HUGHES HOPES CITY HAVE TURNED CORNER

Hughes - hopes City can push on.

Mark Hughes cannot wait for the day people start writing positive stories about Manchester City.

The Blues have had a superb week, beating West Ham in the Premier League last Sunday and then recovering from a first-leg deficit to beat Midtjylland and earn a place in the UEFA Cup first round on Thursday night.

In between, City have brought back prodigal son Shaun Wright-Phillips from Chelsea in a deal that cost them less than half the £21million they got from the Stamford Bridge outfit when the winger left three years ago.

Hughes is crossing his fingers Wright-Phillips' arrival marks a change in the perception of his club. But with owner Thaksin Shinawatra currently exiled in London having jumped bail in Thailand, where he is facing a string of corruption charges, he knows his wish may not be granted.

"There is a well documented issue surrounding the owner of the football club," he said.

"It is a situation people have an interest in worldwide.

"But he has shown his commitment to the club by this investment in it and I am determined to take it to the next level.

"We have been waiting a long time for people to start writing positive things.

"We are attempting to make the club better.

"The signings of people like Shaun, we hope, will make people change their view of Manchester City because there is too much negativity about what is happening here."

Having apologised to those connected with the club for dragging its name through the mud and offered to resign from the City board, Thaksin is now attempting to find finance that will replace the money earmarked from his £800million personal fortune that currently remains frozen in his homeland.

As Hughes acknowledges, there are not a vast number of people with the wealth required to make an impact on the Premier League these days. But if anyone can find someone, the Welshman is sure Thaksin can.

"It is well documented we are looking to bring in more finance," he said.

"If we want to take Manchester City to the next level we need a significant amount of money. Millionaires do not have enough. You need billionaires. That is the way of the world.

"Dr Thaksin knows some very wealthy guys. If anyone can bring it into the club it will certainly be him."

Wright-Phillips will not train with his new team-mates until Saturday. However, he will go into Hughes' squad for Sunday's trip to Sunderland.

More new faces should follow before Monday's transfer deadline, with the City boss confirming Espanyol defender Pablo Zabaleta is in talks with the Eastlands outfit.

"He is here and we are discussing his situation," said Hughes.

"We hope the deal will be concluded because he is the right quality. We have time so I think it will be okay."

The arrivals of Wright-Phillips, Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany, who is already settling in after joining from Hamburg, appear to be more in keeping with the kind of team Hughes wants rather than the long-running and ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Ronaldinho.

Hughes decided not to get involved in the debate about star names. However, he is definitely looking to mould a team of experience and youth.

"There is no quick fix," he said.

"It is about trying to make the club stronger."

Hughes also confirmed Mexican misfit Nery Castillo is in talks with an un-named Spanish outfit and will probably leave, although he stressed further departures are not inevitable.

"People should not assume anything," he said.

"I will not allow players to leave unless I feel it will make the club stronger. And whether they go or not will be my decision."

Wright-Phillips' presence should help generate a feeling of stability that has previously not seemed to exist and it looks as though Hughes is starting to get his own way on the football side as well following the embarrassing attempts to sell Vedran Corluka and Stephen Ireland.

"Maybe I needed to reassure people that what is being reported is not quite what the situation is," reflected Hughes.

"The need to get good quality players is obvious and we hope Shaun's arrival is the start of a great journey."