Manchester City Football Club News

• Nickname:Sky Blues
• Founded:1887
• Manager:Roberto Mancini

• Ground:City of Manchester Stadium
• Capacity:48,000

Robinho form delights Hughes

27 Oct 2008 - 07:36:58

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Manchester City star Robinho won high praise from manager Mark Hughes after his hat-trick fired the Citizens to a 3-0 home victory over Stoke City.

The £32million Brazilian recruit has now scored six goals in six appearances for City since his arrival from Real Madrid and Hughes is delighted with the South American.

He said: "Robinho is key to what we are trying to do here and maybe in the past he has not had that feeling. He is responding in a really positive way.

"The crowd adore what he is producing and rightly so. He has a really close relationship with everyone here, which shows what an impact he has made here in a very short space of time.

"He was excellent today. It was not just his goals, it was his footballing intelligence and his appreciation of where his team-mates were, where the opposition were and how best to hurt them in an attacking sense.

"His awareness of players around him and understanding of when to play the ball at the correct angle and time with the right pace is as good as I have seen.

"That is the quality he has. What is helping now is he is showing real pleasure and enjoyment in the football he is producing and his role in the team.

"Maybe there will come a point when his form will dip, but given the way he approaches training and the work we put into him, I can see him having a great season from start to finish."