Kevin Keegan had a spat with the owners and had to resign

Arsene Wenger joked to Sir Alex Ferguson the other day that when a manager signs a contract he must “prepare for divorce”. Football’s divorce lawyers have been busy on separations involving Alan Curbishley, Kevin Keegan and their erstwhile loves, yet trust seems to have broken out in most liaisons between Premier League boardroom and dressing room.

As the most successful managers in the 16-year history of the Premier League, Wenger and Ferguson do not need to worry about the support of grateful employers. They run the team. The owners run the club. Simple. Other managers are less fortunate. Keegan and Curbishley left their posts because distrust darkened their relationship with the respective (and intrusive) power brokers of Newcastle and West Ham.

Player recruitment, not results, has become the new battleground. The biggest trigger of tension appears during the transfer window, a manic countdown to action that exposes any pressure points in the bond between manager and owner.

So weekend developments at Middle Eastlands should be celebrated, and not only because of Manchester City’s irrepressible football in running up a tennis score against Portsmouth. Back-heels, drag-backs and step-overs were all on parade. The carnival has replaced the circus at City. Equally encouraging was the statement by City’s new owner, a two-page affirmation of sound football principles. For a man who has been in the game five minutes, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan talks a lot of sense. He is blessed with either a shrewd mind or astute advisers and script-writers.

Sheikh Mansour championed the qualities of Mark Hughes, urged “the best young British manager” to keep promoting Academy “talent” and — note well, Mike Ashley — promised to “back his judgement in what players to bring in”.

For all the breathless chatter about more Brazilians sambaing into town, from Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Pele, Carmen Miranda and the girl from Ipanema, the wise Sheikh acknowledged that managers must be allowed to mould squads. “We are building a structure for the future, not just a team of all-stars,” added Sheikh Mansour.

Good. All-star XIs are for charity matches. Balance is key. Eastlands board have realised that Richard Dunne is as important to the team as Robinho.

Dunne may not sell many shirts in Bangkok, in the view of executive chairman Garry Cook, but everyone who cares about City’s long-term development will have punched the air in delight when Dunne scored against Pompey. Robinho can lead City in the drive to enhance their brand in the Far East. Dunne can lead City in the drive to reach the Champions League.

The excellent contributions of Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips also advertised the Academy’s importance to City’s future. Hughes, for whom the all-star philosophy is anathema, deserves Sheikh Mansour’s trust because he knows how to buy well and blend teams.

With Richard Bevan proving a strong and eloquent chief executive of the League Managers’ Association, dug-outs need not be bunkers. Managers should demand “complete control”, to borrow another Wenger remark to Ferguson. Trust is vital.

The Daily Telegraph