Stoke's Hughes: United lacks that winning feeling

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes is keenly anticipating his squad's test against Manchester United on Sunday - no doubt buoyed from his belief that the Red Devils aren't currently a "winning team."

The abrasive Welshman spent 13 collective years manning the forward line for United in an otherwise nomadic career, collecting eight honours at Old Trafford.

"I won numerous trophies there and I always get a nice feeling going back in there," Hughes said in Friday's pre-match media conference.

"I played in a winning team that had the mindset to win every game. I'm not sure whether the current group have that feeling yet."

Given Jose Mourinho's appointment and the signings of world-renown talents Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Hughes knows success could be on the horizon for United. But for now, he sees a squad that's not a finished product.

"They have addressed some of their failings from last year with some very big signings and you can see the club's intent," Hughes continued. "It is maybe a little bit of a transitional period, but you sense that there will be a marked improvement on where they finish."

Stoke, meanwhile, appears to be in a lull. The club sits 19th in the Premier League - two points adrift of safety - and follows the international break with a visit from relegation candidate Sunderland on Oct. 15.