Hughes hits back at the fleeing fans
MARK HUGHES defended his team selection that saw some Stoke fans walk out after 25 minutes.
The Stoke manager insisted it was a wise thing to do to keep his top players fresh for today’s clash with Newcastle.
Hughes made six changes and left star men Xherdan Shaqiri, Joe Allen and Peter Crouch on the bench.
Some of the travelling support did not see it that way, giving up with just over a quarter of the game gone and their side already three down.
“That’s their decision but it doesn’t help us,” said Hughes. “We’d love them to stay and get behind us and hope for a change of fortune, but at 2-0 could they see a way back? Probably not.
“It was an honest decision from them but if they paid their money you’d think they’d stay until the conclusion.”
Hughes admitted he had feared the worst beforehand. “Even with my strongest team there was an expectation we could get beaten here,” he said. “Our record here is poor and I’m the only Premier League manager in Stoke’s history who has got a point at Stamford Bridge.
“Our record isn’t here to be enhanced or protected – we haven’t got a record here.
“It was one of those decisions where sometimes you have to take it on the chin.
“We understood that before the game, we understood it after, but we’re in a better shape on Monday.”
Coupled with injuries in defence, the Potters crumbled against a rampant Blues, who cruised to the points thanks to goals from
CHELSEA
Antonio Rudiger, Danny Drinkwater, Pedro, Willian and Davide Zappacosta.
It was a rout kept to five by some superb Jack Butland saves.
Hughes insisted having just 48 hours between games was no way to prepare for the visit of the Magpies.
“It’s scientifically proven that you need more than that to recover,” he said.
“Obviously on top of that you have the information that you need to give players prior to the game. It’s not enough.
“We take the pound of flesh and this is when we have to pay it back, I suppose.
“If we don’t win on Monday, I’ll probably get more criticism. But it was the right decision in my view.”
For Chelsea, a plus was to see Drinkwater, who had been injured, reunited in midfield with N’Golo Kante.
The pair had been so instrumental during Leicester’s title win.
“Now Danny has to improve his form,” said Blues boss Antonio Conte. “I know he can improve a lot to reach his peak form. It was very positive to see again the couple of players that won the league with Leicester.”
CHELSEA (3-4-3):