Source: Daily_Mail
Hughes was given stay of execution to help Mancini settle in at Man City
Manchester City delayed sacking Mark Hughes by three weeks in order to give new manager Roberto Mancini an easy start to his Eastlands career.[LNB]City fired Hughes after Saturday's 4-3 home win over Sunderland even though the team are sixth in the Barclays Premier League and have lost just two games.[LNB] Make yourself at home: Mancini looks around Carrington on Sunday[LNB]It emerged a verbal agreement on Mancini's three-and-a-half-year contract was reached on December 2, as City beat Arsenal in the Carling Cup, but the board wanted to delay the appointment until after tough games against Chelsea, Bolton and Tottenham.[LNB] HAVE YOUR SAY... Are Manchester City right to replace Mark Hughes with Roberto Mancini? What do you make of the goings on at Manchester City? Were the ambitious club right to axe manager Mark Hughes so ruthlessly after a 4-3 victory over Sunderland? And is relatively inexperienced former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini the right man to take the Eastlands hot seat? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Mancini, set to earn £10million during his time at City, will begin hisreign with fixtures against Stoke, Wolves and then Middlesbrough in theFA Cup.[LNB]The 45-year-old Italian is a friend of City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and will be presented at a press conference today (Monday).[LNB]Mancini's former Sampdoria team-mate David Platt may be invited to join Brian Kidd on the staff.[LNB]Khaldoon will miss this afternoon's press conference, while executive chairman Garry Cook will not take any questions about the shoddy manner of the sacking.[LNB]It also emerged Cook had the temerity to wish Hughes's staff a 'HappyChristmas and New Year' after telling them they were dumped.[LNB] Spot of bother: A penalty strike from Carlos Tevez couldn't save Hughes his job despite helping City to a 4-3 win over Sunderland[LNB]Hughes said on Sunday night: 'Given the speed of my successor's appointment, it would appear the club made the decision some considerable time ago.[LNB] In and out: David Platt may be invited to join City's backroom after Hughes' axe[LNB]At the beginning of the season it was agreed a realistic target would be sixth place or 70 points. We were on target at the time of my dismissal.'[LNB]Mancini is expected to take fitness coach Ivan Carminati and perhaps former Inter No 2 Fausto Salsano to the club.[LNB] Vultures: People running Manchester City have shown they don't deserve to be involved in English footballNo warm welcome for this icy Italian as Roberto Mancini faces bumpy ride in Manchester City hot seatMan City 4 Sunderland 3: Santa Cruz at the double for Hughes' last standALL THE MANCHESTER CITY FC
