MAN CITY NAILED BY NOTTINGHAM

STAND-IN Nottingham Forest boss John Pemberton masterminded the club's best win in recent years – and then turned his attention to a reserve team encounter at Lincoln.

Pemberton oversaw a stunning 3-0 FA Cup third-round win over Manchester City at Eastlands but will now step aside for Billy Davies, who has been installed as permanent successor to Colin Calderwood following his sacking after the Boxing Day defeat to Doncaster.

"Billy spoke with the players this morning (Saturday) but he wanted to leave it today because it was such short notice," said Pemberton.

"I just wanted the lads to give a good account of themselves and get them ready to play.

"Winning is fantastic but on Monday morning I will be back to my normal job, getting the reserve team ready for a game against Lincoln City away on Wednesday.
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"That is how things are in football. You get highs and lows. I have been at Nottingham Forest a long time and I am happy to work at the club."

The visitors had already started brightly when Nathan Tyson belted them in front with a superb volley, followed quickly by a Robert Earnshaw effort after Pablo Zabaleta had lost possession close to the touchline.

If that was bad, the third was even worse for City, who never looked like mounting a successful comeback with Robinho missing and Shaun Wright-Phillips taken off after just 18 minutes with a hamstring injury.

Under no pressure, Dietmar Hamann tried to find Richard Dunne with a throw-in close to the goal-line. Instead it went straight to Joe Garner, who promptly dispatched a third from an acute angle to send the City faithful into turmoil and raise more question marks about the future of Mark Hughes.

The Blues boss is not Pemberton's concern. Indeed, it was his goal at Wembley in 1990 that prevented Pemberton's Crystal Palace side winning the FA Cup, hitherto the former defender's most notable achievement in the competition.

"It is up there with it," added Pemberton on how yesterday's success measured up against the 4-3 epic with Liverpool almost two decades ago.

"Beating Liverpool at Villa Park was unbelievable but this was probably the highlight of my career.

"To win 3-0 against a Manchester City side stuffed with talent – and deserve it – was fabulous."

MANCHESTER City boss Mark Hughes insists he is still the right man to lead the Eastlands outfit despite the humiliating FA Cup defeat by Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

City lost 3-0 at home against a Forest side that have been struggling badly in the Championship this term and sacked Colin Calderwood on Boxing Day after an abject loss to Doncaster.

There are some who wonder whether the same fate might now befall Hughes, who earlier in the day signed Wayne Bridge from Chelsea for a reported £10million.

But the Welshman insists his own faith in his ability to do the job remains undiminished and he had already made City's wealthy Abu Dhabi-based owners aware of the Blues' clear limitations.

"I know exactly what is needed here," he said.
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"The work we do on a day-to-day basis makes players better. They have to be brave enough to perform in matches. Today some were guilty of not doing that.

"We know where we are in development terms and we know where we need to go.

"We know the areas of the squad we have to strengthen and we will try to do that. It is not going to happen in this window, or even two or three. We need more time."

The City boss admitted Forest more than deserved their victory.

"We are bitterly disappointed with the level of performance that we produced ," he said.

"Nottingham Forest fully deserved to win.

"They showed more desire and energy in their play. They forced us into errors and took their chances."

In confirming Forest showed more desire, Hughes was offering a damning assessment of his own team. However, the former Wales boss insists there is no point trying to mask the truth.

"I didn't expect the other team to show more desire but I am just being honest," he said.

"I am not telling anyone anything they didn't see themselves. I have known the frailties in the team from day one."

Indeed, Hughes pointed out the frailties in private discussions with chairman Sheikh Mansoor and chief executive Garry Cook more than a month ago.

"You need leaders, people who drive the game and affect it in a positive way," he said.

"If we have more than one, two or three players below their best then we struggle to win games. We have shown that throughout the season.

"All credit to Nottingham Forest," added Hughes. "Now we have to pick ourselves up, knowing it is perfectly clear the squad as it is cannot compete on a number of fronts."

Glad they were beaten