First of of all, however, his side will have to overturn a 3-1 deficit against Hamburg tonight at Eastlands if they are to reach the semi-finals.
It is a tough task given their recent form - five defeats in six games in all competitions.
However Hughes is not giving up the fight just yet as City prepare for their 16th match in the competition after starting out in July.
He said: "We would all love to be part of a team that brings a trophy to Manchester City.
"Over the years the club have struggled to put silverware on the sideboard. It would be a great achievement if we could do it this year.
"It may well surprise people if we are able to do that. But that is our aim. We have always held this competition in the highest regard and given it the respect it deserves."
That upbeat message - despite the 3-1 home defeat by Fulham on Sunday - was echoed by defender Nedum Onuoha.
He said: "There is a lot of confidence among the players. At home we always believe we can get a positive result.
"Everyone knows what they have to do against Hamburg and hopefully that will see us through.
"We have played a lot of games but I am not tired, just enjoying every one. We are all very ambitious.
"With the conditioning work we do, we have it in us to play a lot more games from now until the end of the season."
Hughes has come under fire from a section of the supporters after a string of poor results.
But he is relaxed about his own situation and said: "My position is there for the owners to make a judgment on.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
nottingham_blue (16/04/2009 at 14:04)
given
zabaleta dunne onuoha bridge
kompany
swp ireland elano petrov
robinho
petrov's back so we can finally play robinho were he should be played, through the middle. once we've got the two goals we need bring him off for richards and put zabaleta in defensive midfield and onwards to werder bremen.
please, for god sake, everyone get behind the team. i haven't felt this anxious leading up to a game since birmingham home game under royle that pretty much got us promoted. love hughes or hate him, save your boos until the whistle has gone
Grand Pablo, Manchester (16/04/2009 at 14:05)
Eddie Black, Oxford (16/04/2009 at 14:23)
I love ur team selection except I would play Kompany instead of Dunne at CB put Zab in midfield Richards at RB and Gariddo for Bridge. But that said neither of our team will be picked because our manager is unable to see past his petty fued with Elano and will try to play 2 or three holding midfieders (even though we haven't got them).
I want city to win everything, always have and always will But any team which has Richard Dunne as it's captain and central insperation coupled with Mark Hughes as manager will never be successful.
Yes they will have odd bits of glory but will never reach the pinnacle. BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Sorry mate, I wish I was wrong but in our hearts we know it's true.
HERE'S HOPING FOR THE DREAM TONIGHT
deemcfc (16/04/2009 at 14:26)
Jordie, Manchester (16/04/2009 at 14:26)
ulf blomberg, varberg, sweden. (16/04/2009 at 14:28)
Blue amongst the red tourists, Ely, Cambridgeshire (with a mancunian passport) (16/04/2009 at 14:31)
City till i die!!!!!
eternal optimist, san pedro,, spain (16/04/2009 at 14:31)
Come on and shout eastlands down lads... We Will Try from Spain
CTID
zin zimmer, manchester (16/04/2009 at 14:32)
Robinho is seven feet tall and hung like a donkey,says a voice in the crowd
Yes, I've heard. Kills teams off by the hundreds, and if he were here he'd consume the kaisers with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his mercurial feet
I am Robinho
And I see a whole army of my team mates here in defiance of tyranny.
You have come to play as free men, and free men you are. What would you do without freedom? Will you fight?
Fight? Against that? No, we will run; and we will collect next weeks wages without conscience.
Aye, fight and you may lose, Run and you'll exist-- at least a while.
And dying in your beds many years from now,
would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... our CITY.
Marathon over.
COMMMMMMMMMMME OOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN
LETS GET THEM.
Zin Zimmer pumped like a mo fo.
cptpattern, Sunny Peel Hall, Wythenshawe (16/04/2009 at 14:38)
ekuldot (16/04/2009 at 14:41)
all the expectations since our owners took over have caused us no end of problems on and off the field. if we had had the unlikely scenario of new owners comin in without any hoo haa, i think we may have slipped under the radar and expectations wouldnt have hindered our abilities on the pitch or caused the media witch hunt weve been subjected to.
dont get me wrong, i want success like everyone else, having only ever been to one so called cup final with city (full members cup final against chelsea in 1986). i just think that we need to continue buying honest, hard working players, like Zabaleta / Kompany / De Jong / Bellamy & save the super stars til we can justify their existance in our team. this is a major shake up we are going through - weve had a barren spell for 30 odd years and it aint gonna happen in one season, even if we do have all the money in the world. next season we push for a top 6 finish and perhaps a domestic trophy, the season after we push for champions league qualification. hughes has a tough job and has so far spent well, the idiots that chanted at the game at fulham that he's out of his depth are not real supporters. on this very forum, there were plenty sugesting he drop robinho or if he had the bottle to do so, then when he does, they call for his head - its laughable. look at stoke. ok, they dont have the same expectations but their fans are considered to be the best in the league at home. i remember when we were the best fans in the land, we dont even have any decent chants anymore...this club is being pulled down from within and its up to us to grab this situation by the scruff of the neck and get behind the team and start being a bit more realistic. you dont build a house from the roof down, you need the foundations and a change in manager now would be simply like taking out the stair case. we're building, the foundations are in place, we have the means to build a magnificent structure but its early days, weve got the ground floor in, the stairs are almost up and next season we start work on the 2nd floor.
united be afraid very afraid, warrington (16/04/2009 at 14:46)
given
zabby onouha dunne bridge(if fit)
kompany
swp ireland robinho petrov
sturridge
if sturridge isnt at the races elano midfield
robinho up front
i d give robinho a more central role behind the
main striker that should suit him more??.Whether
we like hughes or not lets just get on with
getting behind him and the team if we go in at half
time 1-0 up i think we ve got a great chance we need
a big performance from dunney when we ve won big games
in the last few years dunneys been spot on right from
the kick off.
come on blues dont let us down full house a great atmosphere
and a chance for a european semi.
robinho first goal 3-0 80-1 get on it!!
Nick,The Voice of Reason,And Student of The World Game, , caterham,Surrey,(Blackley Born & Bred) (16/04/2009 at 14:52)
timmy, manchester (16/04/2009 at 14:54)
I was there in '99!! (16/04/2009 at 15:02)
For crying out loud... we're much better placed than what we were...
better manager
better team
better chairman
We need to be the 12th man tonight... but lets not be slaggin hughes/the team off if we dont go through....
Jus think, did we reach this stage under KK????
ulf blomberg, varberg, sweden. (16/04/2009 at 15:02)
Seals, Heywood (16/04/2009 at 15:06)
........but I'd settle for a team of sweat and blood soaked Blue shirts shattered but proud of what they did on the pitch..
COMMMMMMMMEE ON YOU BLUESSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!
AlexC83, Manchester (16/04/2009 at 15:07)
Given, Bridge, Onouha, Dunne, Richards, Elano, Zabaleta, Ireland, Robinho, Wright-Phillips, Sturridge.
This is effectively the last game of our season if we lose so one big effort's required all round to ensure that isn't the case!
And I include us fans in that...
City Slipper, Manchester (16/04/2009 at 15:08)
16/04/2009 at 14:41
It wouldn't be a nightmare to not win but it would be nice to win and I think it would have nothing but a positive effect on the club regardless of where we are in constructing the house (to use your analogy).
2 nil please team...it's very do-able but, obviously, they have to play differently to how they have been playing. Robinho in the centre is a must together with Zab reinstated at right-back if the midfield can aford to lose him...atack, attack, attack (but keep the back door shut).
Private Fraser, Warmington-On-Sea (16/04/2009 at 15:09)
Lorenzo Bonazzi, Stockholm (16/04/2009 at 15:14)
VIVA CITY & ROBINHO!!
CTID
Rodney Marsh's Sideburns, Withington (16/04/2009 at 15:14)
Thats me in the corner, keeping my religion! (16/04/2009 at 15:20)
Lets get behind the lads tonight & go out with a bang rather than a whimper.
Jos Parlby (16/04/2009 at 15:21)
He posted this on the united site, so they aren't all bad, are they?
ted knott, droylsden (16/04/2009 at 15:25)