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Carlos Tevez has pleaded for patience as Manchester City aim to establish themselves in the Premier League's elite.
Expectations have soared at Eastlands since the club's takeover by Sheikh Mansour and the vast investment he has subsequently brought to the club.
Mark Hughes was axed as City manager last season despite the Blues having lost just two league games at the time and Tevez's fiery relationship with his successor Roberto Mancini has sparked claims the Italian could soon be ousted as well.
But Tevez, City's captain and top scorer, is confident the manager and the big-money signings will deliver if given time.
"Three years ago Manchester City were a team who used to finish in the bottom half of the table," he told the club's official website.
"Nowadays we are always battling to be in the top four and trying hard to become one of the great teams.
"That shows we have grown tremendously in just a couple of years.
"But people need to remain very patient. You don't build a great club overnight.
Settling-in period
"Each new player or new manager needs to go through a settling-in period. There are lots of factors involved so you need to keep fighting, just like we have been doing, in order to win a title.
"That could then turn into many more trophies."
Hughes had named defender Kolo Toure his captain but Mancini opted to hand the armband to Tevez during the summer after the Argentina striker scored 29 goals in his first season at the club.
Tevez has led by example again with 10 goals already this term but exchanged words with Mancini after being brought off late on during Saturday's 1-0 win over Bolton.
And if City are to reach their full potential, Tevez must show the same diplomacy with Mancini that he showed with Toure at the start of the season.
"I went to speak with Kolo to tell him what I was thinking, that I was as surprised as anyone at Roberto's decision and that he could always count on my support," Tevez added.
Resolved
"Then it was just everything else you would expect two guys to talk about when speaking face-to-face trying to make sure everything had been resolved.
"It is hard to swallow because if I had managed to get the captain's armband and it was taken from me I would be really gutted.
"I would appreciate the new captain coming to speak with me. So I put myself in his position and did what I felt had to be done as a man."
Tevez's prolific form has led to claims City are a one-man team but he insists the captaincy is not a burden.
"I don't see it like that," he said. "I go out on the field to do my utmost to make sure we win games.
"I don't worry that if I don't play well or score, City are going to lose. I don't put myself under that kind of pressure.
"I always try to play my best in order to win the game. If it doesn't work out there are 10 other guys out there who are my equal, who are also doing everything they can to earn the victory.
"I don't take on the responsibility of saying to myself that without my scoring, City won't win."
