Source: Daily_Mail
Fulham boss Mark Hughes: I would not stab another manager in the back
Arms crossed: Hughes says he was poorly treated by City [LNB]Roberto Mancini has no regrets about speaking to Manchester City's owners while Mark Hughes was still manager at the club. The Italian said he feels no guilt because, quite simply, 'this is life'.[LNB] For Hughes, however, now the boss of Fulham, stabbing a fellow manager in the back is not the done thing. The Welshman said he had never done it, but was not naive enough to think it did not go on. [LNB]There was no bitterness in Hughes's words, just an air ofdetermination. However, he did say: 'People understood at the timethere were things going wrong that were disrespectful to me, the roleand the job I was trying to do. It was disrespectful towards me, theway I was treated in the end.' [LNB]It will be fascinating to watch the pair endure that long walk outacross the pitch from the dressing room to the dug-out when City travelto Craven Cottage tomorrow.[LNB]'It is not something that sits comfortably with me or something I'veever done,' said Hughes, speaking exactly 11 months after he was sackedby City. [LNB]'I have respect for people's position. If clubs cometo you and ask if you are interested, I would say I wasn't aware therewas a vacancy. '[But] I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen.With hindsight I was maybe aware of what had gone on. If I had wonevery game, I would still be there. I understand it wasn't anybodyelse's fault.' [LNB] 'This is the life of a football manager today' Mancini has said himself he met City owner SheikMansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in London at the beginning ofDecember. [LNB]Hughes was not sacked until December 19, hours aftera 4-3 win over Sunderland. But Mancini said he had no regrets about hisconduct. Furthermore, he said managers had no obligation to respecttheir peers - or their peers' positions. [LNB] The City boss said: 'This is the manager's life. Today, you can stay here, tomorrow you can be at another club. When one manager doesn't work there is another manager. It's not my problem. If the manager doesn't accept this, he doesn't do this job.' [LNB] Enlarge But Hughes hit out at City's owners,insisting business principles should not be applied to football. He said: 'I would suggest succession planning is wrong in football. If you plan for what is going to happen at Christmas when a manager is still in place there's no way you can keep that quiet.' [LNB]City, who will have goalkeeper Joe Hart fit for Sunday's match, travel to west London with the same number of points (22) they had achieved after 13 Barclays Premier League games under the management of Hughes last season. [LNB]With Mancini in charge, however, they have conceded and scored fewer goals and lost two more games. But the City boss insisted his side had improved. [LNB]Mancini said: 'We have bought fantastic players - and we are fourth. With all the problems we've had with injuries, we are there.' [LNB]Hughes, whose Fulham side will be without Moussa Dembele for three weeks after the Belgium forward damaged his left ankle on international duty, said: 'They made the change with the view that they wanted to accelerate the process of getting success. That doesn't seem to have happened, in fairness. But you have to say it's only a matter of time.'[LNB] Grow up Mario! Balotelli should start playing for Manchester City before thinking about leaving, snipes Roberto ManciniHughes has moved on but Fulham boss is determined to stop Man CityFULHAM v Man City: Moussa Dembele ruled out but Carlos Salcido is back from injuryFULHAM FC
