Monday 26 October 2015 17:46, UK
Stoke manager Mark Hughes has backed under-fire Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to hang onto his job and guide the club through their current problems.
Mourinho has been charged by the FA for an altercation with match officials at half-time of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at West Ham; a result that leaves Chelsea 15th in the table.
Ahead of their Capital One Cup fourth round meeting on Tuesday, Hughes has come out in defence of Mourinho.
"It's a period he has the knowledge and understanding to address, and he'll turn it around," Hughes said. "I don't think anyone thinks that he won't.
"I don't anticipate they'll be in the position they are for too much longer.
"Chelsea have quality right throughout the club that will enable them to come through this moment I'm sure.
"He says it himself - he's a top manager and he's the best manager Chelsea have ever had, so why would they change?"
Mourinho was recently hit with a £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for comments he made about referee Robert Madeley, a punishment against which he is appealing.
Hughes admitted Mourinho does sometimes overstep the mark.
Hughes said: "I think sometimes - and we're all guilty of it - maybe if you've had a bad result you'll try to change the focus to something that has happened in or around the game rather than it being on the result itself.
"I think that is what he does - he tries to take the pressure off his players by highlighting a refereeing issue or something else in the game. It has been done by him on occasions as it has by us all."
