Railway station abuse can get Stoke back on track

LONDON: Mark Hughes said he does not blame Stoke City fans abusing his players at a railway station on Saturday after a 5-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur and says being exposed to their fury could do them a favour.

Stoke’s players had travelled home from Wembley on the same train as some of the club’s supporters and were spotted when getting off at Stoke-on-Trent station to board a coach and continue their journey.

The reception they received was not a positive one.

“That could possibly be a good thing. Sometimes we are accused as managers, coaches and players of being in a bubble and sometimes you have to be exposed to the genuine feeling of the fans,” Hughes, whose side were playing in-form Burnley in the Premier League late last night.

“On the day it was a little bit emotional, clearly. We were hurting as much as the fans were.

“We probably irritated them a little bit because for whatever reason the decision was made that the doors on the train were locked and they couldn’t get out and we were allowed to get off first. I don’t know who made that decision, but that maybe upped the level of frustration as well.”

Stoke’s fourth successive heavy loss to Tottenham left them in 15th place in the league, three points above the relegation zone and increased the pressure on Hughes.

“We owe it to our fans to do something about it and that’s our intention,” the former Manchester City boss said.

Stoke became the first topflight side to lose four consecutive games by a four-goal margin to the same club after a secondhalf capitulation at Wembley.

They lost the previous three 40. Reuters