Source: SKY_Sports
Hughes - Upheaval was needed
Mark Hughes admits that the upheaval at Manchester City this summer had to be done, but says it will not happen again.
The City boss has brought in eight new faces for a combined total of more than £100million, while also seeing eight first-team players leave Eastlands.
However, the Welshman believes that such a great turnover was needed to ensure that the club are now in a position to challenge for the top honours for years to come.
But with expensive new signings comes expectation and, having moulded the team to his own desires, Hughes knows his side must continue to perform.
"We won't be going into the market to this extent again," he said. "There has been an unprecedented change in personnel.
"It was basically a process that should have been done over a three-to-five-year period but we have tried to make it happen in two windows.
"In future we will be looking to acquire players that will add value to the club and become great players at Manchester City rather than going out to the market and paying a premium because we need the players now.
"The vast majority of the team is in my design. Someone put a graphic on TV the other day which showed all the positions in the team filled with my signings.
"We are in good shape now, as we have bought well, and are in a better position than we were 12 months ago."
Despite opening the new season with three Premier League wins, Hughes would be the first to admit that the real indicator for what his side can achieve this term will come after the
international break when City face Arsenal and bitter rivals
Manchester United in quick succession.
All eyes will be firmly focused on City to see how they fare but Hughes has backed his players to deal with the pressure.
"It has been a really exciting time and there has been a huge amount of interest in what we have been doing," he added.
"That can be a bad thing but it can also be stimulating. We have all enjoyed the attention. It raises expectation but we have had that for nine months now.
"It is not something that fazes us. We are enjoying being where we are."
