Misfiring Robinho puts Man City on defensive

Mark Hughes has admitted that Manchester City are not getting their money’s worth from misfiring Brazilian Robinho.

The 32-million-pound striker was substituted with 25 minutes left following another woeful away performance in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Premier League strugglers Portsmouth.

Robinho has been sensational in home matches since joining City from Real Madrid but has repeatedly failed to recapture that scintillating form on the road.

Saturday’s loss was City’s seventh away defeat in the league and Hughes admitted the frustrating inconsistency was simply down to the likes of Robinho and fellow Brazilian Elano not performing to their best week in, week out.

“It was very disappointing from our point of view,” Hughes said. “The Premier League is the hardest in the world and you need an amount of players performing at the top of their ability. If you don’t hit a certain level as a team you get beaten.

“The opposition try and stop the threat of world class players and Robinho and Elano struggled to stamp their ability on the game.

“We are not the biggest team physically and sometimes we are compromised by that away from home. It is about having the mentality and desire to get the job done.

“We missed the spark of (Shaun) Wright-Phillips but at the end of the day we had enough quality on the pitch to get a better result.”

City were facing a Portsmouth side playing their first game since sacking manager Tony Adams after just 22 games in charge.

The home outfit, under the temporary control of Paul Hart and former Manchester United number two Brian Kidd, were clearly eager to impress any prospective new boss.

David Nugent has wasted four gilt-edged opportunities before England defender Glen Johnson finally opened the scoring twenty minutes from time with his third goal of the season.

City defended poorly throughout and were made to pay as Johnson waltzed into the penalty area before seeing his powerful right foot shot beaten away by goalkeeper Shay Given.

Johnson was quickest to react to the rebound than the visitors’ static backline and hammered his follow-up shot past the stranded Given and into the roof of the net.

City’s hopes of a fightback were dashed five minutes later when Hermann Hreidarsson notched for the second successive game with a bullet header from Jermaine Pennant’s corner.

The match also saw Portsmouth goalkeeper David James set a new Premier League appearance record of 536 games and his fine flying save to keep out substitute Ched Evans’ 80th minute header was a fitting way to mark the occasion.

Portsmouth’s bid to bring Mexico coach Sven Goran Eriksson to Fratton Park appears to be floundering and caretaker Hart is likely to remain in charge for next weekend’s trip to relegation rivals Stoke.

Former Nottingham Forest manager Hart is unsure if he wants the job on a permanent basis.

Hart said: “I was brought in to do the youth development and I enjoy that. There was a tingle in the stomach today I have not felt for four or five years but I am not looking that far ahead.

“I have had a well done phone call from the owner and everybody knows where I am. I have been asked to do a job and help the club out and that is what I am doing.

“It is possible I will be in charge at Stoke next weekend. We are planning the training around that game and we will see what happens.

This was a good start.”