Source: Telegraph
Mark Hughes wants Manchester City fans to be 12th man
Manchester City v Hamburg
Kick-off: Thurs Apr 16, 7.45pm, City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester
TV: ITV4, Setanta Ireland
Radio: BBC Radio Five Live
Hughes's side face an enormous task if they are to secure a place in the last four of the competition after losing the quarter-final first leg 3-1 in Germany last week.
That was City's fourth defeat in five games. Since then City have succumbed 3-1 at home to Fulham, a defeat which was too much to stomach for some fans.
Hughes was taunted during and after Easter Sunday's setback, but he believes tonight's full house at Eastlands can help City overcome their two-goal deficit against Martin Jol's side and save their season from falling flat.
A crowd of 47,000, around 7,000 more than the turnout for the tepid performance against Fulham, is expected after City officials opted to reduce ticket prices to as low as £5 for adults.
'I felt disappointed some fans felt the need to do that,' said Hughes, when asked about the negative crowd reaction towards him last weekend. 'Our fans have been excellent. It was frustration at the weekend.
'At home to Hamburg you will see our fans are the 12th man. We need everyone behind us.'
Shaun Wright-Phillips, who is expected to recover from an ankle injury to take his place in the starting line-up, urged fans to look at the bigger picture. 'It's tough for him [Hughes],' he said. 'I believe everyone has to be a bit more patient with the manager.
'People should see that we have come a long way in a short space of time. It is a matter of building things so they are bigger and better.
'If everyone has the faith and has the patience they had when the club was first taken over, then we will be fine.'
Having seen his decision to leave Robinho out of the side against Fulham backfire, Hughes said there was 'a strong possibility' the Brazilian will start against Hamburg. He insisted that criticism of the striker, who has not scored in 2009, had been unjust, although he conceded that some teams had been able to neutralise his effectiveness.
But Hughes, who is likely to again be without the injured Craig Bellamy, believes the player can recover from his goal drought.
'Some of the criticism has been a bit unjust,' said Hughes, 'but maybe teams have looked at him and worked out how to make him have less of an impact.'
Jol, the former Spurs manager, has warned his players the tie is far from over: 'It will be a big task to win here.'
Manchester City (4-4-2; probable): Given; Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Bridge; Wright-Phillips, Zabaleta, Ireland, Elano; Petrov, Robinho.
Hamburg (4-4-2; probable): Rost; Jansen, Mathijsen, Boateng, Gravgaard; Jarolim, Trochowski, Aogo, Pitroipa; Olic, Guerrero.
Referee: N Rizzoli (Italy).
