Having seen Robinho's comments at a fairly stage, and given my (albeit limited) knowledge of how newspapers operate, it wasn't a surprise to see the national press come out one by one to attempt to stir up the 'Robinho outburst' angle - with the 'small time' phrase being perfect fodder for the headline writers.
Mark Hughes is correct though in that in isolation the comments could appear damning but are largely taken out of context. I feel that Hughes's approach of brushing the comments aside may as much be about damage limitation and hoping it all blows over, but I do feel too much has been made of it.
Unlike with Elano, Robinho has not been critical of the manager or the managers approach, only (if we're being honest) speaking the truth about where he sees the club at present and the general mentality that surrounds it.
Since the summer, both on and off the pitch there has been a change in the clubs approach and how it is operating, but the adage 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and it is true that for the club "finishing 5th or 6th" would in the past have represented a successful season.
What Robinho was saying is that this mentality must change, and he is correct, but it will take time to change - just like it did for Chelsea in recent seasons. Overnight success is rarely achieved in football.
The frustration for Robinho though (and perhaps many fans) is that this change may not be as quick a process as hoped.
Mark Hughes is correct though in that in isolation the comments could appear damning but are largely taken out of context. I feel that Hughes's approach of brushing the comments aside may as much be about damage limitation and hoping it all blows over, but I do feel too much has been made of it.
Unlike with Elano, Robinho has not been critical of the manager or the managers approach, only (if we're being honest) speaking the truth about where he sees the club at present and the general mentality that surrounds it.
Since the summer, both on and off the pitch there has been a change in the clubs approach and how it is operating, but the adage 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and it is true that for the club "finishing 5th or 6th" would in the past have represented a successful season.
What Robinho was saying is that this mentality must change, and he is correct, but it will take time to change - just like it did for Chelsea in recent seasons. Overnight success is rarely achieved in football.
The frustration for Robinho though (and perhaps many fans) is that this change may not be as quick a process as hoped.