Sacked Stoke City boss Mark Hughes fired a parting shot at his former squad.

Players such as misfiring Saido Berahino – who still has not scored for Stoke, almost a year after joining for £12 million – could have rescued their boss, but instead produced appalling misses.

Hughes said after the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Coventry City that sealed his fate: “I've given a number of players a go. It's fair to say some didn't play to their maximum potential, if I can put it that way.

“That can be confidence, that can be a loss of form, that can be any other number of factors."