Stoke City chairman Peter Coates says the club will stick by manager Mark Hughes.
Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has told talkSPORT the club will stick by manager Mark Hughes despite their shocking start to the new Premier League season, calling rumours the Welshman is close to the sack “ridiculous”.
Stoke sit bottom of the Premier League after five games with just one point and are looking well below their best.
Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park made it four straight defeats with the Potters conceding four goals in three of their five games to date.
Chief Coates insists Hughes is trusted to lift the club out of their bad patch and rediscover their winning form again.
Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT, Coates said: “It is a disappointing start, but it is a bit ridiculous that we’re having a conversation about a manager’s future after five games.
“Yes, it’s the nature of the game, but that doesn’t make it sensible, does it? Obviously it’s true that bad results cannot go on forever, but we’re only five games into the season.
“There is an issue which he and his coaches and the players have got to address. Of course Mark recognises that, he doesn’t need me to tell him – he’s an experienced manager.”
Since joining the club in the summer of 2013, Hughes has guided the club to their highest finish in the Premier League of ninth for three consecutive seasons.
He has also been able to change the identity of the club. When the Potters first came into the top flight they were known for their direct and physical style of play under Tony Pulis; however Hughes has been able to transform the playing style as well as lure in some superb individual players such as Marko Arnaoutovic, Giannelli Imbula, Bojan Krkić, Xherdan Shaqiri and Wilfried Bony
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