Source: SKY_Sports
Hughes out to silence critics
Mark Hughes is determined to prove a point to those who questioned Manchester City's summer shopping spree.
The Blues, who have ambitions of breaking into the UEFA Champions League over the next few years, spent big during pre-season on an array of international superstars.
The likes of Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure were brought in to complement the abundance of talent already residing at Eastlands.
Unsurprisingly, City's actions have drawn criticism from some quarters, with their new-found wealth making them an easy target.
Hughes, though, insists he is happy with the business he has been able to complete and is adamant that he now has a squad capable of challenging the very best in England.
"A lot of those comments came at a time when we hadn't finished our strategy," said Hughes.
"I've always said I would never allow City to become weaker before becoming stronger.
"I said I would always make sure we brought players into the club first before we allowed them to leave, and that's what happened.
"We were able to conclude a number of deals, most of them concerned attack-minded players.
"Once we got them through the door it was a case of allowing other players to leave, or go out on loan.
"We always knew what we were trying to do, and now we're quite comfortable with where we are in terms of an attacking threat."
The majority of City's summer signings were brought in to add firepower to the side, with Hughes now boasting an enviable arsenal of attacking weapons.
The Welshman admits even he is unsure as to which combinations will work best this term, but he is delighted to have so many options available to him.
"I'm happy with the quality we've got," he said.
"We've Robi (Robinho) to come back, so I'm delighted with the quality we can put on the pitch, in whatever combination.
"We've looked at different things, had different combinations, and we've not investigated them all to this point.
"I'm sure as the season progresses we'll see different formations and different personnel and combinations of personnel.
"It's obviously about making sure we get the job done, and that means picking the right players for the right teams."
