Source: Daily_Mail
Kaizer Chiefs 0 Manchester City 1: Hughes stays calm after Fergie taunts
Mark Hughes held back his big guns during a friendly in South Africa on Tuesday night then held his fire when given the opportunity to ignite a public slanging match with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferguson said Manchester City are unlikely to make the top four this season and Carlos Tevez is not worth the £25million City paid for him.
But, after weakened City's 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs, Hughes said: 'Sir Alex is a person I have huge respect for, but I don't always have to agree with him. Everyone has their own opinion and that was obviously Sir Alex's. I'm sure many people will disagree with him.'
Control centre: midfielder Gareth Barry looks composed on his City debut in evading Abia Nale
Control centre: midfielder Gareth Barry looks composed on his City debut in evading Abia Nale
Hughes was equally diplomatic over the issue of Tevez, adding: 'Other people's valuations will be different to ours. We look at the worth they will give to Manchester City not other clubs.'
In game two of City's pre-season tour though, there was again no sign of the big-game strikers Hughes has acquired with the millions handed to him by the club's Arab owners. Nor was there an indication of how he will keep those players happy this season.
No Tevez, apparently rested as a precaution because of an ankle knock, and no Emmanuel Adebayor. With Roque Santa Cruz sidelined after surgery on his knee injury, and Robinho not due to join his teammates until Friday, tournament sponsors Vodacom could be forgiven for feeling a little short-changed.
'Tevez had a bruised heel and it was aggravated in training,' revealed Hughes. 'We are hoping it will settle and it would be great to give him the opportunity to play. We have a world class striker with us now and we are delighted. World class strikers rarely come on to the market and we are lucky to have the opportunity to get him.
Kelvin Etuhu
Battle: Kelvin Etuhu attempts to power through the Kaizer Chiefs
'If our new players are fit, they will play. We do not want to compromise our players if they are not ready. However we would like to present them in the final.'
'Manchester City's galaxy of stars will add to the considerable list of world-class talent that has already paraded at the Vodacom Challenge over the last 10 years,' proclaimed the official tournament brochure.
In fairness to City, five of Tuesday night's starting line-up could expect to play on the opening day of the season, including Stephen Ireland, who scored the only goal of the game, and at least Gareth Barry made his debut.
Barry, who was booked, said: 'I've signed a five-year contract and I believe in that time I will be playing Champions League football. I was delighted to get a run-out. The main thing was the fitness and to get 60 minutes and come out of it feeling good.
'I have only been training for a week with City. There are new faces and the training is different, but I am getting used to it.'
But it was the appearance of Felipe Caicedo and Kelvin Etuhu in place of any of the strikers Hughes has paid more than £110million to sign over the last 12 months that will have left fans most disappointed.
It was a bit like a tourist who heads for South Africa's game parks in search of lions, elephants, leopards, buffalos and rhinos but instead has to make do with a deer.
That will be of little concern to Hughes, who maintains that his job is to get the team ready for August 15, when City go to Blackburn on the opening day of the season. He could also point out that United had more than a few fringe players on show when they won this tournament last summer.
Victory can be a powerful argument, and a 1-0 win over the Chiefs at least fended off stronger criticism of the City manager's team selection following Saturday's defeat by Orlando Pirates in Polokwane.
But Ferguson was in charge of a settled side that had just secured a Champions League and Barclays Premier League double, while Hughes has a lot of work to do, integrating his new players after another busy summer in the transfer market and not much time to do it.
Only three friendlies - against Barnsley, Rangers and Celtic - remain after Saturday's final in Johannesburg before he must decide on his best XI for the start of the new season and, most intriguingly, which strikers to lead the line.
Could Adebayor play alongside Santa Cruz, for instance, or will he go with one target man?
It is unlikely the Paraguayan waited so long for City to rescue him from Blackburn just to play second fiddle. Adebayor, too, is used to being the main man at Arsenal. One of the reasons Tevez left United was his lack of opportunities in his second season at Old Trafford.
But if he and Robinho both play, where does that leave Craig Bellamy? The fiery Welshman spoke at the weekend of his determination to fight for a first-team place with the club's more expensive signings and will not be a happy substitute.
All that is without factoring in the likes of Caicedo, Etuhu, Benjani, Ched Evans and Valeri Bojinov, assuming they have a future at Eastlands.
And, while Hughes knows depth in his squad is essential, he does not have the added fixtures of a European campaign.
Shaun Wright-Phillips (top) of Manchester City is challenged by Tinashe Negomasha of Kaizer Chiefs
Flying high: Shaun Wright-Phillips is challenged by Tinashe Negomasha as goalscorer Stephen Ireland looks on
Barry turned down the chance of Champions League football with Liverpool this season to join City, and the England midfielder will have been satisfied enough with his debut.
City made the better chances of an even first half but were lucky not to go behind in the 26th minute after Mandla Masango turned the ball just wide from close range.
They went ahead seconds before the break when Caicedo crossed for Ireland to tap home from inside the six-yard box. Benjani came on to partner Etuhu in the second half.
Whether Ferguson was right to dismiss City's chances of troubling United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal in the race for Champions League places, time will tell. After an uneventful night in Durban, we are none the wiser.
