Stoke chairman Peter Coates has stressed his support for manager Mark Hughes – but also emphasised things must start improving quickly for the Potters. I have given him a bit of a head start this season!
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Much appeared wrong with the balance of a team that featured the considerable talent of Bojan Krkic, Wilfried Bony, Marko Arnautovic and Joe Allen, and was contrasted by Alan Pardew’s Palace, who seem to have gelled.
The win was sealed with 15 minutes to go, as the excellent Townsend cut in on his right foot and curled home from just outside the box to make it four nil.
They simply played with the pinned-on bravado of a boxer who knows that however many punches he throws, he is never going to receive one.
Andros Townsend: “In his first few games he’s not really produced a quality moment offensively, but he’s done all his jobs defensively and has been sound and solid for us”.
So from worrying about conceding four goals out of four this season from set pieces, Palace benefited hugely from their own.
Pressure on Mark Hughes: He’s an experienced manager with very good players but the media spotlight turns onto the manager when the results are not good; it’s just how it is.
Crystal Palace beat Stoke City 4-1 at Selhurst Park in what was their biggest win of the season.
Past year it hurt us [when he was injured]. We need to have a long hard look at ourselves and come out fighting and get some points on the table.
And manager Hughes is now considering big changes for Wednesday’s all-top flight League Cup third round tie against Hull – and the visit of former Stoke boss Tony Pulis’ West Brom on Saturday. “Then [against Stoke] we took it on again and got the result”.
“It is maybe to do with the fixtures that have been thrown at us, along with not dealing with certain elements of the game you have to”, Hughes said ahead of Sunday’s trip.
“Mark will deal with that”.
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“Put it this way, I think the boys are happy I got my goal!”
