MARK Hughes should let a substantial grin spread across that normally neutral Welsh countenance. His old boss now rates his team sufficiently dangerous, ahead of tomorrow's derby at Old Trafford, to reach under the desk for the big black book of psychological warfare.
The first skirmishes came at the start of the season when Sir Alex Ferguson described the richest football business in the world as a "small club". This week he escalated the conflict with a broad-ranging attack on United's upstart neighbours. "Cocky
" is the new buzzword. Hughes has known Ferguson long enough to be able to put the word through the mind-games translator and come up with "confident". No wonder Ferguson is fuming.
Ferguson also suggested that, having spent £120million in the summer, Hughes really has to win the title. This is a piece of provocative nonsense contradicting Ferguson's own experience that you can't buy a title overnight. United have spent a similar amount over the course of several seasons, bedding players in over time. Ferguson's preference in the past has been for one or two marquee signings alongside a handful of promising youngsters who can be assimilated gently. If you have invested that amount of money in sensible stages, then you really have to win the title. The pressure of expectation is more logically placed on United rather than City.
Still, early results have suggested that, so far, Hughes isn't struggling to accommodate the egos and reputations now available to him. City have as many points as United, having played one game fewer. Ferguson sniffily suggested that City's success was entirely due to the fixture list having delivered a "softish" start. United had to negotiate the daunting opening trio of Birmingham, Burnley and Wigan. In their fourth game they beat Arsenal in mildly controversial circumstances.
City have beaten Blackburn, Wolves and Portsmouth before seeing off Arsenal in considerably more controversial circumstances in their fourth game. So far, so similar, although Hughes might point out that United's fifth game was a visit to White Hart Lane, while City's is a trip to Old Trafford.
Ferguson's attack on Emmanuel Adebayor was a little unfocused seeing as the forward won't be available for tomorrow's game. It suggests that the United manager is looking to belabour City on all fronts, regardless of logic, claiming that their massive investment demands a title, while, at the same time, identifying the idea of having seven centre-forwards as "crazy".
The fallout from Adebayor's unhinged antics against Arsenal last Sunday drew attention away from what was a very impressive team performance and a noteworthy result. Given those "softish" early wins, it was the first resounding proof of City's credibility as top-four contenders. While Adebayor's interventions grabbed the headlines, the performances of Stephen Ireland, Micah Richards, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Craig Bellamy ensured the victory. These were players who were on Hughes' books back in that era before Abu Dhabi, the lads who had looked on in awe when Robinho arrived. The suspicion is that their attitude will be the key as to how City progress this season. They can either rise to the challenge and be inspired by the new talent on the roster or shrink into the fearful suspicion that they are about to be replaced by more illustrious international stars. Against Arsenal they resoundingly showed the former inclination, Ireland in particular looking like the focus of this team, outshining Cesc Fabregas.
With the departure of Richard Dunne, City need a leader, a rallying point for their disparate and multi-national, if expensive and talented squad. In the recent past, Ireland would have been an extremely unlikely candidate for the role. It seems, though, that he has now outgrown past indiscretions, that included the fabricated deaths or divorces of several grandparents, and celebrating a goal by exposing Superman underpants. His relationship with the Irish national team remains reminiscent of that of another indomitable box-to-box midfielder, Roy Keane, and he may underline the comparison by missing a World Cup finals. His performances for City, though, are going from strength to strength. The other notable ingredient in an impressive City team is another Irishman, Hughes's most astute signing. Shay Given remains one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
Although he would prefer to have all his stars available, Hughes might have benefited so far from the injuries to Robinho and Roque Santa Cruz that have allowed his squad players to show their hunger and ability. On Saturday, City also had the asset of Adebayor, a forward dangerously keen to show what he could do to a club that had rejected him and a manager who had failed to revere his talents. His decisive goal, from a fluent breakaway, killed off Arsenal.
Adebayor will be unavailable tomorrow. If only City's squad featured a forward who had been similarly rejected by Manchester United and slighted by the lack of respect from United's manager, determined to show his former club what they had let go.
Oh, wait, it does. Carlos Tevez has declared himself fit for Sunday. Ferguson has predicted "quite a volatile" match. If most of his declarations about City sound disingenuous and self-serving, that one sounds about right.
