Source: PA
Hughes defends City transfer record
Fulham boss Mark Hughes has defended his transfer record at Manchester City, insisting he brought three of their best players to the club.
Hughes will return to Eastlands for the first time since he was sacked just over a year ago when Fulham face City in the Premier League on Sunday.
The 47-year-old spent millions trying to fulfil the lofty ambitions of City's owners when Sheikh Mansour bought the club two and a half years ago.
Roberto Mancini has done the same since replacing Hughes and has also undertaken something of a cull of players recruited by his predecessor, with the likes of Robinho sold and Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bridge all out on loan. But Hughes has rubbished suggestions his transfer policy had been flawed.
"We had to very quickly move in the market and bring in better players and stronger players, and that's what we did," said the Welshman. "If you look at the City side now, I would suggest some of their main performers, and strongest, are the likes of Vincent Kompany, Nigel de Jong and Carlos Tevez. They've had a huge impact for City.
"Along the way, some purchases haven't worked for whatever reasons, not really in terms of the ability those players have, but because of circumstances and the thinking of the management team and the coaches. And that happens when there's a change in management."
