a situation of great passion - although, of course, there is great passion among the City fans. They have suffered in their way and things are coming round for us now that our new stadium is beginning to be sorted out.”

Might City offer to waive their share of the gate? “It would be a great gesture, but we're not talking about huge sums of money, and, anyway, it's a game for the fans,” Perry said.

And the players. “It's a challenge and one we've got to be excited by,” Micky Adams, the Brighton manager, said. “It is an opportunity for my players to show what they are made of.”

And finally, we now know who's fault it was for City running riot last Sunday...?

The Daily Mirror tell us...

'Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp takes blame for Man City thrashing ahead of Chelsea visit'

Manager Harry Redknapp has accepted the blame for Portsmouth's 6-0 thrashing at Manchester City.

Redknapp held an inquest into the club's worst top-flight defeat for 21 years. On the eve of his team's cup clash with Chelsea, he said: "Maybe it was my fault.

"I went for it at half-time when we were 2-0 down. My players took me literally and flooded forward, and we left ourselves wide open."