Mark Hughes would be 'disappointed' if Stoke were not 'upfront' over his future

Stoke City boss Mark Hughes says he would be "disappointed" if the club were not "upfront and honest" with him about his future.

Hughes, who has been preparing for Saturday's FA Cup tie at Coventry, met with chairman Peter Coates on Thursday.

"Why would I seek reassurance? I don't need it," said Hughes. "I did not attempt to ask about my future."

Stoke are in the Premier League relegation zone having lost seven of their past 10 games, but Hughes said he went into the meeting with Coates with "the sole purpose of understanding what were are doing in January".

The Potters have taken 20 points from their opening 22 league games this season - their worst haul at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1984-85, when they had just 11 points.

Speaking about his relationship with the owners, Hughes added: "I would be disappointed if they weren't upfront and honest.

"That's the type of people they are. It's a difficult situation for everyone. They don't want their team and appointments to fail. They back good people with ability and let them get on with the job. That's what they have always done."

Hughes stays positive

Stoke are 18th in the league and face trip to Manchester United in their next league game, followed by home matches against Huddersfield and Watford.

Hughes accepts Stoke are staring at a relegation fight but is confident the situation is retrievable.

He said: "We're in a position that we're not comfortable with, individually and collectively. Are we past the point of no return? Absolutely not.

"We're not naive. It's a difficult situation but we can turn it round. There are a lot of clubs in and around us who are having seasons that they're disappointed with as well. It's up to us to make sure our disappointment isn't as great as theirs at the end of the season."