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Contrasting clubs prepare for clash
Manchester City head to Newcastle United tonight knowing that they are the envy of their hosts.
And it's not just because they have been able to break the British transfer record this summer to bring Brazil's Robinho to the Premier League that Geordies are casting covetous eyes, but because of the Blues' new-found serenity between board and manager.
While St James Park has earned the unwanted moniker of 'Sid James Park' this season and controversial owner, Mike Ashley, has had the locals baying for blood, City have suddenly become a picture of stability under the Stewardship of Abu Dhabi Prince, HH Sheikh Mansour.
Newcastle remain up for sale and dangerously close to the bottom of the table, while no-one at Eastlands can see anything but a bright future for Mark Hughes' side.
The manager is certainly excited by the 210m change of ownership and the speed with which things are now being done at City, including the purchase of Robinho and an expensive makeover for the Carrington training centre.
"The takeover happened with great speed and the great thing following on from that is that the board makes decisions very quickly," noted Hughes.
"It is not a big board or a big committee in which everyone has to have their say. If big decisions have to be made then they are done quickly and then implemented. You give them the information and the switch is flicked instantly. From a manager's point of view it is fantastic and we are already seeing the benefits at the Carrington training centre.
"We had a small window of opportunity to get work done while many of the players were away on international duty and the amount of progress in a short space of time has been incredible.
"That's what the owner, the chairman and Garry Cook promised. That is how they operate. They see the reason why we need certain work doing to enable the team to prepare in the right way.
"Once you give them reasons and are able to highlight the deficiencies in what we do, then they make things happen to make sure we have all the resources that we need to be successful.
"It was simply a case of the chairman coming around and asking me what we might need.
"I told him that the training ground slightly compromised what we were trying to achieve in terms of preparation. Now once all the phases of the work are finished - and most of it centres on the gym area - then it will help with making us a better football team.
"We are re-jigging things and building floors and making it work better for us. This club is going to change a lot starting with the look of the training ground. It will all cost a significant amount of money but will be cost effective in the end."
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
