I don’t do relegation, says under-fire Hughes
STOKE manager Mark Hughes last night responded defiantly to his critics and told fans calling for his head: ‘I don’t do relegation.’ Hughes launched a staunch defence of his managerial record as he prepares for a massive home game against West Ham tomorrow. Just three wins from Stoke’s last 15 league games have left Hughes facing the biggest challenge of his four-year reign. But Hughes said: ‘I don’t do relegation. There are a lot of managers who have a badge of honour that they’ve never been relegated. I’ve never been relegated because I’m too busy trying to get in top 10s. I’ve never been near it so I’m not going to start now, am I?’ The Stoke hierarchy have not held any discussions regarding the Welshman’s future with the team’s performance in Tuesday night’s narrow 1-0 defeat at Burnley seen as encouraging. Obvious replacements like Sam Allardyce, David Moyes and Alan Pardew have all recently been appointed to other clubs and there is no appetite to re-hire former manager Tony Pulis despite his friendship with chairman Peter Coates. Stoke sit 15th in the table with four defeats from their last five games, but last season’s 13thplace was the only time in nine complete seasons as a Premier League manager that Hughes has failed to make the top 10. ‘Everybody has experienced periods where it’s not going as well as you’d hoped,’ he said. ‘I’m very fortunate, I don’t feel I take any issues surrounding work into my home life and I’m grateful for that because I know there are managers who aren’t able to do that. I think that’s why I’ve had the longevity that I’ve had in this game because I’m able to deal with it.’ Hughes insists his relationship with Coates and son John is as strong as ever. ‘I speak almost every day to John or to Peter,’ he said. ‘Peter also comes for lunch every Friday (to the training ground). They know they have got good people and they allow good people to get on with the job — and that’s what they are doing with me.’