Stephen Ireland has warned the Manchester City hierarchy that any move to replace Mark Hughes as manager would be counter-productive for the club. Last year’s takeover by billionaire Sheikh Mansour raised expectations at the club and many had tipped the club to challenge for Champions League qualification this term.

The summer capture of Brazilian superstar Robinho on transfer deadline day further increased expectations but City have instead struggled this season and currently lie just four points outside the Premier League relegation zone in 11th place.

Mansour gave his backing to Hughes upon buying the club and has continued to do so despite the club’s indifferent first half of the campaign.

That has not stopped speculation linking other managers, including Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho, with Hughes’ job, but Ireland is adamant the Welshman is the right man to take the club forward.

He told www.mcfc.co.uk: “The gaffer is working hard and he’s a great man. He’ll do great things for the club. If any manager came in they wouldn’t do half the job he is doing.

“He’s involved in every area of the training ground and he’s developing the club. If someone else would want to come in I don’t think they would want to expand the club or care as much as him.

“He cares a lot about the game, his job and his players, so it’s important that he stays here. I think he’ll get it right and I really do have a lot of trust in him.”

After the club’s unsuccessful attempt to lure AC Milan star Kaka to Eastlands, Hughes had to deal with yet more disappointment last week when Robinho left the club’s training camp in Tenerife to fly home to Brazil without his permission.

The Brazilian moved to reject speculation that he had gone AWOL because of City’s failure to land Kaka and was back in training today.

There have also been rumours that some City players are unhappy with Hughes’ training methods but Ireland, who has scored nine times in 29 appearances this season, insists all is well within the camp.

“I enjoy working under him and all the others do as well,” he added. “Everyone’s really happy. Even Robinho, he is smiling back in training. Training is great. We just need to get on a winning streak.

“He said in the first meeting with us we might not like what he does, but that he would make all of us better players and he has.

“I’m not saying Elano was lazy before, but he (Hughes) has turned him into a player who can go from box to box. Some people might not notice it as much because he doesn’t always have the ball.”

Ireland, a City academy product, has been one of the few players to shine at the club this term, something he puts down to his hunger to see his team rise up the table.

“Looking back over last season, I was played out of position a lot on the left and the right by Sven (Goran-Eriksson),” he said. “He didn’t want to leave me out of the team but this year the gaffer has kept me in the same position and I’m really hungry this year as well.

“I’m really sick of not being up there with the best and I really want to prove to the fans and to myself that I have the strength to do it.

“I don’t want to look back on my career and have regrets. This season we have a good team that are hungry, great staff and a great manager who wants success.”