England U21 boss Stuart Pearce is quick to highlight the influence of Manchester City's academy graduates in their early season success.
"People are talking about Micah Richards, people are talking about Michael Johnson and people are talking about Kasper Schmeichel," said Pearce. "They've all come through the academy system but they've been supplemented by good signings. That's the key.
Pearce was not given the financial backing Sven Goran Eriksson has had in the transfer market but he insists there is no resentment. "It's a great football club with fantastic people and the fans deserve any success that comes their way," he said.
"A lot of people might say 'you're just saying that' but it's not the case. The club were fantastic to me - I had six great years there but I'm really enjoying what I'm doing.
"You have to take adversity on the chin. You get on with that and can't afford to look back and be bitter and twisted. The club are too good and there are too many good people there for me to look back and be resentful.
"Hopefully people will look back and say 'that was tough times, the couple of years you had there'. The chairman knows that and the board of directors know that. They needed someone from the outside to invest in the club and reignite it again and that's happened."
He added: "The bonus for me is that I've brought in three City players to represent us and when they walked through the door yesterday they were on top of the world."
