BLOCK TWO BEGINS

Since the start of the season City have been proving to the Premier League, Europe and the rest of the world that they are indeed the real deal. Everything seems to be in place to become serious top four contenders, with stellar names on board, world class facilities and a top young coach with everything to prove.

Now its time to prove to the most important people, the fans, that this is the Real McCoy and not just yet another false dawn or Svenist honeymoon. The Blues faithful, although buoyant, riding the blue wave of hysteria that is City at the moment, will not be seduced into to forgetting the last 30 years of disappointment, failure to deliver and plethora of anti-climaxes. 

A Win at Wigan today would go a long way to winning over the doubters as City definitely put last season's away day hoodoo to bed once and for all. A game in hand and an easy series of matches to follow should provide the squad with all the confidence they need to continue in the rich vein of form they've been showing since the season opener.

The two-faced  press, have been quick to show their colours. Pre-match, salivating like a pack of hungry Wolves circling a wounded moose waiting for that first big fall. Post-match, and post-win surprise surprise, the same animals are quick to praise the Blues to the heavens shouting about title glory and Champion's League qualification. 

  

One man who has not got carried away or promised the world is the man charged with leading his Blue charges  into battle ever week - Mark Hughes. Cool, calm and collected the City boss seems to be revelling in the limelight that he has received of late. 

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that an opportunity of this magnitude would present itself to him and his Tafia back-room team. Sure, he could have been next in line to take over at Old Trafford in the near future, but deep down which manager wants to follow Old Baconface after everything he has achieved. This opportunity, taking over of an underachieving, sleeping giant with no real benchmark or modern blueprint for success was the Golden Goose to the latest Blue's boss.

The Welsh Supremo, is quickly proving doubters wrong about his managerial skills with a near perfect record this term.

There have been no rifts so far in the dressing room with an obviously excited and confident squad concentrating on their football and not their egos. The players seem to be working in unison with talk of benched players congratulating team members after games and all players wanting to work for the shirt that could make Premier League history.

Hughes, 'The Tafia' and fans alike know that with just a few more tweaks in January the Red Tops will be scratching that tongue-in-cheek ‘top four’ tag and replacing it with a genuine 'title contenders' one. First they have to prove they are no longer soft touches with a trip to the JJB today.