Mark Hughes backs Ryan Shawcross following Stoke City blast

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has admitted that Ryan Shawcross was right to criticise his side's performance in the Capital One Cup.

The defender described himself and his teammates as "not good enough" following their progression into the next round of the tournament after seeing off Birmingham City on penalties.

"Ryan was just making the point that in similar circumstances in future there would be a different mentality and a better focus," Goal.com quotes Hughes as saying.

"Ryan will always hold his hands up if he personally is culpable. We have spoken about it since and all the guys understand we need to do better in a situation where we should have seen the game out comfortably."

The Potters will return to Premier League commitments this weekend as they prepare to take on Southampton at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow.