Egos and arguments a good thing at Man City…I’m not so sure!

The last ten days have arguably been the best in Mark Hughes’ Manchester City career since taking the reins in June 2008. Having seen his Manchester City side through to the Carling Cup semis and overcome a Chelsea side who are not only the title favourites, but the in-form side in the league, Hughes thinks he has pinpointed the factor that has triggered the improvement in his side’s form.

The Welshman revealed that tempers boiled over in the Eastlands dressing room after his side recently blew home leads against Fulham and Hull, causing them to continue their run of draws. Hughes admitted that he also took part in the free-for-all row and believes that there is no better way for his side to get fired up than to show their feelings to each other.

Whilst to many football fans it may seem as though arguments may be damaging to the squad harmony at Eastlands, Hughes and his staff believe the opposite. The former Blackburn manager claims arguments are welcome as they show the players have a passion for the club and are willing to fight for the cause.  Hughes’ number two Mark Bowen is as pleased as the Welshman at the player’s actions. Bowen said:

“We were delighted to see the reaction after the Hull game. Things were also said by the management and staff as well. We were all part of it and we were all very demanding of each other. It is healthy and good. Obviously there is the tiny element that you can’t let it turn into a problem situation, where it gets physical, but on this occasion it was like a breath of fresh air in the place.”

Bowen has claimed that City have turned a corner and the performances against Chelsea and Arsenal were due to the criticism each member received from both Hughes and their teammates. However, I’m not so sure this is the case.

I am a firm believer that arrogance and strong egos do not make for an ideal dressing room. There should never be a situation in which a player feels as though they are above the manager, yet this is arguably the case at Eastlands. If you look at the most successful managers in Premier League history; Ferguson, Mourinho and Wenger for example, you will see characters that even the most arrogant of players would not dare cross. I have a sneaking suspicion that this whole escapade is Hughes making exception to the attitudes of some of his players. The Welshman has disposed of egos such as Elano and Tal Ben Haim, who were believed to be influencing the dressing room, yet he has replaced them with characters such as Emmanuel Adebayor, whose ego could arguably be as harmful.

It’s time to look at the bigger picture. Since becoming one of the worlds wealthiest clubs, Manchester City have never had a problem motivating themselves for the big games. In the last two seasons they have defeated Arsenal with convincing wins at Eastlands and the importance of the Manchester derby needs no explanation. Fixtures with Chelsea are seen by many as a ‘battle of the riches’ and thus City once again need no invitation to give their all. It is not these games that have been the issue for City recently; it is the games against lesser opposition. The run of 7 league draws in a row included home draws against Burnley, Hull and Fulham, games that Hughes’ side must win if they are to challenge for the title, or even the top four. I for one will be watching this weekend’s encounter with Bolton with great interest and only in the event of a convincing City win will I begin to believe Hughes’ men have turned a corner.