Marko has burnt all his bridges says Hughes
MARK Hughes warned Marko Arnautovic he was lucky not to have been more hammered. Stoke boss Hughes gave Arnautovic his big chance in English football but saw it thrown back in his face. The Austrian made a right meal of marking his 75th-minute goal which effectively ended this game and pushed his old boss close to the sack. In fairness to the man with the badboy tag, he had been abused by Stoke fans angry at his £25million Hammers July switch.
But Arnautovic milked it and was subbed four minutes later by a clearly worried David Moyes. Hughes gestured angrily, a Stoke scarf was hurled at him and he escaped to the safety of the tunnel.
Hughes said: “He was doing all sorts by the end and did well to get back to the dressing room safely.
“There was a little bit of baiting obviously but didn’t he expect that?
“I had better be careful, but I think he should have risen above any criticism or abuse that he had. He had enough at other places and this place was actually very, very good for him. The fans loved him here. So to burn all your bridges after just one game back, he didn’t need to do it.”
Boss Moyes warned Arnautovic not to let the occasion get to him.
Moyes said: “I said to Marko make sure you don’t get wound up. It’s not probably going to be for you so don’t get carried away with it and don’t get involved.”
Hughes’ job hangs by a thread thanks to a real spot of deception from Manuel Lanzini. Mark Noble gave West Ham a penalty lead after referee Graham Scott failed to spot a scandalous dive from the Argentinian.
Hughes said: “He’s clearly dived and it’s disappointing the referee hasn’t seen it.”
Stoke defender Erik Pieters said: “He came through and I made a tackle straight, not into him. He came into me rather than me into him. He had a bad touch.
“That’s why I made a straight tackle. Then he fell over me. I don’t think it’s a penalty, for sure.” Diafra Sakho got a third.