Hughes calling for ‘ugly stuff’ from Potters

Stoke are supposed to be the team who make the opposition’s life miserable but Mark Hughes admits they’ve lost their edge in recent weeks.

The Potters finished last season with one win from their last seven games and have carried that poor form into the new Premier League season.

Far from a fortress, the bet365 Stadium seems to have become an open house, with Tottenham the latest side to cruise to victory there.

And Hughes has warned that Stoke can no longer be a soft touch if they are to get themselves out of their current predicament and back causing all visiting teams problems, stopping them from playing their game.

(Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

He said: “We aren’t very good at the moment to be perfectly honest and we are allowing ourselves to get caught by being too open.

“You have got to give yourself a foothold in the game, keep a foothold in the game and then that will allow you the chances to get back on terms.

“When momentum starts to shift away from you then you have to recognise that and ride it out.

“At the moment we are going behind in games, chasing them and then not doing the ugly stuff – that has to change.”