Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has rubbished claims that manager Mark Hughes' job is under threat.
Three successive Barclays Premier League defeats have seen City slip to 13th in the table and led to rumours of discontent within the squad.
However, the club's Abu Dhabi-based owner has underlined how important Hughes is to his vision for the future.
"Mark shared with me his plans for how the team should be developed," said Sheikh Mansour, who had a two-hour meeting with Hughes, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and executive chairman Garry Cook on Wednesday.
"His strategy is compelling and he has my absolute mandate to implement his plans to evolve this team in the right way over the short, medium and long terms."