Intro:

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes looked ahead on Friday (31st October) to a English Premier League encounter with West Ham United.

Script:

"Yes they are doing very well, doing exceptionally well, changed their way of playing somewhat but don't underestimate, they still have Plan A and Plan B, if they feel they need to go long they will do and they still have that option, it's not a bad option. Obviously we use it as well so it's not something to make apologies about, it works at the right time but they've changed their shape somewhat and it seems to be helping them. They've got good pace up front and the lads they have brought in have made an immediate impact, scored goals and that's what you want when you bring new players in so it's gone really well for them and they're playing with a lot of confidence so it's another team that we will have to match up in that regard in terms of going up against a very confident side that's playing well at the moment."

"He understands this league and he understands, like I do, that it's very short term. You're either great or you're very, very poor and it's, the period of time that people make that judgement is getting shorter and shorter every year. If you have a good start, you win a couple of games back-to-back then you are flavour of the month. If you don't do that then you get criticised and that short-termism is damaging, I feel. People need to be allowed to just get on with their job and, at the end of the season, get judged then. More often than not Sam has done an exceptional job at whatever club he has been at."