Stoke City boss Mark Hughes is confident his job remains secure.

Hughes believes he can survive tomorrow's home game against West Bromwich Albion because of the backing of the board.

He insists: “I don't that's where we are at. You guys in the media set time lines and time tables, but that's not what's happening in the corridors here in my view.

“We are not where we expected to be, we all acknowledge that.

“I would be more concerned if I felt the side itself didn't have the capability to put points on the board.

“A lot of comments come from people who are not even bothered to watch our games. It's things they have heard and they have embellished things.

“The longer it goes on, clearly the more difficult it gets, but I don't sense any apprehension about where we are in terms of the players themselves.

“I know this group better than anybody else and I know we have got the capability of picking up points. Before the West Ham game, like-for-like results we were ahead.

“We are a good Premier League team and a great Premier League club, and have been for a long time, and that's how we expect it to remain."