Tom Lappin: Manchester City ready to turn to Guus, unless Mark Hughes proves he's no turkey

Published on Friday 18 December 2009 23:25

THERE'S a vicious wind blowing in from the steppes, the snow-drifts are eight foot high. The stove is consuming the last of the full-colour Russia in South Africa World Cup souvenir posters. The ruby-cheeked Dutchman looks nervously at the implacable countenances of the two ex-KGB enforcers sitting a little too closely beside him, and speaks into the receiver. "N-N-No Mr Cook, I can assure you I am very happy in the Russia job. Couldn't be better. I am not looking for alternative em

On such scenarios hangs Mark Hughes's job. Oh, and getting stuffed 3-0 by fellow fancy-dan upstarts Tottenham doesn't help. As a miserable Robinho trudged off the field on Wednesday night, Hughes's days looked numbered.

Numbered along the lines of the December calendar in fact. If City's moribund ambitions to slice into the distinctly soft underbelly of the big four are to be livened up, the January transfer window is the immediate opportunity. If Hughes's credibility is waning, then a new appointment should be made, oh say a week before the window creaks open. The chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak has no reason to care much about Christian holidays, so a bad result this afternoon, and Hughes might expect a phone-call before next Friday telling him that his Guus, sorry goose, is cooked.

It's not unreasonable to suggest Hughes has failed to not instil much fiery spirit in his expensively-assembled squad. Wednesday's surrender to Spurs was palpably timid. If a manager is only as good as his last ten games, Hughes is the definition of mediocre, having won one, lost one and drawn eight.

Then again, the pressure of expectation has been intolerable, and perhaps Hughes's personality has not been most suited to such a high profile. Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed his considerable amazement that Hughes ever became a manager in the first place. Despite his bullish on-field demeanour as a player, Hughes was a reticent, even reclusive character. With City's collection of egos and attitudes looking for leadership, Hughes's quiet dignity isn't going to lift morale.

You are reminded of Sven-Goran Eriksson's much-maligned reign as England manager, and Gareth Southgate's complaint that the players needed Churchill but they got Iain Duncan-Smith. In a crisis footballers are mostly simple souls who want dumb rhetoric and battle-cries, rather than rational restraint. Hughes needs to be more like one of his predecessors at City, the man whose hairstyle he adopted as a player, Kevin Keegan.

Part of Hughes's problem is that as a manager, he remains solidly provincial. His playing career took him all over Europe, but as a manager, Wales, Blackburn and Manchester City amounts to a career that has never strayed more than half an hour off the M6. Players, especially players like Robinho and Emmanuel Adebayor, tend to be disrespectful of such a background.

Which is where the attraction of Guus Hiddink lies. Hiddink is no magician, as the Russia debacle in the World Cup play-offs demonstrated, but he carries an aura of authority with him. He is used to dealing with players with big reputations and bigger egos.

Hiddink's considerable salary, and the minor issue of a contract, keep him in the Russia job for now, but it's apparent his agent is sounding out European clubs with an idea about bringing his client in from the cold.

In the meantime Hughes, with the air of a dead man walking, must try to rally City, and re-establish their credentials in a Premier League that looks distinctly average at present.

He must envy his old Manchester United colleague Steve Bruce whom Hughes encounters at the City of Manchester Stadium this afternoon. Bruce has the luxury of reasonable expectations at Sunderland. A mid-table finish would be perfectly acceptable for the Wearside club, especially as Newcastle are down in the Championship.

Bruce has marshalled his resources well and Sunderland have been adept at punishing teams who fail to bestow sufficient respect. Hughes has an escape route in the next three fixtures, if he is allowed to pursue it. A win today would set the side up for a couple of less-than-daunting holiday fixtures at home to Stoke, and away to Wolves.

The key issue is restoring the players confidence. It might turn out to be significant that one of the club's natural leaders, Richard Dunne, was sold in the summer. It's retrospective wisdom to see that as a mistake.

Dunne had a patchy last season for City, and Hughes thought he could find better. It must have been painful to watch Dunne excel at the back for an improved Aston Villa, while City's defenders have been almost universally inept. Joleon

Lescott is out for the next eight weeks, while Wayne Bridge will be absent for six. Kolo Toure will depart for the African Nations Cup next month, leaving Hughes with little option but to go shopping.

That's if he's the man with the shopping-list. Dare to lose at home this afternoon, and Hughes may be looking at the sack sooner than Santa.