Manchester City captain Richard Dunne is backing manager Mark Hughes to make the right signings in January.

Dunne, 29, said: "I don't think the manager has had the opportunities to use the money that has been available to him. There was just a few days at the end of August and that was it.

"The club need to keep backing him because the players believe what we are doing on the training ground is right.

"Hopefully he will get the chance in January to show what he can do in the transfer market. His attitude is pretty chilled and maybe there has been a bit of a panic too soon.

"We have had a couple of poor results and people have been too quick to point the finger.

"Probably because there is more interest in us there are people who want us to do poorly, but inside the training ground the manager has been confident and telling us it will turn around and that has helped the players."

City's longest serving player who joined from Everton eight years ago added: "I am sure we will strengthen in certain areas, but I don't think there will be five, six or seven world superstars coming in.

"I think it will more likely be a few players that will fit in around us, who know the Premier League and will strengthen the squad. We have been confident within the squad all season that we are not going to be pulled into a relegation dogfight.

"Now we have got the chance to prove that and we need to make sure that come the end of the season we have given ourselves the chance to get into Europe. The one thing that has been really good about the squad is that the atmosphere has been there. I don't think the confidence has been affected at any point.

"The manager wants to strengthen the squad in the next few weeks so hopefully we can kick on."