Manchester City boss Hughes is acutely aware City have suddenly become a big scalp, ahead of the clash with his former club Blackburn Rovers.

From his own experience he knows no club is better at giving clubs with impressive reputations a bloody nose than Blackburn and, in Sam Allardyce, they have a manager famed for doing just that.

So he knows City must be ready from day one. Yet he senses a positive vibe in the camp, fuelled by the likely presence of a 6,000-strong travelling support, even if he accepts every other top flight club will be feeling much the same way.

”We are just looking forward to the first game of the season,” he said.

”That is the challenge for everyone. We are really chomping at the bit. We are six weeks or so into our pre-season and we just want to get on with it.

”I am sure Blackburn will be thinking in those terms as well. It’s a big game for them as well, they’re at home and will be wanting to put on a good show for their fans.

”But we will be taking a huge number of fans and we want to put on a good show for them.”

Mark Hughes knows the eyes of the football world will be on Manchester City tomorrow - with just as many wanting them to fail as succeed.

Although the Abu Dhabi United Group have had ownership of the Blues for almost a year now, it is only this summer that they have really flexed their financial muscle.

By the time Hughes has made the additional defensive purchases he feels are required before the end of the month, he will have spent in excess of £100million on new players, a figure that would double if purchases since the end of a tepid 2007-08 campaign were taken into account.

Everyone has an opinion on the Eastlands revolution, including most notably Sir Alex Ferguson, whose reaction has been taken as a sign of trepidation about City’s eventual strength.

But Hughes knows hype is no good alone. He will be expected to deliver results, starting at his old Ewood Park stomping ground. And, while many feel City’s rise would be beneficial to the Premier League, where the established top four have dominated for too long, the Welshman is aware laughter will be heard far beyond Old Trafford, if his side fail their first test.

”There is a lot of interest in us,” he acknowledged.

”There are a lot of people who want us to succeed and just as many who want us to fail.

”People who maybe have a negative slant on what we are trying to do sometimes have the loudest voices and are given more platforms. I think there are just as many people excited and wondering what we are going to do, whether we have the means to do it and whether we are going to shake up the status quo.

”We have to live with that and deal with that. It is about making sure we are the best prepared team in the Premier League. That is what we are striving to do.”