Pressure piles on Hughes after 4th-tier Coventry boots Stoke from FA Cup

Mark Hughes may be clearing his desk at Stoke City after his underperforming side fell 2-1 to League Two's Coventry City in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Goals from Jordan Willis and Jack Grimmer either side of a Charlie Adam penalty clinched the tie for the Sky Blues and puts them in the fourth round following a four-year absence.

There were lively scenes in the Ricoh Arena stands as the two Midlands clubs met each other in a competitive fixture for the first time since 2008. The away support wasn't especially supportive, though, with "Hughes Out" banners no doubt seen by the Stoke hierarchy.

The Potters are positioned 18th in the Premier League, with the vast expenditure under the Welsh manager yielding no discernible improvements. Last January's £15-million purchase Saido Berahino is still yet to score for the club, a goalless streak which stretches back to when he scored a winner for West Bromwich Albion on Feb. 27, 2016. Despite Berahino and many others being added to Hughes' attacking contingent, 36-year-old Peter Crouch continues to win regular minutes for Stoke. The leggy veteran was unable to salvage a result from Saturday's game when he replaced Geoff Cameron after 52 minutes.

Stoke returns to league duty next weekend, when it travels to second-placed Manchester United.