Fulham v Manchester City:MARK HUGHES has dismissed Roberto Mancini's record since the Italian replaced him as Manchester City boss last December, claiming he would have taken the club further by this point.

Despite spending €158 million on players, Mancini's record this season is worse than Hughes's at Eastlands last term, with the same points after 13 games but an inferior goal difference.

Hughes implied City should not have sacked him as he prepared his Fulham side to face them at Craven Cottage tomorrow.

"They made the change with the view that they wanted to accelerate the process of getting success," he said. "That doesn't seem to have happened.

"I knew they had to spend significantly more money (last) summer - that opportunity was going to be given to myself. It wasn't. If I had still been there I would have been there two and a half years so that would have helped."

Mancini strongly defended his record, claiming City are far stronger under his management.

"We have improved a lot," he said. "We have won a lot of away games. We are in fourth position, two points behind (Manchester) United. We must check again at the end of the season, but I think we will get into the Champions League and probably win something."

Hughes further raised the temperature before tomorrow's game by accusing the City hierarchy of not understanding the unique nature of football.

"You need more time. Football is different from business," he said. "Sometimes when business people come into football then there's a lot of strategy, business-speak, that flies around because coming into football, that's their world - they think they can apply those principles to business."

Guardian Service

Fulham v Manchester City Tomorrow, Craven Cottage Kick-off - 4pm Live on Sky Sports 1