Mark Hughes Denies That Defeat to West Brom Will See Him Sacked by Stoke City

Under-fire Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has denied needing a win against West Brom on Saturday to save his job.

The Welshman has been at Stoke since 2014, but could be saying his farewells soon, given their shoddy productivity this season.

Reports of him needing a win on the weekend to save his job have been rife this week. But the 54-year-old has branded the talk as 'hearsay', and insists that things are totally different on the inside.

"I don't think that is where we are at," he said, via the BBC. "A lot of comments come from people who have not watched our games - they are picking up hearsay and embellishing it.

"You guys in the media set timelines on it but that is not what is happening in the corridors here in my view."

Hughes was also full of praise for the owner and senior figures at Stoke, who are all deeply involved in all going on as it relates to the Potters.

"The owners and everyone connected with the club are fully informed," he added. "They come to the game themselves. They are here every week. They are not in some far-off land watching on TV.

"They are around the club every single day. They are at the coal face. They would sense if something needs to change. It doesn't."