Hughes Disappointed With FA Charge

Welshman offers his thoughts after Tottenham touchline dismissal

MARK HUGHES admits his FA charge for improper conduct has ‘rubbed salt into the wounds’ following last weekend’s heavy defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

The City boss was forced to watch on from the stand as his side succumbed to a third successive defeat, after being controversially sent off by referee Anthony Taylor with the game goalless.

He was penalised for stepping out of his technical area to challenge a decision to book Austria international Marko Arnautovic.

Speaking to the press on Friday morning, he said: “It rubbed a little bit of salt into the wounds, but listen, you have heard the Club’s response, and that mirrors my feelings.

“The incident itself was maybe interpreted differently than I thought it should have been, but it is what it is.

“The charge relates to my behaviour around the technical area, and it seems to be interpreted differently from one game to the next – it needs to be more consistently followed.

“If that happens then we don’t have a problem with it, but at the moment that isn’t the case.”
Hughes’ charge relates to his apparent refusal to leave the dugout area immediately, although the City boss says he was simply looking for clarity from the fourth official as to where he was meant to move to.

“I was sent off for leaving the technical area but my charge is because I didn’t leave immediately,” he added.

“That was because I was after clarity of where I was meant to go. I asked the fourth official, who was meant to know, but he didn’t give me the answer I was after.

“Sadly, there is no point appealing because if you appeal and lose, which more often than not you do, then it costs you more money, and I would prefer to give that to my grandchildren.”

Source www.stokecityfc.com