Mancini insists he's the best

London: Roberto Mancini steered Manchester City to a crushing victory over predecessor Mark Hughes then declared himself: "The best manager".

Fulham boss Hughes had claimed before the game that City might have been better off had they not sacked him a year ago. But Mancini's team humiliated their hosts with their best attacking display of the season, rising to fourth in the Premier League and prompting the bullish Italian to take a swipe at his critics.

Mancini said: "I always thought I was the best manager. In my career, where I stayed I won.

"Last week I was a stupid manager who was six points behind. Now I am the ‘best manager' because I'm only three points off the top of the league.

"If we have a big problem, a big crisis and we are only three points behind United and Chelsea, then we're doing well. This is always the way when you're a manager. If you win, you're top. If you lose, you're stupid. I know what happens. It doesn't bother me."

Hughes admitted his side had been outclassed but couldn't resist a dig at Mancini for not being "attack minded" enough before yesterday's display at Craven Cottage.

He said: "On a professional level I don't like being beaten in that manner by anybody. There are a lot of good people there [at City] that I know, and a lot of players who are playing exceptionally well at the moment I brought there.

"If they have belief and there's forward thinking, and maybe more attack minded as they were today on more occasions, there's no reason why they shouldn't be [contenders].

Worst performance

"That was our worst performance, and that's the disappointment. We know we're better than that.

"We never gave ourselves any kind of platform in the first half. We lost a bit of belief in what we were trying to do, became passive and conceded ground, and City dictated play.  

"I'd suggest that was their best performance. We came up against them on a good day.