London, December 30:

Manchester City’s Brazilian star Robinho says the threat of being dropped is a factor behind the club’s patchy English Premiership form.

With the Dubai-based consortium behind the blue half of Manchester set to give coach Mark Hughes big money to spend when the transfer window opens on Thursday, Robinho says several players are beginning to wonder if their days are numbered.

Robinho, signed from Real Madrid, for £32.5 million, says those concerns have dragged down the performance of the team. “It is incredible that with this squad we have appeared to be fighting relegation,” Robinho said in Tuesday’s Daily Mail. Robinho’s last-gasp goal secured a draw with Blackburn on Sunday to keep City just out of the relegation zone.