Time please: Given calls for patience with City

SHAY GIVEN has pleaded for patience as Manchester City desperately bid to stop their season hitting the buffers.

A dismal three days saw them suffer successive 3-1 defeats to Hamburg in the UEFA Cup and then Fulham in the Premier League.

Having slipped six points adrift of West Ham in the battle for seventh spot, City know their most realistic chance of forcing open the door to European football again next season is to mount a successful comeback operation against Martin Jol’s side on Thursday.

The odds are against the Blues and failure may turn the sporadic booing of manager Mark Hughes during Sunday’s home reverse into full scale mutiny among the Eastlands faithful.

But Given feels City fans must not jump to snap judgments.

For, while the cash injected by the Abu Dhabi United Group has given the Blues access to riches they could not have dreamed of 12 months ago, it has also raised expectations.

And Given feels it will take time for Hughes to shape his squad the way he wants.

“In years to come I think this will be a great club to be involved with,” said the Ireland star. “But Rome was not built in a day. People feel we are a top-six team because we are one of the richest clubs in the world.

“They are comparing us to Chelsea when Roman Abramovich took over but they were already a top four side who just added more quality to make them champions.

“It is going to take us longer. Everybody is impatient and want us to be there yesterday but we have got to put the building blocks in place,” he says.

Given knows a trophy of any description would represent a major foundation for those building blocks and with Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips back and a capacity 47,000 crowd cheering them on, City will be giving it everything when Jol’s team come to town.

“It is very important to get that first trophy in the cabinet,” said Given.

“Hopefully then we can kick on and have more success. After a such a long spell without winning a trophy, the first one is always going to be the hardest to get your hands on.’’

And despite City’s poor recent form Given insists he has no regrets about abandoning the Newcastle cause in January after 11 years’ loyal service.

“It was a big decision but I definitely feel I have made the right move,” he said. “I still have strong feelings for Newcastle, so it was strange to be at a different club.

“But the longer I have been here the more settled I have felt. City could have signed any keeper in the world so I feel lucky that they wanted to bring me to the club.”

Given feels less optimism for Newcastle, although he still keeps in touch with Alan Shearer and does not believe the Magpies could have anyone better to try and guide them to safety.

He just worries the decision to install his former team-mate may have come too late.

“He should have been brought in earlier to try and get some results,” said Given.

“It would be a real tragedy if they got relegated but it is getting very close to the wire.

“The games are running out and the results are not going so well.’’