Stoke can make history at Blues, claims Hughes
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STOKE City manager Mark Hughes has challenged his side to make history today by ending Chelsea’s 76-match unbeaten home record in English Premier League games in two spells under manager Jose Mourinho.
Unfashionable Stoke is sitting comfortably in the middle of the table after four wins in five games, having lost once in its last nine matches.
Chelsea, in contrast, has been beaten three times in its last five outings in all competitions and Hughes claims his side is therefore in better form. “We have to be mindful of a backlash, but we are in a good place at the moment, and if there is ever a good time to go to a place like Stamford Bridge then that is when you are in better form than Chelsea, which we possibly are at the moment,” Hughes told the club’s website.
“It is an incredible record that they have at Stamford Bridge but this is an opportunity for our lads to go down there and make a bit of history.”
Chelsea did not lose a league game at home during Mourinho’s first period as manager from 2004-07 and it has remained unbeaten since he returned last summer.
Meanwhile, Fernando Torres, Chelsea’s misfiring 50 million pound (US$82.94 million) forward, has a future at the club, Mourinho said yesterday two days after suggesting his squad lacked “real strikers”.
On Wednesday Mourinho started the Champions League quarterfinal away to Paris St Germain with the German midfielder Andre Schurrle in attack, ignoring strikers Torres and Demba Ba.
After the 1-3 defeat that puts Chelsea’s qualification in doubt ahead of Tuesday’s second leg, he said: “I’m not happy with my strikers’ performances so I have to try things.”
That led to reports in British media that Torres, Ba, Samuel Eto’o (who is currently injured) and Romelu Lukaku (on loan at Everton) could all be sold in the next transfer window.
But speaking to reporters yesterday, Mourinho said of Torres: “Yes, he has a future, if he wants it to happen. He has a contract and he’s a good professional, who brings positive things to the team.”
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