Speculation Doesn't Bother Hughes

Last updated : 22 December 2008 By Sam
The 2-1 defeat at The Hawthorns left City in the bottom three of the Premier League table, a situation that Hughes has admitted he didn't foresee.

"There's been speculation about my future since the new owners came in, so it isn't something that's new to me," he said after the match.

"Am I confident I'll be given the money myself to spend? That's the intention. That's my view and I've had assurances from Sheikh Mansour and the chairman.

"They've been very positive. They understand where we are in our development. They're pragmatic people.

"They understand things won't happen overnight. Some people expect it to but they understand that won't happen.

"Time is something we all need - myself included - but I know the quality of my staff and we'll gain results in the future.

"At the moment we're hurting somewhat because we're in the bottom three of the Premier League which isn't something we anticipated."