Stoke chairman backs Hughes to deliver despite poor start

The former Wales striker led Stoke to a second consecutive ninth-place finish last season but they have struggled to find any momentum in the new campaign and are bottom of the league with four defeats and a draw from five matches.

(Reuters)

"We are obviously disappointed with the start we've made but Mark and the management team have our full support," Coates told Telegraph Sport.

"He is a very experienced manager and knows what it takes to get results in the Premier League.

"It's still very early in the season and while these results obviously can't go on forever, we're convinced that things will change."

Hughes was fined 8,000 pounds by the Football Association (FA) on Monday after he accepted a misconduct charge in relation to an incident during their 4-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur on Sept 10.

Stoke host Hull City in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru, editing by Nick Mulvenney)