Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores recalls previous battles against Mark Hughes
Thursday 22 October 2015 18:59, UK
Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores is relieved to be going up against Mark Hughes the manager, not the player, on Saturday when his side face Stoke.
Flores faced Hughes when he was playing for Valencia, after the Welshman joined Barcelona from Manchester United in 1986.
Hughes played only one season in La Liga before returning to England, but the former striker still made a strong impression on Flores with his no-nonsense style of play.
"He was there for one year at Barcelona. He was stronger than me. He crashed hard into players, I remember that," said Flores.
Fortunately we are not playing against Mark Hughes. It is the players of Watford against the players of Stoke.
"He was always keeping the ball with his back to goal. He was a very tough opponent.
"But you can't make such a difference as a manager. Of course, Mark Hughes has the respect of the players and the league because he did everything in football.
"But fortunately we are not playing against Mark Hughes. It is the players of Watford against the players of Stoke.
"Mark and me, we are on the bench so our influences are limited in the match.
"I am not surprised the player I saw at Barcelona became a coach."
While Stoke have hit form after a poor opening to the season, winning their last three matches in a row, Watford have begun to struggle after a bright start, with the Hornets now winless in three.
Watford go into the weekend 15th in the table, four points clear of the relegation places, but Flores insists he is targeting more than simply Premier League survival this season.
"I am very confident in what I do and what the players are doing every week," he added.
"It's very positive where we are. If we are not in the bottom three and fighting for the higher positions, it's perfect.
"We are not thinking about the bottom three, we are thinking about 10th, 11th, 12th.
"Right now, we are angry. We are not comfortable. Now we are 15th, it is good news but we want more. We are working hard to create something special."
