City have exactly the same points - 22 from 13 Premier League games - as they did under Hughes year ago. One month later he lost his job in humiliating fashion.
Mancini, named as Hughes' replacement in the same breath as the Welshman's sacking just hours after a 4-3 victory over Sunderland on December 19, refused on Friday to read too much into the similarities and said the team were much better now.
"We have improved a lot our team. We won a lot of games away," the Italian told a news conference at the club's Carrington training ground. "We are in fourth position, two points behind United. We must check at the end of the season ... we will get (into) the Champions League, we will probably win something."
"Sunday will be Fulham (against) City not Hughes against Mancini," he said.
While a trip to Fulham could give Mancini the opportunity the chance to swap notes with Hughes on life at the world's richest club, it may not provide much chance of silencing fan concerns over what they see as boring displays.
"We had 17 chances to score in the second half (in last week's 0-0 draw at home to Birmingham City)," he said.
"It is important we have the chance to score. The problem would be if we didn't have a chance to score."
"He must change his mentality, he must think to play," said Mancini. "If Mario plays he can score in every game. If Mario doesn't talk with the referee, thinks only of his job, he can make a difference on the pitch."
"Mario must start to play before he leaves," he said with a laugh. "He has played only two games. It's a good experience for him, he's young."
