It's clear. Hughes isn't going.
Man City expect to attract big names
Sunday, 17 May 2009 22:25
Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook is confident of attracting players to the club despite a lack of European football and views the failure as a blessing in disguise.
City's defeat at Tottenham means they cannot finish seventh in the Barclays Premier League and will not qualify for the revamped Europa League next season.
With the money from their Abu Dhabi-based owners, Cook still feels the club will get the players manager Mark Hughes wants.
Cook said: 'The club is building. The chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who was here (at White Hart Lane), and the owners, are committed to the long-term building of the club.
'I don't think necessarily getting into the Europa League is going to change the impact of whether we are going to build.
'That is not going to make a difference. In fact, in some ways it might give us the chance to get to the next piece of rebuilding. We have spent a lot of time this year rebuilding and restructuring and as we moved forward, it is all part of the building process.
'Our ambitions are higher than this, of course they are. Everyone's ambitions are bigger.
'You always want to reach for the highest possible achievement you can. But, at this moment, we have had a good year, we are relatively pleased with the year.
'It has given us a good chance to consolidate. The club is now on a firmer footing than it was 12 months ago and with that said, we will continue to build for next year.
'The chairman loves his football. The owners love their football and they are quite pleased with this year. They are committed to what they set out to do.
'At the start of the year, they said we will build this thing slowly and we are looking forward to next year. Now we can begin the hard work which is the pre-season.'
While Cook is looking for the positive side, goalkeeper Shay Given admits the players are disappointed not to finish seventh.
He said: 'We're disappointed we can't qualify for Europe because that was the aim.
'We have been one of the best home teams in the Premier League this season, it's just our away form has let us down.'
Hughes has revealed the wheels are already in motion for getting the players he wants.
'It's a been a long hard season and I think everybody at all levels is looking forward, after the weekend, to a bit of holiday but really the excitement always builds very quickly,' Hughes said.
'It only takes a short period of time when you are not actually working at a club on a daily basis that you start thinking ahead and plans are already in place to make the acquisitions that we want and hopefully in the future we will be stronger again.
'In the second half against Spurs we showed good qualities and qualities that we'll need in abundance and any player I look to bring to the club will have to have to have those qualities.'
Hughes has backed himself as the right man to take the club forward.
'There's been a lack of continuity at Manchester City and that's what they need at this moment in time and where the club is and the position we are in, in our development, I am exactly the right guy to drive it forward and people have to understand that,' he said.
Man City expect to attract big names
Sunday, 17 May 2009 22:25
Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook is confident of attracting players to the club despite a lack of European football and views the failure as a blessing in disguise.
City's defeat at Tottenham means they cannot finish seventh in the Barclays Premier League and will not qualify for the revamped Europa League next season.
With the money from their Abu Dhabi-based owners, Cook still feels the club will get the players manager Mark Hughes wants.
Cook said: 'The club is building. The chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who was here (at White Hart Lane), and the owners, are committed to the long-term building of the club.
'I don't think necessarily getting into the Europa League is going to change the impact of whether we are going to build.
'That is not going to make a difference. In fact, in some ways it might give us the chance to get to the next piece of rebuilding. We have spent a lot of time this year rebuilding and restructuring and as we moved forward, it is all part of the building process.
'Our ambitions are higher than this, of course they are. Everyone's ambitions are bigger.
'You always want to reach for the highest possible achievement you can. But, at this moment, we have had a good year, we are relatively pleased with the year.
'It has given us a good chance to consolidate. The club is now on a firmer footing than it was 12 months ago and with that said, we will continue to build for next year.
'The chairman loves his football. The owners love their football and they are quite pleased with this year. They are committed to what they set out to do.
'At the start of the year, they said we will build this thing slowly and we are looking forward to next year. Now we can begin the hard work which is the pre-season.'
While Cook is looking for the positive side, goalkeeper Shay Given admits the players are disappointed not to finish seventh.
He said: 'We're disappointed we can't qualify for Europe because that was the aim.
'We have been one of the best home teams in the Premier League this season, it's just our away form has let us down.'
Hughes has revealed the wheels are already in motion for getting the players he wants.
'It's a been a long hard season and I think everybody at all levels is looking forward, after the weekend, to a bit of holiday but really the excitement always builds very quickly,' Hughes said.
'It only takes a short period of time when you are not actually working at a club on a daily basis that you start thinking ahead and plans are already in place to make the acquisitions that we want and hopefully in the future we will be stronger again.
'In the second half against Spurs we showed good qualities and qualities that we'll need in abundance and any player I look to bring to the club will have to have to have those qualities.'
Hughes has backed himself as the right man to take the club forward.
'There's been a lack of continuity at Manchester City and that's what they need at this moment in time and where the club is and the position we are in, in our development, I am exactly the right guy to drive it forward and people have to understand that,' he said.