Mark Hughes bears no grudge towards Manchester City over sacking
Mark Hughes harbours no resentment towards Manchester City as he prepares to face the club he watched transform into a global giant before his eyes.
Stoke boss Hughes spent just over a season in the managerial post at City, during which time they were taken over by owner Sheikh Mansour in 2008.
Hughes was the first to reap the benefits of Mansour's lavish spending as the likes of Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez arrived, but he was then axed in December 2009 to make way for Italian Roberto Mancini.
The Welshman, who admitted he knew the writing was on the wall when the club changed hands, will have no thoughts of revenge when Manuel Pellegrini brings City to the Britannia Stadium this weekend.
"I've no bitterness towards City. I wasn't really their guy," said Hughes.
"I was appointed by another group of people so when that group changed, if I'm honest, it was only a matter of time before I got replaced. Looking back I probably lasted as long as I could."
City continued to grow under Mancini and Pellegrini, winning two top-flight titles in three seasons, and a B#265million investment from China this week suggests they could soar to another level yet.
It is a fry cry from the club Hughes first arrived at seven years ago, although he did see their ascent coming.
"There was a desire and will from the owners to really try and move it on very, very quickly, probably more quickly than I thought initially," he added.
"It doesn't surprise me that amount of finance that has been thrown at it. They have ability now because they are viewed as a world club, whereas previously when I was there it was a mid-table Premier League club if we're honest. The change that has taken place is unprecedented. It's a completely different club from when I was there."
The significant cash injection has allowed City to sign the likes of Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero, although both will miss out against the Potters due to injury.
Hughes noted they will "probably replace them with two other B#25million players", but reserved praise for Aguero, who he believes is one of the leading strikers in the game.
"I'm a huge fan of Aguero, I think he's an outstanding player," Hughes, a former forward himself, said. "His ability to change games in City's favour is there for everybody to see and he's done it on so many occasions.
"You need game changers like that. He's certainly one of the best in the world in my view."
Stoke's own striker Peter Crouch will be missing for this clash, and possibly the remainder of the calendar year, with the hamstring injury he picked up against Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.
Versatile defender Marc Muniesa is back in full training and Ryan Shawcross is free from the suspension, but both Peter Odemwingie and Shay Given are missing again with respective hamstring and knee injuries.
Pellegrini has refused to rule out the prospect of leading his side to a clean sweep of trophies this season.
After a week in which the league leaders reached the Capital One Cup semi-finals with victory over Hull, Pellegrini maintained that while an unprecedented quadruple remains far from his mind, it is not impossible.
Pellegrini, who is set to restore goalkeeper Joe Hart to his starting line-up after two weeks out with an ankle injury, said: "I think the best way to do it is not to think about it and stay focused on your next game.
"When you continue in all the competitions you have so many games, and really not thinking if we can win all four - the important thing is to continue with those options in every game you play.
"It always must be the target of the big clubs. We try to be a big club and to think as a big club, so of course it can be an option but we are not thinking about that."
City's progress in the domestic competitions as well as the UEFA Champions League has come at a price with the respective returns of Hart and David Silva off-set by further losses this week.
Sergio Aguero is out of the trip to Stoke with a heel injury, although Pellegrini is hopeful the Argentinian striker will be fit to return for the midweek Champions League clash with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Yaya Toure is out after suffering a muscle injury in training and Eliaquim Mangala is suspended, joining Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri on the sidelines.
Source: PAR
