Mark Hughes' incoming assistant manager Mark Bowen has warned Manchester City's players they must be open to new ideas.

Bowen, the former Wales defender who, along with Eddie Niedzwiecki and Kevin Hitchcock, two other trusted lieutenants, will join Hughes at City from Blackburn Rovers, said: "He's not a manager who would walk into the dressing-room or wherever and spend a lot of time in and around the group. He's willing to talk to the players - no problem - and he's not aloof, but he does like to keep his distance.

"He wants to try and cover every single base, so if we lose a game and he comes in the dressing-room and starts throwing the odd teacup he doesn't have one player who can put his hand up and say, 'Yes, it's not my fault we lost because I didn't know this or we didn't do that.' It's a simple philosophy, but one that requires bloody hard work to maintain.

"Mark uses Eric Cantona as an example at United. He was always open to new things, how he could improve and take his game forward. He never thought he was finished, that you couldn't teach him anything, and if there are players at Man City who think we can't tell them the same, they won't be here long under this manager."