MARK Hughes has promised Manchester City's long-suffering fans he will not squander the opportunity to turn the club into European giants.
Abu Dhabi-based business tycoons the United Group for Development and Investment have already broken the British transfer record to sign Robinho and the chances are more big names will follow when the transfer window opens again in January.
Yet a few City fans remain worried, claiming Robinho only left Real Madrid because his preferred move to Chelsea failed to materialise.
They also fear any cash spent will be wasted, with the really big names refusing to leave their present clubs without the lure of Champions League football to attract them.
Hughes has sought to reassure the sceptics.
The former Wales star is adamant he is the right man for the job and has pledged to invest the money he is given to spend wisely.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for everybody, myself included, and we are not going to let it slip," he said.
"We will do everything in our power to make sure we take advantage of the position we find ourselves in and make everything bigger and better than it was before."
Having originally moved from Blackburn to City thinking he would have to build a team, just as he did at Ewood Park, Hughes now finds himself in the position of being able to buy the best talent available - at any price.
However, Hughes refuses to look upon the situation as good fortune on his part. He prefers to believe it is all his previous hard work paying dividends.
"I would like to think I deserve a bit of backing," he said.
"If you look at my record in the Premier League, with limited resources it is as good as anybody. With resources I back myself to be successful.
"I think the owners recognise that.
"In the last couple of years I have been talked of in terms of some of the top jobs in the Premier League so it is not as if they are getting someone who doesn't know what they are doing."
In the short term at least, problems may occur.
Not only does Hughes have to bring players to the club who are effectively moving solely for the money because there is no Champions League football to sustain them, he must also keep the squad harmony strong despite massive differences in salary.
It is estimated Robinho will net in excess of £130,000 a week when some members of Hughes' squad do not earn even a quarter of that figure.
However, Hughes is adamant he will have control of the situation, insisting the dressing room and who comes into it will be his domain.
"Instead of being jealous, maybe their view will be that with better players we will become more successful and as a consequence they will earn more because they will get more win bonuses," argued the Welshman.
"I simply do not see any problem fitting players into the team.
"When you bring good players into a group, the effect is positive.
"Straight away guys that are already here see it as a challenge.
"They see good players coming in and recognise they have to up their game as well.
"At any club you need to bring in new faces to stimulate the group and certainly the likes of Robinho coming into the squad cannot be viewed as a negative."
Hughes has already warned it might not be quite as easy as some fans imagine to bring top-class stars to Eastlands.
Robinho's presence is bound to help. But he knows clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and, closer to home, Chelsea and Manchester United are not going to roll over just because City come calling.
"You can only play 11 at any one time," he reflected.
"There are more than 11 outstanding players in world football for a start and most of them are at top clubs already, so I am not sure you can say we will just cherry-pick players.
"What we will do is get the right players for the right positions.
"That is what building a football team and a club is about. We want players I think will enhance our chances of being successful.
"In that sense my role does not change.
"Maybe the sums of money to get a different level of player has changed but you need the same mindset."
Yet a few City fans remain worried, claiming Robinho only left Real Madrid because his preferred move to Chelsea failed to materialise.
They also fear any cash spent will be wasted, with the really big names refusing to leave their present clubs without the lure of Champions League football to attract them.
Hughes has sought to reassure the sceptics.
The former Wales star is adamant he is the right man for the job and has pledged to invest the money he is given to spend wisely.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for everybody, myself included, and we are not going to let it slip," he said.
"We will do everything in our power to make sure we take advantage of the position we find ourselves in and make everything bigger and better than it was before."
Having originally moved from Blackburn to City thinking he would have to build a team, just as he did at Ewood Park, Hughes now finds himself in the position of being able to buy the best talent available - at any price.
However, Hughes refuses to look upon the situation as good fortune on his part. He prefers to believe it is all his previous hard work paying dividends.
"I would like to think I deserve a bit of backing," he said.
"If you look at my record in the Premier League, with limited resources it is as good as anybody. With resources I back myself to be successful.
"I think the owners recognise that.
"In the last couple of years I have been talked of in terms of some of the top jobs in the Premier League so it is not as if they are getting someone who doesn't know what they are doing."
In the short term at least, problems may occur.
Not only does Hughes have to bring players to the club who are effectively moving solely for the money because there is no Champions League football to sustain them, he must also keep the squad harmony strong despite massive differences in salary.
It is estimated Robinho will net in excess of £130,000 a week when some members of Hughes' squad do not earn even a quarter of that figure.
However, Hughes is adamant he will have control of the situation, insisting the dressing room and who comes into it will be his domain.
"Instead of being jealous, maybe their view will be that with better players we will become more successful and as a consequence they will earn more because they will get more win bonuses," argued the Welshman.
"I simply do not see any problem fitting players into the team.
"When you bring good players into a group, the effect is positive.
"Straight away guys that are already here see it as a challenge.
"They see good players coming in and recognise they have to up their game as well.
"At any club you need to bring in new faces to stimulate the group and certainly the likes of Robinho coming into the squad cannot be viewed as a negative."
Hughes has already warned it might not be quite as easy as some fans imagine to bring top-class stars to Eastlands.
Robinho's presence is bound to help. But he knows clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and, closer to home, Chelsea and Manchester United are not going to roll over just because City come calling.
"You can only play 11 at any one time," he reflected.
"There are more than 11 outstanding players in world football for a start and most of them are at top clubs already, so I am not sure you can say we will just cherry-pick players.
"What we will do is get the right players for the right positions.
"That is what building a football team and a club is about. We want players I think will enhance our chances of being successful.
"In that sense my role does not change.
"Maybe the sums of money to get a different level of player has changed but you need the same mindset."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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