Hull City chief lets rip after Tigers mauled by Stoke City

Braces from former Tiger Sam Clucas and Nick Powell, as well as a penalty from Tyrese Campbell, did the damage as the Tigers slipped four places to sit just two points above the Championship relegation zone.

Leonardo Da Silva Lopes bagged a consolation for the visitors, but McCann’s struggling side have not won in 11 league games.

“It’s never easy to speak when you’ve come off a defeat like that, but I’ll always front up to it and I’ll always support my players. But today I can’t,” admitted McCann.

“It’s very, very difficult for me to defend them because we didn’t turn up. We didn’t show up, but that’s everyone. Not just the players, it’s us (the coaching staff) as well.”

Chants of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ and ‘This is embarrassing’ rang out from the visiting Hull supporters.

McCann admitted: “The fans pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us, but to hear your own fans singing that is a first for me as a player and as manager.

“But you know what, maybe it will give the boys a sense of reality. These people are paying fortunes and we deliver that.

“It hurts a lot personally. My family was at the game today, my three boys. That hurts.”

Potters chief Michael O’Neill said victory came at a cost after captain Joe Allen was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a ruptured Achilles.

Stoke City: Butland, Smith, Batth, Chester, Martins Indi, Allen (Oakley-Boothe 46), Thompson, Ince, Clucas, Powell (Gregory 88), Campbell (Vokes 88). Unused substitutes: Edwards, Davies, Shawcross, Collins.

Hull City: Long, McKenzie, Pennington, McLoughlin, Elder, Da Silva Lopes, Stewart (Batty 41), Wilks (Lewis-Potter 46), Irvine, Samuelsen (Honeyman 58), Magennis. Unused substitutes: Tafazolli, Maddison, Ingram, Balogh.

Referee: J Gillett (Australia).