Gambler Hughes is at odds with fans again
MARK HUGHES bowed his head into the wind and the rain, and walked to the tunnel as chants of ‘Hughes out’ echoed around.
Up in the stands, stoke chairman Peter Coates looked on stonyfaced. The manager’s future lies in his hands again.
Coates has made part of his fortune from the betting industry, but he will not have appreciated the gamble Hughes took.
The welshman was wide open to criticism if it backfired, and so it proved yesterday. Forty- eight hours after admitting that he kept players in reserve during a painful 5-0 defeat at Chelsea so they would be fresh for a more winnable fixture, Hughes lost again.
Coates is not one of those trigger-happy chairmen. He kept faith with Hughes when fans called for his head after a defeat to west Ham here a fortnight ago. The chants were louder and more vociferous this time. The once distant threat of relegation will feel more of a reality now.
But you feel sympathy when Hughes argues that he has become a victim of the higher standards set during his four-and-a-half years in the Potteries.
There was even a degree of bad luck about the circumstances surrounding Newcastle’s winner. an injury to erik Pieters forced Hughes to send on ineffective striker saido Berahino for the Dutchman and switch Kevin wimmer to left back.
when Jacob Murphy advanced down that side of the pitch two minutes later, he crossed early — and what a cross it was, curled beyond Geoff Cameron and into the path of ayoze Perez, who met it first-time on the edge of the six-yard box.
The victory was deserved and lifts Rafa Benitez’s side above stoke into 13th place.
Newcastle could easily have been ahead earlier after creating the better chances in the first half, not least when Ciaran Clark somehow sent a half-volley over the bar from three yards out.
stoke responded with a 25-yard free kick from Charlie adam which keeper Karl Darlow palmed away, but they simply did not create enough in the first half.
stoke emerged from the break with renewed purpose, and only outstanding saves from Darlow kept them out. He turned the ball over when Maxim Choupo-Moting cut in from the left and let fly from 20 yards, then denied sub Mame Diouf twice from close range.
a late onslaught failed to produce any more opportunities in the foul conditions, and frustrations boiled over at the final whistle as Hughes made that lonely walk to the tunnel. No sooner had he made a rather hasty exit from his feisty post-match press conference than word arrived from stoke that he will be back in front of the cameras on Thursday ahead of saturday’s Fa Cup third-round tie against Coventry.
Time will tell if that is the case. STOKE CITY (4-2-3-1): Butland 6.5; Edwards 6, Zouma 6.5, Wimmer 6, Pieters 6 (Berahino 71min, 5); Cameron 5.5, Adam 6.5; Shaqiri 4.5 (Diouf 57, 5.5) Allen 6.5, Choupo-Moting 7; Crouch 6.5.
Subs not used: Grant, Ireland, Fletcher, Ramadan, Souttar. Scorers: None. Booked: Allen, Choupo-Moting, Wimmer.
Manager: Mark Hughes 5. NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2): DARLOW 8; Yedlin 7, Lascelles 6.5, Clark 5.5, Manquillo 6; Murphy 7 (Dummett 82), Shelvey 6.5, Diame 6, Ritchie 6; Atsu 5.5 (Gayle 64, 7), Perez 7 (Hayden 89).
Subs not used: Woodman, Joselu, Merino, Haidara. Scorers: Perez 73. Booked: Manquillo. Manager: Rafa Benitez 7. Referee: Chris Kavanagh 6.5. Attendance: 28,471.