Stoke might just regret Sparky axe

MARK HUGHES’ sacking was, sadly, inevitable, when Stoke were in the bottom three of the Premier League and knocked out of the FA Cup by fourth-tier Coventry.

On the air, I had plenty of run-ins with Potters fans, who had called for his head on 606.

Football management is a ruthless, results-driven business – but I still think he would have kept Stoke up.

When news of Hughes (below) being axed broke, I asked co-host Jason Mohammad: “What took them so long?”

But, seriously, the Potters were one of the Premier League’s lowest net spenders in last summer’s transfer window, and the next four months will tell us whether the grass is greener under new leadership.

Is Hughes’ successor going to be any better equipped for a relegation battle? Will he be given more money to spend on improving the squad?

What is the recruitment process at Stoke? Are players signed by committee, or does the manager have the final say? I don’t know the answer, but the fans would probably like to know how it works.

City have no manager, but they have still signed a new right-back, Moritz Bauer, from Rubin Kazan, this week. What happens if Hughes’ successor doesn’t rate Bauer? It’s bizarre.

And, most importantly, if Stoke grind their way to safety – when you’re in trouble, points on the board matter more than pretty football – will supporters accept that maybe Sparky didn’t do such a bad job after all?