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A tense affair, with good football skills on display from both sides, honours even. That's the best way to describe the latest North-West derby game at Anfield today.

In fact it says a lot more than that, as for the first time this side of Christmas, it actually showed a City side playing as a team, and battling for a point in a hostile environment. In fact until the final whistle, City looked as though they could still win it, and attacked at every opportunity. Post-match Hughes said how disappointed he was with only a point!

New signings Nigel De Jong, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta (who gets better and better) gave a powerhouse display in midfield, spoiling the scousers' fun throughout the game, Robinho looked happy and it showed in his workrate, and the rock-steady Shay Given saving our bacon once or twice towards the end. For most of the second half, City were one-up, thanks to Craig Bellamy. I suppose we can expect him to score against his old side every time from now on. I wouldn't be surprised, in fact I'd be delighted.

Before the game speculation has been rife among fans and journos alike as to the length of Hughes' tenure as manager. Players like Stephen Ireland and Shay Given have been moved to make public their support for the manager. With forums like ours divided, the old swingometer nearly came off it's pin after the Uefa cup game mid-week, and from Hughes' post-match interview he is well aware of the frustration some supporters feel when they call for his head. After discussing with Hughes how well the team did despite coming in for some pretty bad press lately, the interviewer had to agree and a grim-faced Hughes told him, "spread it around will you".

This week there have been signs that this team are starting to play for this manager, and the new signings are getting the hang of playing together and reading each other's game. That HAS to bode well for the rest of the season, and should make Stale Solbakken choke on his muesli when he reads the papers tomorrow.

Still a long way to go, still a learning curve, but curving up now instead of down, I hope.

CLEVBLUE