Manchester City 3 Burnley 3: City boss Mark Hughes says fans must be patient

09 November 2009 02:53
An awful lot of money has bought Manchester City promise and progress in recent times, but what Mark Hughes needs more than anything at the moment is to be afforded patience.[LNB]The foundations of success at Eastlands were laid during the summer. This is a City team with much better players and a much better attitude.[LNB]But throwing players together quickly is no guarantee of immediate results and those City followers irritated by their team's failure to capitalise on their good start to the season should be aware genuine success could be some time away yet.[LNB] Showing the strain City boss Hughes reacts to Burnley's late equaliser[LNB] To reach the Champions League places at the end of the season, City must displace one of the Barclays Premier League's big four and that remains a big ask.[LNB]City are a team of new players. Only Stephen Ireland of the XI that started on Saturday has been at the club for more than 18 months.[LNB]At Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and - to a lesser extent - Arsenal, there is a core of players who have been together for some time. It's an important difference.[LNB]Hughes actually believes his team to be ahead of schedule. With the addition of new defenders in January and more time on the training field, he believes the second half of this season will be better than the first.[LNB]But whether that holds much water with the fans who booed City at full-time after a fifth successive draw is another matter. Many don't seem to want to wait.[LNB]Give us a kiss: Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta squares up to Burnley's Stephen Jordan[LNB] 'I think we have done well given the small amount of games the players have played together,' said Hughes. 'Success comes from experience of playing together. The more we play together, the better we'll be.'[LNB]City's problems are obvious. The two central defenders Hughes bought in the summer, Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott, have not developed an understanding, while his full backs, especially Wayne Bridge, are struggling with their positional play. [LNB]City also lack a world-class defensive midfield player. If they had bought Javier Mascherano instead of Carlos Tevez then they would be a better team. City were undone against Burnley by familar failings in a terrific game.[LNB]Two goals down after a penalty from Graham Alexander his 13th success in 13 attempts for Burnley and a close-range finish from Steven Fletcher, Hughes's team fought back through Shaun Wright-Phillips and Toure before taking what was a deserved lead thanks to a goal from Craig Bellamy with half an hour left.[LNB]But just when Hughes thought he had his first win in five games, Bridge lost possession in his own half and substitute Kevin McDonald levelled.[LNB]Burnley were terrific in gaining their first away point of the season. Owen Coyle's team carry a goal threat and their defending is getting better.[LNB]There was no hiding from City's failings, though, and Hughes didn't attempt to. 'Maybe Bridgey on a couple of occasions made the wrong decisions and things happened from that point,' he said. 'But it wasn't just Wayne today.'[LNB] MANCHESTER CITY

Source: Daily_Mail