Is Mark Hughes Responsible For Manchester City's Ailing Season?

"We will get better, but we are still a team with obvious frailties and we will work to address them when the transfer window opens again. What we need to have is that consistent level of performance and that resoluteness to be able to see games out and take something positive from every game we play. At the moment we are struggling on that point, but we are a young team in terms of experience and development."

- Tuesday 7th October, 2008. Mark Hughes emphasises the frailties of his squad after Manchester City throw away a 2-0 lead to fall to defeat to Liverpool, the clearest indication yet that the takeover elation had alleviated.

"The fact is that at this moment we are not in a position we would like to be but I think most people in football understand that's not where we anticipate being at the end of the year and as a consequence our ability to attract players won't be damaged. We are going to turn it round. We are going to bring players in who will help the quality players we have here and when we do that then almost immediately there will be an upturn in fortunes."

- Wednesday 24th December, 2008. An alarming vein of form – one victory out of nine league matches - sees Manchester City decline into the Premiership relegation trap-door, but the approaching January transfer window revitalises optimism and bouyancy as the club look to demonstrate their new-found financial vigour.

“We are not too far away. We just need a couple of strong signings to address conspicuous issues in the team. Maybe the acquisition of different types of players to the ones we have already got will leave us in better shape.”

- Monday 13th April, 2009. Aggrevations are evident from the stands as Europa League rivals Fulham leapfrog a one-goal shortfall to iniate the home side’s self-detonation, leaving Manchester City on 38 points from 32 games and the bitter taste of defeat for the sixteenth occasion this season.

Even before the much-publicised takeover from Abu Dhabi, speculation was mounting over Mark Hughes’ future in Manchester – initially as a result of the predecessing owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, interfering with first-team affairs and the potential sale of one or two of their players – but nine-and-a-half months have descended into the past since last September and his tenure has caused more divides and splits than upturns and development.

The Eastlands hotseat could, as of right now, be considered one of the pressure cauldron’s of modern-day football as eternal fortunes attempt to awake the sleeping giant. The man assigned this duty, or necessity, was described as “an honest man, he’s a leader, he’s tough and he is everything you would want in a head coach. We trust him, he’s one of the gems we saw in this club once we came here.”

As the end to his first-full season is nigh, Mark Hughes has numerously been forced into a defensive stance, protecting his underperforming crew for their consistent naggling of mediocrity and infuriatingly unpredictable nature, while his quotes from above may be considered as a fresh batch of excuses. After all, in the months leading up to January he was quoted as publicly stating that once the new arrivals were embedded into the squad, there would be an immediate upheaval in results, but we are still left waiting and wondering. Have there been too many negatives and coverups, such as the embarrassing domestic cup exits to Brighton and Nottingham Forest, to justify retaining his position, or would it only stoke the fire caused by the critic’s and cause more ill-timed chaos? Where does the blame lie, the manager, the inflated-egos of the dressing room, both?

Given the vast amounts which have already been parted with and undoubtedly the endless stream of riches to follow, should Mark Hughes be feeling the uncomfortable weight of expectation so early in his managerial career at the club and has it only acted to stifle on-field performances? How does the 2008-2009 season compare to others? Does it stink of malfunction and disarray, or one of transition and glimpses of anticipation? Decide for yourself from the table below.

Judging simply by Premiership results, the 2008-2009 campaign ranks as the second-worst since they regained their top-flight status in 2002, and that is with inheriting a squad deemed as promising and that has had the benefit of unrivalled investment, albeit for only two transfer windows. The distance between Manchester City and the team positioned fourth has never been so huge, while also suffering the poorest away record from those past campaigns. On the positive, inroads have been made via Europe in the UEFA Cup and and goals have guaranteed the entertainment, even if the defending has left us in stitches, and the only way is up, surely?

Six matches remain for Mark Hughes, with the most important tie arguably lying outside of the domestic season as Hamburg travel to England with a clear two-goal advantage for Thursday’s decisive clash, as he welcomes the owner’s in the hope he still has their backing.

We will focus more on Manchester City’s season and the future of Mark Hughes when the outcome of their remaining matches is known, stay tuned.