Southampton boss is already under pressure.
Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport he sees a reason why Mark Hughes deserves time to stay at Southampton.
The Saints lost 3-2 to Fulham at the weekend, a result which keeps them in the relegation zone.
Southampton have only managed one league win from 13 games this season.
Stuart Armstrong scored twice for the Saints and Crooks believes his development is one reason Southampton could consider sticking with Hughes.
He told BBC Sport: “Playing for Celtic is one thing but playing in the English Premier League takes some adjusting to.
“If Armstrong had stayed on the field then the outcome for the Saints might have been very different. Mark Hughes has unearthed a player – I wonder if he’s going to be given the time at Southampton to develop him.”
Southampton paid £7 million to sign Armstrong, a bargain in today’s market.
Even so, until this weekend, Southampton had seen little to get carried away about.
His brace was a positive, but the club cannot afford to play the long game and give Hughes chance to develop his stars.
The manager was brought in last season initially as a stop gap because results were bad.
If they remain in the drop zone, he can have no complaints if he too is replaced.
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