22 METROSPORT Wednesday, October 14, 2009 D SOCCER PREMIER LEAGUE Citys Hughes answers critics Passing the test: Mark Hughes Mark HugHes believes his Manchester City side have passed their first test with a good start to the Premier League season. The City boss spent about 115million in the summer bringing in arsenal duo emmanuel adebayor and kolo Toure, Manchester united forward Carlos Tevez, Blackburn striker roque santa Cruz, everton defender Joleon Lescott and aston Villa midfielder gareth Barry. The clubs significant financial resources, which come from abu Dhabi owner sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed al Nahyan, mean expectations have soared and before the campaign kicked off City were talked about as being contenders for Champions League qualification. Hughes, who less than 12 months ago was fighting off questions about his future at eastlands, knows the critics were waiting for his side to slip up. But they have dropped just five points three of which were in the controversial last-gasp defeat at city rivals united in seven matches and currently sit fourth in the table with a game in hand. There were a lot of questions would we be able to gel early as a team and would so-called egos in the dressing room be able to be managed? being asked of us before a ball was even kicked, said Hughes. From our point of view I think we have answered each and every one of them. We know there is a long way to go but we are pleased with the start we have made because we needed a good start. and Hughes is confident the players he has brought in are of the right character to achieve the ambitions of the clubs owner. everyone realises the people we have brought to the club have made us stronger physically, technically and mentally, he said. Craig BellaMy is finally winning over his critics, claims Manchester City manager Mark Hughes. The outspoken Wales striker has scored four goals in his last four Premier league matches and was also on target against Finland on international duty at the weekend. The perception of Craig for too long has been too negative, said Hughes. Because of the focus on City he now has a platform to allow people to understand what a good player he is. Pav palaver to go on Roman Pavlyuchenkos agent, oleg artemov, insists reports from Russia that the Tottenham striker has already signed a contract with Zenit St Petersburg are premature. Zenit are interested in the former Spartak moscow striker but could face competition from aC milan and Fulham for the 27- year-old, who has fallen down the pecking order at White Hart Lane. Pavlyuchenko is currently on international duty with Russia and hopes to start against azerbaijan tonight in their final World Cup qualifier after coming off the bench in Saturdays 1-0 defeat by Germany. The match between azerbaijan and Russia will be one of the games of the year, he said. We have already secured second place, but that means nothing. Premature: Pavlyuchenko linked with move KuRT mcQuiLKin has ruled himself out of the running to replace michael Cheika when the Leinster head coachs five-year contract ends this summer. Defensive coach mcQuilkin is responsible for the dramatic improvement in Leinsters rearguard over the past 18 months and had been touted as a possible successor. But the former ireland centre said yesterday: i wouldnt be putting my name forward. Theres plenty of better coaches than me around to be a head coach. im pretty happy doing what im doing, being part of the team and having my own little area to work with and beavering away there. im sure theres plenty more candidates more qualified than i am to take on Leinster. meanwhile, mcQuilkin has admitted the heat is on as Leinster go to Brive this Saturday in desperate need of a Heineken Cup victory. He said: its backs to the wall now, its a war for us. We know we cant afford to lose another game so that has really focused the minds. We have to win. its not that we want to, we have to, and we intend to. The heats on. Im not head coach material, says Kurt McQuilkin RUGBY Heineken CuP Banking on success: Mclaughlin pictured yesterday with his Bank of ireland Player of the Month award for September McLaughlin rewards Leinster investment By gareTH MakiMLeINsTers opening day Heineken Cup defeat by London Irish may have sparked a mini-crisis for the defend- ing champions, but kevin McLaugh- lin has no doubts he would rather be facing a must-win encounter in Brive on saturday than the alternative. McLaughlin has broken into the back-row mix this season after four years plagued by knee and shoulder injuries, but almost packed it in this summer to pursue a career in banking. But the 25-year-old, named Lein- sters Player of the Month yesterday, decided to give it one more shot and the province are reaping the rewards as the st Marys man has put in a se- ries of sterling displays in the No.6 shirt vacated by rocky elsom. I had a meeting with Cheika at the end of last year, McLaughlin said. He pretty much sat me down and said, we think you are good enough but we cant go on going like this. Do you think you can go a season without getting injured and stay fit or even get a run of games without getting injured. I said I believe I can if I work hard in the offseason and get things right. He said right, okay, off you go. [My alternative] was looking in the banking sector. so Im very thankful now I must say. Believe it or not I have been doing some work experience in anglo Irish Bank; so I have some con- tacts there for what theyre worth! McLaughlins physicality shone through in Leinsters early-season Magners League programme, culmi- nating in an excellent display against Munster, but he finds himself trying to hold off the more dynamic sean OBrien as Leinster travel to France. Im really enjoying myself, he said. Its been amazing to get an op- portunity. I have been dying to get a chance for the last few years. The only reason I havent is that I have been dogged with injuries. Cheiks has given me the opportunity now and I love every minute of it. Im not going to take anything for granted because there is huge compe- tition in the back row myself and sean OBrien, stephen keogh and [shane] Jennings. Were jostling for places every week and no one is tak- ing anything for granted. Theres a real edge in training. You come in every week and dont know whether you are starting at the week- end. Thats healthy for a squad. LEInStER SqUAd IS UnChAnGEd Michael cheika has named the same squad of 28 that lost to london irish for Saturdays vital heineken cup trip to Brive. Prop Stan Wright misses out again with the pectoral muscle injury he sustained against Munster two weeks ago, while cJ van der linde can be expected to play some part after the South african was an unused substitute in Fridays opening round defeat by the exiles. Shane Jennings is included despite his citing for allegedly making contact with the eyes of irish lock Nick kennedy. The flanker will learn his fate when he faces a disciplinary hearing today. Meanwhile, Munster prop John hayes has had his six-week ban for stamping reduced to five after his appeal was heard yesterday. leinster squad (v Brive): l cullen (capt), J Fogarty, c healy, J heaslip, N hines, B Jackman, S Jennings, S keogh, R Mccormack, k Mclaughlin, Malcolm Okelly, S OBrien, M Ross, D Toner, cJ van der linde, S Berne, G Darcy, Girvan Dempsey, luke Fitzgerald, S horgan, c keane, R kearney, S keogh, F McFadden, i Nacewa, B ODriscoll, e Reddan, J Sexton index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html