Theres is no chance for Champions League for Manchester United, Arsenal always relax in Emirates Stadium, Liverpool crossed the ocean suffocated in the creek.
Stoke City 2 Manchester United 1: Red Devils lost chance for Champions League
In his two spells as a United player, Hughes experienced the bad times in Sir Alex Ferguson’s early years – they were 11th and 13th in 1989 and 1990 – before the glory days arrived.
And as the manager in charge at Manchester City when the Abu Dhabi oil money came gushing in, Hughes knows all about the pressure of occupying the hot seat at a big club.
As a player, he says, he developed a siege mentality and used the fear of failure as a motivating force rather than allowing it to sap confidence and morale.
In the dog-eat-dog world of football management it was understandable that Hughes – himself once considered a possible successor to Ferguson – derived enormous satisfaction from guiding Stoke to their first League win over United since Boxing Day 1984.
But it did not stop him having some sympathy for Moyes, whose hopes of salvaging a Champions League qualifying place from a disastrous season suffered yet another setback.
“Obviously there’s huge focus on them and you have to deal with that attention,” said Hughes. “I used to use that as a motivation. From my point of view it was fear of failure.
It was like, ‘don’t let anyone have the opportunity to criticise.’ That was what drove me on and I would suggest it’s what drove a lot of United players on.
“There will be pressure – that’s obvious. It goes with the territory. David has been in the game a long time now, he knows how it works, but the thing with United is that they will give him time. He deserves time. He’s served his dues and he’s been given a fantastic opportunity at a great club to be really successful and I wish him well.
“Every manger understands when the pressure starts to build and it’s not great. You are judged on your results and United are no different from Stoke or any other club in that regard. It’s just that there is a different level of focus as the United manager.
“It’s difficult but he’s got good qualities as a manager and he’s not green behind the gills. He’s been successful at his previous club. He will come through it. He will get it right I am sure. There’s no reason why he can’t shape the club in his own image and get success.
“Don’t forget this team were champions last year and there hasn’t been too many changes in personnel, only the guy at the top.”
Two goals from the left boot of Charlie Adams – one fortuitous, one sublime – either side of a Robin Van Persie equaliser sent United to their eighth Premier League defeat of a
traumatic season and increased the prospect of spending next season out of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in nearly two decades.
The games are running out now.
“It seems as if its one step forward, then one step back,” said frustrated defender Chris Smalling. “We really need to win every game now. We don’t really talk about not qualifying for the Champions League but we all know, if anything, that’s the minimum we need to aim for.”
It is going to take a huge improvement in performances and results, not to mention a change in fortune, for United to finish fourth.
The stats show the average points tally of the team finishing fourth in the Premier League over the last five seasons is 70.4.
That means they are going to need to pick up 31 points from their remaining 14 fixtures – an average of 2.21 a game. When you consider so far they are averaging only 1.67 points – and they still have to play Arsenal and Everton (away) and Liverpool and Manchester City (at home) – then it looks a tall order.
Certainly a harder task than Hughes faces at the Britannia. If his Stoke side maintain the spirit and determination they showed to dig out a victory that lifted them from 18th to 11th then they should have no problems banishing fears of the drop from a congested bottom half of the table.
Stoke City vs Manchester United Match Stats
Stoke: Begovic 7; Cameron 7, Shawcross ,7 Wilson 5, Pieters 6; Odemwingie 6, Adam 8, Whelan 7 (Palacios 83), Arnautovic 7 (Assaidi 72, 7), Walters 7 (Ireland 60); Crouch 6.
Subs not used: Sorensen, Muniesa, Palacios, Guidetti, Shotton, Ireland.
Booked: Walters, Cameron
Goals: Adam 38, 52.
Manager: Mark Hughes 7
Manchester United: De Gea 6; Smalling 6, Jones 5 (Welbeck 44, 5), Evans 6 (Rafael 11, 6), Evra 7; Carrick 6, Cleverley 6; Mata 7, Rooney 6, Young 6; Van Persie 7 (Hernandez 79, 6).
Subs not used: Lindegaard Valencia, Fletcher, Januzaj.
Booked: Rooney, Carrick.
Goals: Van Persie 47.
Manager: David Moyes 6
Man of the Match: Charlie Adam
Att: 26,547
Ref: Neil Swarbrick 7
Stoke City 2 Manchester United 1 Match Video
[media id=1030 width=610 height=340]Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 0:Still most close team for Championship even without Ramsey & Walcott
The 20-year-old England midfielder – fit again following five months out with a serious knee injury suffered on the first day of the season – finally ended Palace’s stubborn resistance when he chipped in a fine pass from Santi Cazorla just after the restart.
After Cameron Jerome’s diving header was saved by Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny, Oxlade-Chamberlain struck again to make sure of victory when he combined with Olivier Giroud before running clear to beat Julian Speroni after 73 minutes.
Arsenal now move two points above Manchester City, who host third-placed Chelsea on Monday night, while the Eagles remain in a dogfight for survival, just a point above 18th-placed West Ham.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had recalled both Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski into the starting XI from Tuesday night’s frustrating 2-2 draw at Southampton, but there was no place in the squad for deadline day loan arrival Kim Kallstrom, the Sweden midfielder out with a back problem.
Palace signed several players late on Friday, so only goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was in the squad, as forward Marouane Chamakh faced his former club.
Arsenal created the first opening on eight minutes when Mesut Ozil’s lofted pass picked out left-back Nacho Monreal on the overlap, but Speroni was out quickly to save.
At the other end, Chamakh – allowed to leave by Wenger in the summer following an unsuccesful loan spell at West Ham – got clear of the Arsenal defence, but a heavy touch saw the ball spin through to Szczesny.
Palace are a much-changed unit under Tony Pulis and remained discplined as Arsenal had more possesion.
Arsenal felt they should have been given a penalty when Olivier Giroud was held by Nile Jedinak at a corner, but referee Jon Moss was not interested.
Ozil’s floated 25-yard free-kick was glanced on by Laurent Koscielny and the ball looked to be dropping into the bottom corner, but Speroni made another good save at full stretch.
Palace were happy to interupt Arsenal’s flow at every opportunity, and Chamakh was shown a yellow card on 42 minutes for another niggling foul on Ozil.
Arsenal finally broke Palace’s resistance with a well-made goal two minutes into the second half.
Cazorla picked up the ball on the right and lofted over a perfectly-weighted pass into the penalty area where Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived on queue to chip the goalkeeper for his first goal of the season.
Arsenal, though, had Szczesny to thank for keeping the scores level as the Polish international threw himself towards the near post to somehow block a diving header from Jerome at point-blank range.
The home side headed the warning and were soon back on the offensive, Podolski firing into the sidenetting.
Pulis made a change on 56 minutes as Jerome was replaced by Barry Bannon and Chamakh pushed forwards
With 18 minutes to go, Podolski came off for Tomas Rosicky – fit again following surgery on a broken nose suffered at Aston Vila.
Moments later, the Czech playmaker had a hand in Arsenal’s second as he fed Oxlade-Chamberlain in the centre-circle.
The England attacker – who scored against Brazil in the Maracana in June – exchanged a neat one-two with Giroud before charging on into the right side of the penalty area and then beating Speroni for a second time with a low shot into the bottom right corner after 73 minutes.
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Match Stats
Arsenal: Szczesny 6; Sagna 6, Mertesacker 7, Koscielny 6, Monreal 6; Arteta 6, Oxlade-Chamberlain 7; Cazorla 8, Ozil 6 (Gibbs 84), Podolski 6 (Rosicky 71, 6); Giroud 6 (Bendtner 84).
Goals: Oxlade-Chamberlain 47, 73
Booked: Mertesacker
Manager: Arsene Wenger 7
Crystal Palace: Speroni 6; Ward 6, Gabbidon 6, Delaney 6, Parr 5; Bolasia 5, Dikgacoi 6, Jedinak 6, Puncheon 5; Chamakh 5 (Gayle 82); Jerome 5 (Bannan 55, 6)
Booked: Chamakh, Delaney
Manager: Tony Pulis 6
Att: 60,005
Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 0 Match Video
[media id=1031 width=610 height=340]West Brom 1 Liverpool 1:Reds most unbalanced team of Premier League
Daniel Sturridge had given his side a first-half lead, but a determined fightback from the Baggiest saw them earn a hard-fought point.
The match started slowly, with neither side really willing to press forward.
Any consistent flow in play was halted by little fouls and kicks, but the Baggies seemed content to just keep Liverpool away from keeper Ben Foster.
However a spark of magic from Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez in the 24th minute saw Sturridge beat the offside trap and put Liverpool’s first shot of the game in the back of the net.
The dynamic duo now have a combined 55 league goals for Brendan Rodgers’ side, and Liverpool’s Champions League fate looks certain to rest in their hands.
West Brom’s confidence seemed to take a severe knock after the goal, and they played out the rest of the first half like a team with no clear intent.
Words must have been said at half time, as the Baggies took to the pitch with new-found energy.
Looking much more lively, Gareth McAuley forced a terrific save from Simon Mignolet in the 52nd minute with a bullet header.
Up the other end of the pitch, Suarez had a great chance to put Liverpool two-up but Foster stood his ground and saved at close-range.
Chris Brunt went close in the 65th minute with a low-driven freekick, but again Mignolet was on hand to deal with the threat.
West Brom’s pressure paid off, and a terrible pass from Kolo Toure across his box put former Everton man Anichebe clear on goal.
Anichebe slotted home, and suddenly Liverpool looked rattled.
Steven Gerrard and Suarez were booked for silly fouls as the Baggies continued to push forward.
Liverpool tried to get back in the game but could not match the enthusiasm shown by West Brom’s players.
The game filtered out and both sides left with a point each.
West Brom vs Liverpool Match Stats
West Brom: Foster 7, Jones 6, McAuley 7, Olsson 5, (Lugano 41, 5) Ridgewell 5; Berahino 6, (Anichebe 64, 7) Mulumbu 8, Yacob 6, Brunt 6; Gera 7; Vydra 5. (Dorrans 76, 6)
Goal: Anichebe 67
Booked: Ridgewell, Yacob, Mulumbu, Lugano
Liverpool: Mignolet 7, Flanagan 6, (Kelly 74, 6) Skrtel 7, Toure 5, Cissokho 6; Gerard 7, Sterling 7, Coutinho 7, (Allen 74, 6) Henderson 7; Suarez 7, Sturridge 7
Goal: Sturridge 24
Booked: Suarez, Gerrard
MOM: Mulumbu
Att: 26,132
West Brom 1 Liverpool 1 Match Video
[media id=1032 width=610 height=340]English Premier League Match Week 24 Results
Saturday, 1 February
Newcastle 0 Sunderland 3
West Ham 2 Swansea City 0
Stoke City 2 Man United 1
Cardiff City 2 Norwich City 1
Fulham 0 Southampton 3
Hull City 1 Tottenham 1
Everton 2 Aston Villa 1
Sunday, 2 February
West Brom 1 Liverpool 1
Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 0
Monday, 3 February
Man City 20:00 Chelsea
Barclays Premier League Match Week 24 Table
