Stoke City chairman Peter Coates was furious after defeat at home to Tottenham.

But he is confident manager Mark Hughes will crack the whip this week as Stoke go searching for their first league win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Coates told the Stoke Sentinel: “We were ok for 40 minutes and were just about the better team, but then we were really poor and there's no disguising that. It was a really bad display.

“In the other games this season, nothing much had gone for us and I have previously said what I have said about those games.

“But against Tottenham we conceded a goal and then fell to pieces. There's no point hiding from that fact. It was a very poor performance.

“We haven't been scoring goals and then been going behind - and once we go behind we are not able to deal with it.

“I give an honest opinion. I'm sure that what I have seen Mark and his coaches have seen and they will want to sort it very quickly."