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Mark Hughes: Stoke City sack manager after poor run

Last updated on .From the section Stokecomments908

Watch Hughes' final BBC interview as Stoke manager

Mark Hughes has been sacked as manager of Stoke City, just hours after the club's FA Cup third-round exit at the hands of League Two Coventry City.

A run of five defeats in seven Premier League games also contributed to Hughes' departure and he leaves with the club in the relegation zone.

Hughes, 54, had been in charge of the Potters for four and a half years.

Stoke, who play Manchester United on 15 January, say they will "look to appoint a new manager as soon as possible".

A section of Stoke fans called for him to leave and held up banners throughout the 2-1 defeat at the Ricoh Arena.

After the game - his 200th in all competitions as Stoke manager - Hughes said he did not think the defeat changed the situation regarding his future and said it "might be a blessing" for the rest of the season.

Hughes, a former Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and QPR boss, succeeded Tony Pulis at Stoke in May 2013 and was the fourth longest-serving manager at a Premier League club.

The Welshman guided Stoke to three straight ninth-placed finishes, dropping to 13th last season.

A miserable run of form

Hughes rested players as Stoke lost 5-0 at Chelsea on 30 December, saying they were focusing on the Newcastle game on New Year's Day.

But a 1-0 defeat by the Magpies, who were a point worse off than their opponents before kick-off, put more pressure on Hughes and saw Stoke fall to 18th in the table on goal difference.

Stoke have conceded five or more in three Premier League games this season and have let in a total of 47 goals - seven more than the second-worst tally held by both West Ham and Watford.

The 5-1 defeat by Tottenham at Wembley on 9 December prompted angry fans to confront the Stoke players at the city's railway station.

After that game, Hughes said there had been "an undercurrent" through his time at the club from fans who were against his appointment.

On Thursday Hughes said he did not need reassurance about his position.

'A matter of when, not if' - analysis

By BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty:

Stoke's decision was inevitable in the wake of the defeat at Coventry. For all Hughes' defiant words about no other manager being better-placed to put matters right, that damaging loss meant his sacking was a matter of when, not if.

The Coates family are not hair-trigger owners who rush into managerial decisions, but many felt Hughes was lucky to take charge of the Coventry game after he placed himself under massive personal pressure by fielding a weakened side in the 5-0 defeat at Chelsea to focus on the relegation battle at home to Newcastle, only to lose that game too.

He performed consistently and creditably for a long time after succeeding Pulis in 2013 but the rot set in last term and has continued this season. Stoke's previous impregnability at home has gone and a once-reliable defence has turned into the Premier League's worst.

High-profile signings have also failed to deliver. Kevin Wimmer has been a big disappointment since his £18m summer move from Tottenham, as Hughes moved to spend the £24m raked in from the sale of Marko Arnautovic.

Saido Berahino has not scored since a £12m move from West Brom in January 2017 while Giannelli Imbula flopped dismally after signing for a club record £18.3m in February 2016 and is now out on loan.

There have of course been successes, such as Joe Allen, but in recent times Hughes has overseen a decline that he has been unable to reverse, and results and performances this season have finally forced Stoke's owners into a decision they were reluctant to take.

Hughes had three very good seasons of progress and consolidation - but defeat at Coventry was a humiliation too far.

Stoke fans at the Ricoh Arena
Mark Hughes' Stoke City have lost eight of their last 11 games

The managerial numbers game

Hughes is the seventh manager to be dismissed in the Premier League this season.

Frank de Boer was sacked by Crystal Palace in September after only 77 days in charge, Craig Shakespeare left Leicester just four months after signing a three-year permanent deal in October, Ronald Koeman was sacked by Everton later that month and West Ham dismissed Slaven Bilic in November.

Also in November, former Stoke boss Tony Pulis was replaced at West Brom by Alan Pardew, while Paul Clement was dismissed as Swansea manager in December.

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908 comments

  • Comment posted by Dame Celia Molestrangler, at 20:36 6 Jan 2018

    Don't players ever take any share of the blame? After all they are the ones on the field.

  • Comment posted by Dodgy23, at 20:19 6 Jan 2018

    With all of the usual suspects currently in work (Pulis, Pardew, Allardyce etc)....will we see a young manager from the lower leagues a chance.....I won't hold my breath.

  • Comment posted by whyohwhyohwhy, at 20:18 6 Jan 2018

    Hughes was right when he said "who else is going to do it?" Without investment, it needs Gandalf or Merlin.

  • Comment posted by GwynG, at 20:39 6 Jan 2018

    Didn't stoke finish 9th in 3 season out of 4 under Hughes. Maybe the next manager will get you into top 6 !! When the players don't perform it's the manager that always gets it and fans then say that he's a bad a manager and shouldn't have been employed at the start . I just think you've been punching above your weight and where you are now is about right for your club.

  • Comment posted by lanterne rogue, at 20:33 6 Jan 2018

    Hate to see anyone lose their job.

    Good luck in the future Mark. Good bloke.

  • Comment posted by stokefan, at 20:23 6 Jan 2018

    As a Stoke fan I'm both scared and glad. Glad that we can finally fix the rot, but scared that there's too much of it. The entire scouting team needs replacing, and I'm terrified of Coates going for McClaren or Redknapp.

    There's too much to fix, and I'm worried that this is too little and far too late to save us from relegation.

  • Comment posted by User0762480511, at 20:20 6 Jan 2018

    Had to take down the Christmas lights today. It's been a sad day all round. I hope Hughes doesn't have to get home after this news to take down all the
    Iights outside his manor, that would make any man sad...extra sad even.

  • Comment posted by talkthetalk, at 20:57 6 Jan 2018

    So may managers have blame pointed at them and getting sacked, if boards can sack managers then I think only fair that managers sack players as there are so many lazy players getting paid extortionate amounts, doing very little and contributing to managers dismissal, horrible manipulative games at times, a greedy football world that keeps axing managers

  • Comment posted by User0019749311, at 20:30 6 Jan 2018

    Shame. I hope he comes back strong. Hughes is a very dignified man and a great of British football.

  • Comment posted by Ray, at 20:34 6 Jan 2018

    It has been coming but some good players have let themselves and the manager down

  • Comment posted by Calm down it will all work out, at 20:34 6 Jan 2018

    Pretty sure Guardiola will exercise his release clause now the Stoke job is open... what quality manager could resist the role?

  • Comment posted by michael trattles, at 20:34 6 Jan 2018

    He made some poor signings. Berahino has to be one of the worst ever!!

  • Comment posted by D1710810867791, at 20:16 6 Jan 2018

    Writing was on the wall.....

    Stoke board need to take a long look at themselves and invest in the club or else it could be a very long way back to the Prem.

  • Comment posted by JLP, at 20:24 6 Jan 2018

    If they hadn’t just sacked Mark Hughes, I would expect the SCFC board to view someone like Mark Hughes as just the person to get them out of this. And so the merry-go-round turns again.

  • Comment posted by Brown, at 20:38 6 Jan 2018

    Shocking decision. On a bad run? Yes. But a top 10 finish in 3 out of 4 seasons is fantastic for Stoke, that alone should have given Hughes some leeway. But as usual the media and fans only focus on the last 4 months instead of the last 4 years and fail to see the bigger picture. Stoke are FIVE points off another top 10 and Hughes gets the sack. I dont get it

  • Comment posted by Fl33tabix, at 20:17 6 Jan 2018

    Of all the sackings so far this season, this was the most right, yet people will still be saying it was the media hounding him out of his job.

  • Comment posted by emekone, at 09:58 7 Jan 2018

    The true meaning of 'sacked' = bloke works in local factory for 25 years and is made redundant. Comes home devastated, wife asks how they will be able to continue paying the mortgage.

    EPL managers getting 'sacked' = Should I accept the club's offer of the remainder of the contract but pay more tax or should I just continue receiving monthly payments until it expires?

  • Comment posted by Mr_Smith_To_You, at 21:03 6 Jan 2018

    "Positive discrimination" is still discrimination. Give the job to the best candidate, regardless of colour, creed, gender or sexuality.

  • Comment posted by User0415576690, at 22:09 6 Jan 2018

    Another manager betrayed by the incompetence of footballers who let their club down every week.

  • Comment posted by Geoff Ball, at 20:15 6 Jan 2018

    It had to happen - sorry Mark but new ideas are needed.