Hughes hits out as fans go Potty
Coutinho KO is no fake says Kop boss
P W D L Man City ......... 21 19 2 0 Man Utd ......... 22 14 5 3 Chelsea .......... 21 14 3 4 Liverpool ....... 22 12 8 2 Arsenal .......... 21 11 5 5 Tottenham ..... 20 11 4 5 Burnley .......... 22 9 7 6 Leicester ........ 22 8 6 8 Everton .......... 22 7 6 9 Watford .......... 21 7 4 10 Huddersfield..22 6 6 10 Brighton ......... 22 5 8 9 Newcastle ...... 22 6 4 12 B’mouth ......... 22 5 6 11 Southampton.21 4 8 9 Stoke .............. 22 5 5 12 C Palace ......... 21 4 7 10 West Ham ...... 20 4 6 10 West Brom ..... 21 2 10 9 Swansea ........ 21 4 4 13 Pts 59 47 45 44 38 37 34 30 27 25 24 23 22 21 20 20 19 18 16 16 F A 61 12 45 16 39 14 50 25 38 26 39 20 19 19 34 32 25 34 30 37 18 35 17 27 20 30 22 34 20 30 23 47 18 32 22 38 15 28 13 32 DEFIANT Mark Hughes hit back at angry Stoke fans calling for his head.
Owner and chairman Peter Coates watched from the stands as fans turned on Hughes at full time after Ayoze Perez’s 72nd-minute winner for Newcastle.
Potters boss Hughes stormed out of an awkward media conference, where he was forced to defend his record.
Earlier he said: “It’s difficult. We have to take it on the chin, stick our shoulders out, puff our chests out. It’s not going to be easy.
“Things are going against us and it’s gone against me, but I am brave enough to take it.
“The noise is to be expected. That noise only goes if you win. It doesn’t bother me. We need to do something about it but the reason people are disappointed is because of the high ® standards we have set here. Those standards were set by me and my staff.”
Hughes was furious that his decision to rest six players for the 5-0 weekend mauling by Chelsea was questioned after yesterday’s defeat.
“This doesn’t sit comfortably with us but I don’t see why my decision at the weekend is being questioned more than ®