It is unusual for a sacked manager to get so much sympathy from the media like Mark Hughes has done this week. He is the only man connected with Manchester City to come out with any credit after he was thrown on the scrap heap by the money men at Eastlands.So was his dismissal fair? Probably not. According to Hughes it was agreed between the owners, Chief Executive, Gary Cook and the manager that a top six finish would be acceptable for this season. And where do City currently sit in the league table? That's right, sixth after just two defeats all season. There have been eight draws from 17 games though, but City remain only six points behind fourth spot with a game in hand and above one of the 'big four', -Liverpool - in the table.
Okay, so you might point to the millions that Hughes has spent on the likes of Robinho, Adebayor, Tevez, Lescott et al, but it takes more than a season for players to gel and become potential title challengers. The heavyweights of the Premier League will not be just pushed aside in one false swoop.
There is also the argument that the Premier League has tightened up more this year. Champions Manchester United have already lost five games, Liverpool seven whilst Chelsea have been stumbling of late too.
What angered the football world the most though was not particularly the sacking of Hughes - we've seen big clubs dump bosses before such as Chelsea with Phil Scolari - it was the deceit. The fact that it leaked out that Hughes was going during a game of football, one that Hughes won too. Apparently it did not matter though, as he was replaced a couple of weeks earlier according to reports.
The truth is that Manchester City's owners are not fans, they are businessmen. They want Champions League football this season, a title challenge next and then to win them both. It is a difficult job for 'big name' Italian Roberto Mancini and I'll be very surprised if City finish in the top four.
What would City fans make of the whole situation though? Perhaps a bit of regret at the way Hughes was treated maybe, but with Mancini coming in with money to spend at will they may just be licking their lips with anticipation. The sad thing is the only way we are ever going to see the dominance of the big four challenged is this way, by money.
Mark Hughes shouldn't be too worried though, it won't be long before the offers come flying in from other clubs, hopefully clubs that will give him the time he deserves.
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To show that the Premier League is not all doom and gloom on the managerial front, I'd like to give a special mention to a man who is often overlooked to what a magnificent job he has done.
After arriving at Craven Cottage in December 2007, Roy Hodgson walked straight into a relegation battle. A man who had only managed in the Premier League for a short time at Blackburn during the 90's, little was known of what to expect. He had a good reputation abroad and at international level, but would he be able to handle a relatively small Premier League outfit with limited funding?
The answer soon became clear. After keeping the Cottagers up on the final day of the 2007-08 after a miraculous escape, even better was to come the following season. Seventh place and European football, Fulham's highest top-flight finish in their history.
And it was no fluke. In a season where the Premier League has seemed to become the 'big four' and the 'next three', Fulham currently sit ninth, one place behind Liverpool and just three points behind Manchester City in sixth with a game in hand and have qualified for the knock-out stages of the Europa League from a group that contained Roma and Basle. And things just keep getting better after, quite frankly, a 3-0 demolition of champions Manchester United on Saturday.
A simply brilliant job done by a superb manager. It's a shame then that Roy Hodgson will never get a chance to manage a side in the top four. He is often overlooked as people talk of O'Neill and Redknapp and Moyes -who have also done good jobs-but he is left out.
The next time the England job becomes available though, I would look no further.
