Kolo Toure says Manchester City will owe Mark Hughes a huge debt if they end their long wait for a trophy this season.
Hughes returns to City for the first time tomorrow since he was sacked in December 2009 when the club’s mega-rich owners decided the job was too big for him.
While his successor Roberto Mancini has made City a more solid side, the spine of the team is still made up of Hughes signings - Toure, Vincent Kompany, Gareth Barry, Nigel De Jong and captain Carlos Tevez.
And Toure, appointed City captain by Hughes before Mancini handed the armband to Tevez, said the contribution of City’s former boss should not be forgotten.
Before they beat Fulham 4-1 at Craven Cottage last November, Mancini said Hughes would deserve “50 per cent” of the credit if City won silverware or clinched a top-four spot this season.
It is a sentiment with which Toure agrees. “That’s a really fair comment,” said Toure. “For sure he will mean that because Mark did his job and Mancini has done his job.
“They’ve both done a very good job. Mark is coming back here and it will be good to see him. I’ll be pleased to see him. He signed me and I had a great time playing under him.
“When he left it was a bit difficult for us, for all the players. But that’s the way football is.
“What can we do as players? We just do our job and that’s what we’ve done since.
“This is football. Emmanuel Adebayor was here but he’s not anymore.
It can happen to me, it can happen to anybody. It can happen to the manager or players.
“When Ade was here he did fantastically, but he’s not here anymore. It’s the game. I can be here, but next time I can be somewhere else.
“You never know in football. It’s the same with players, managers. We all have to be ready for that.”
Given the undignified manner of his sacking, when Hughes was forced to manage City in a 4-3 win over Sunderland with everyone - including him - aware he was about to lose his job, there is understandable sensitivity at Eastlands over his return.
There is no desire among the City hierarchy, management or players for Hughes to be undermined any more than he was on that day when he received his marching orders after the final whistle.
But Toure, like many at City who had respect for Hughes, believe their former boss was simply a victim of timing and circumstance, rather than his own failings costing him the job.
Crucially, though, Hughes was also not the appointment of City owner Sheikh Mansour, who has bankrolled the revolution at the club through his huge personal fortune.
“There were new players coming and going and a lot of changes,” said Toure. “It was difficult to set up a team like that.
“Now we are starting to know each other better and only a civil way can bring us happiness and that’s what we are trying to do.
“Of course Mark will have extra motivation when he comes back. He will push his team to win and they will attack.
“It won’t be difficult to face him, even though he brought me to this slub. My job is to try do the best for the team, like every other player.
“I wish the best for him, but we will be focused and want to win the game. We still have a chance of winning three trophies.”
Neil Warnock: Where have I seen him before? How Razak did a runner after I had tried to help him at Palace
I would like to tell you a story from my previous club, Crystal Palace.
We had a young lad there who had come over from Ghana to play in a junior tournament and clearly wanted to stay in Britain. He told us he was 15 years old, though he was very reluctant to tell us anything about who he was or where he had come from. He had no passport. What he did have was bags of ability. In fact, I've never seen such a talented 15-year-old.
Palace helped him in a way that I've never seen any club support a young player. They spent a year coaching him and giving him all the support he needed. They made sure he was living in a safe environment and had money in his pocket. When Palace played Manchester City I went out of my way to introduce him to Emmanuel Adebayor.
However, without a passport he had problems staying here. The club worked tirelessly to help him. I went to four meetings with the immigration people in Croydon to speak on his behalf.
Then one day, without even telling us, he vanished. We couldn't get hold of him at his home and never saw or heard from him again. His name was Abdul Razak.
I read the other day about an 18-year-old African player who made his debut for Manchester City earlier this month. The article said that he had come from Ivory Coast but was facing deportation because he had been given only temporary leave to live here. His name? Abdul Razak.
You can imagine how the steam came out of my ears when I read this, after all the time and help we had given him.
Shaun Wright-Phillips: I don't want to join Spurs, Arsenal, or anyone else
Shaun Wright-Phillips says he’s happy at Manchester City after finding his way back into the first-team, and has ruled out any future move to Tottenham, Arsenal - or any other suitor for that matter.
Wright-Phillips has been called upon by manager Roberto Mancini after winger Adam Johnson was ruled out for three months with ankle ligament damage.
Speculation was mounting in January over his future, which included a possible reunion with former Blues boss Mark Hughes at Fulham or a high-profile switch to either of the north London clubs.
But since the transfer window closed, Wright-Phillips has made three appearances for City and looks to be back in contention for a regular place.
It is thought the 29-year-old's wages proved to be a major stumbling block for any deal - and may continue to be until his contract runs out.
A cameo appearance in Thursday night’s 3-0 Europa League win over Aris Salonika further confirmed his services will be required at the club and Wright-Phillips says he’s staying put.
‘Football works in mysterious ways,’ said Wright-Phillips.
‘If I am wanted here I will stay. I never wanted to leave in the first place.
'I still see a bright future for me here. It is just about getting chances.
‘I have played a few games recently and now I just want to keep doing well.’
After coming through FA Cup and European tests in the past week, City turn their attention back to the Premier League when they host 13th-placed Fulham on Sunday.
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Blackburn's England Under-21 international goalkeeper Frank Fielding will join Derby for a second time on loan. Daily Mirror
Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia says he is holding out for a move to one of the Premier League's biggest clubs in the summer. Metro
Cardiff City have reopened talks with Wigan in the hope of securing a loan switch for the Latics' third-choice keeper Chris Kirkland. Daily Mirror
Arsenal have cooled their interest in Ipswich's teenage striker Connor Wickham because the Gunners have doubts that the 17-year-old could make the grade at the Emirates. Daily Mail
Tottenham duo Gareth Bale and Luka Modric top Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's summer wish-list. Daily Mail
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has assured fans that the club will be buying big-money players in the summer after midfielder Cheik Tiote extended his contract. Metro
West Ham outcast Julien Faubert has lashed out at his Upton Park employers and vowed to leave the club in the summer. Daily Mail
Cesc Fabregas' Arsenal team-mates want the injured skipper to lift the Carling Cup trophy should they beat Birmingham on Sunday. Daily Mail
Fabregas was stunned to find out he would miss out on playing at Wembley through the Gunners' official website. Daily Express
The Spaniard is "hugely disappointed" to miss the final but is confident he will have other chances to play at Wembley this season - in the FA Cup and Champions League. The Sun
West Ham boss Avram Grant admits the Hammers tried to sign Liverpool's Joe Cole when he was released by Chelsea last summer, but they could not afford the midfielder's wages. The Sun
Aston Villa may offer midfielder Stewart Downing a new long-term contract this summer as they face up to losing winger Ashley Young. Daily Mirror
Sunderland midfielder Sulley Muntari says his former boss at Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, is desperate to return to the Premier League. Daily Mirror
One of the five players banned by the Football Association for betting on the outcomes of their own games says that the practice is common in the lower leagues. The Independent
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been pencilled in to make his comeback from the calf injury that has sidelined him for the last month against Liverpool next Sunday. The Sun
French midfielder Samir Nasri will earn £100,000 a week after agreeing a new five-year deal worth at least £26m to stay at Arsenal.
Daily Mirror
Kenny Dalglish's hopes of being made Liverpool manager on a permanent basis continue to look up after Reds owner John Henry again heaped praise on the team's resurgence. "We all have to be extremely happy with the progress, work-rate, determination and coaching staff," said the American tycoon. The Times
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan rates the Hammers' chances of Premier League survival this season as 50-50 and estimates relegation will cost his club £40m. The Guardian
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway claims he has unearthed "the next Gareth Bale" in 19-year-old winger Matt Phillips, who was signed by the Seasiders from Wycombe for £250,000 last summer. Daily Star
Chelsea want Arsenal chief scout Steve Rowley to replace Frank Arnesen as the club's head of player recruitment. The Independent
David Beckham has revealed a new tattoo on his chest via his Facebook page. The design depicts Beckham as Jesus with the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder describing the three cherubs as symbols of his sons. The Sun
Birmingham midfielder Craig Gardner believes his team's run to the Carling Cup final might have been helped by his lucky underpants. The Sun
Arsenal are expected to confirm a small pre-tax loss when the club publishes its half-yearly accounts on Monday following a period without a sale of a major player. The Daily Telegraph [/spoiler]TV duo Ant and Dec will make a half-time appearance at the Carling Cup final to film a penalty shoot-out for their ITV show Push the Button. Daily Mail
The latest proposal to revamp the FA Cup involves staging the third, fourth and fifth rounds over six days of the week, from Friday through to the following Wednesday, with no replays. Daily Mail
The Premier League has delayed fining Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for not conducting post-match interviews with the BBC because the broadcaster's top brass want to sort out the six-year impasse before completing their sport department's move to Salford, where United will be next-door neighbours. Daily Mail
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