Mark Hughes hoping Stoke can use Jose Mourinho ban to their advantage

Mark Hughes hoping Stoke can use Jose Mourinho ban to their advantage

Mark Hughes hoping Stoke can use Jose Mourinho ban to their advantage

Mark Hughes hopes Stoke can take
advantage of Jose Mourinho's absence
when the Blues visit the Britannia Stadium
on Saturday.
Mourinho will serve a one-match stadium ban
imposed following his half-time dismissal against
West Ham last month.
The Chelsea boss has found himself in
disciplinary hot water on more than one
occasion already this season and on Friday
opted to accept the punishment rather than
submit an appeal.
That means he is not allowed to be at the
Britannia for the match - an unusual situation
that Stoke boss Hughes admits could work both
ways.
He said: "Jose's had any number of run-ins this
year, maybe he's just a little bit tired of trying to
argue his case.
"I think Jose's got a little bit of a gripe with the
powers that be and maybe they're coming down
really hard on him at the moment.
"I'm not quite sure of the full details of why he
is banned but obviously that may well impact
negatively on the team, or it might be a positive.
It's a tough one to call from our point of view
whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.
"You would think without his influence at half-
time or just prior to the game, that would take
something away. But it's always good to see
Jose in the dugout opposite and I know our
crowd enjoy seeing opposition managers and
that gets them going."
Mourinho suggested on Friday he might not even
watch the game and insisted he would not do
anything to try to flout the ban.
During his first spell at Stamford Bridge he
reportedly got around a UEFA-imposed stadium
ban by hiding in a laundry skip.
Hughes admitted he did not see how the
punishment was 100 per cent enforceable,
saying: " Who's to say he hasn't got a phone to
his ear and is in touch with his coaching staff?
Who's going to know?
"Unless an FA official is actually sat on Jose's
knee, I don't think anyone would know."
Chelsea have lost more than half their Premier
League matches and are languishing in 15th
place in the table.
They lost on penalties at the Britannia only last
week in the Capital One Cup - a result
sandwiched by league defeats against West
Ham and Liverpool .
Hughes felt Chelsea's struggles overshadowed
the achievement of his side that day - and
hopes to prove a point on Saturday.
The Welshman said: "I'd like to think if we put in
the level of performance that we did in the
Capital One Cup then hopefully we'll get a few
more mentions.
"Anything that ups the level of performance
you're at liberty to use (as motivation) and
that's what we'll try to do.
"Our motivating factor isn't to compound the
situation people feel Jose's in. It's about us.
We're on a decent run of form. I think Arsenal
and Tottenham are the only two teams that
have earned as many points as us over the last
six games.
"We know we need to improve our home form.
Obviously we went some way towards that with
our performance against Chelsea last time out
here. We'll have to hit the same levels.
"You saw midweek in the Champions League
that, even when they're struggling somewhat,
towards the latter stages when the opposing
team had pegged them back, they've still got
individuals who can turn the game. "
Hughes welcomes back defender Geoff Cameron
from a thigh problem, leaving Marc Muniesa and
Shay Given as his only absentees.
The Stoke boss acknowledged the depth of his
squad was leaving some players unsatisfied.
Peter Crouch this week said he might be open to
a move in January having not started a Premier
League game all season, but Hughes wants to
hold on to the striker.
He said: "It's understandable to a certain extent.
What we've tried to be is fair and make Peter,
and other players who've been in a similar
situation, understand them not being involved.
They just need to be patient.
"Peter is a unique player. He's a big part of
what we do so I'd be very loath to let him
leave."