I make a habit of blasting the print press, mainly because they're silly and their coverage would have old time journalists turning in their graves. Occasionally however you get a good little interview. Such is the case with Derick Allsop in the Independent this Sunday as he talks to Mark Hughes.

The City manager gives a completely realistic assessment of City's ability to compete for the best players, where the club is heading and what it needs to do to accomplish this.

This is the Mark Hughes I like. Smart, reasonable, articulate. It's the guy that picks the team sheet that sometimes has me tearing my hair out!

There is a particular appeal to the idea that you, in any profession, get to be in at the start of something; to be the founders of something that becomes great. Hughes has very craftily made that his message to stars such as Barry as to why they should chose City.

Meanwhile I find the saga around Ronaldo rather amusing. Here I am, a City fan, admitting that the guy is supremely talented and all over the net you have United fans metaphorically burning the guy in effigy with the basic premise that he isn't really that good and Fergie will craft a better team now that he has left. With 80 million and a clear vision, yes the latter is quite possible. But the jilted lover routine is comic gold!