Stoke City manager Mark Hughes believes Manchester United lack confidence and that their players are racked with nerves.
Hughes won 11 trophies during his 13 years on the playing staff at United, but his Stoke side beat the 20-time English champions with ease at the Britannia Stadium on Boxing Day.
Hughes knew United’s brittle confidence would shatter if his team applied enough pressure and he was proven right.
Read more: Can Stoke nip Everton? Jonathan Raymond predicts the Premier League midweek
Bojan Krkic put Stoke ahead following a calamitous error by Memphis Depay and once Marko Arnautovic had found the net with a fierce 25-yard drive, there was no way back for United.
“United have gone three or four games without a win so it’s a confidence thing,” Hughes said after his team’s 2-0 win.
“It does you give you an opportunity to get a better performance and play well as a team.
“We talked about their levels of confidence because you have to drain as much of that as you can from the opposition because that allows you to grow as a team.
“I think that’s exactly what we did in the first half. We didn’t allow them to settle – any anxiety they had or apprehension about the game was borne out because in that opening period, we were really dominant.”
Hughes feels Stoke have moved on from the perception that they are just merely a difficult team to beat. The win on Saturday move his side into 11th, but with 26 points they three off Watford in seventh and the European qualifying places.
Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan caused United countless problems, particularly when they drifted wide.
And in Arnautovic they have a real gem of a player who is starting to listen to Hughes’ advice.
“We tell him until we are blue in the face to shoot more, to be perfectly honest, because he has great power,” Hughes said of the Austrian, who has scored six goals this season.
“Maybe that (goal) will encourage him.”
Hughes also praised captain Ryan Shawcross, who kept Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini at bay.
Once again the Stoke fans urged Roy Hodgson to end the centre-back’s exile from the international arena and Hughes admits the former United defender can do little more to put himself back into the England manager’s thoughts.
“He’s been excellent for a long time,” Hughes said.
“I thought he was outstanding. Our crowd are a bit biased on occasions but you heard them and what they were singing. It’s credit to him – he just gets on with it.
“He’s parked that side of his ambition. He just wants to do well for us. If it happens it happens.
“It’s not a decision we can influence. All Ryan can do is just play well.”
Shawcross diverted the praise on to Jack Butland, who saved brilliantly from Fellaini in the second half.
The Stoke skipper was reluctant to hail Butland too much, though, as he knows other teams will be watching the goalkeeper’s progress.
“Jack is a top goalkeeper and we need to play down how well he is doing to be honest because someone will come in an snap him up,” Shawcross said.
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 299hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 420Nm at 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 12.4L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh157,395 (XLS); Dh199,395 (Limited)
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
List of UAE medal winners
Gold
Faisal Al Ketbi (Open weight and 94kg)
Talib Al Kirbi (69kg)
Omar Al Fadhli (56kg)
Silver
Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Khalfan Belhol (85kg)
Zayed Al Mansoori (62kg)
Mouza Al Shamsi (49kg women)
Bronze
Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi (Open and +94kg)
Saood Al Hammadi (77kg)
Said Al Mazroui (62kg)
Obaid Al Nuaimi (56kg)
Bashayer Al Matrooshi (62kg women)
Reem Abdulkareem (45kg women)
Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
Everybody Loves Touda
Director: Nabil Ayouch
Starring: Nisrin Erradi, Joud Chamihy, Jalila Talemsi
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
GOODBYE JULIA
Director: Mohamed Kordofani
Starring: Siran Riak, Eiman Yousif, Nazar Goma
Rating: 5/5
Jurassic Park
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough
Rating: 5/5
THE SWIMMERS
Director: Sally El-Hosaini
Stars: Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Ahmed Malek and Ali Suliman
Rating: 4/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5