Wednesday 9 May 2018 10:12, UK
Mark Hughes believes Southampton's cancelled Swansea hotel booking worked in their favour as they all-but confirmed their Premier League survival with a 1-0 win at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night.
Southampton were forced to stay 35 miles away at the Vale of Glamorgan resort - an hour away in M4 rush hour traffic - after their block booking in Swansea city centre was cancelled because of a "virus" at the Marriott Hotel.
Hughes had expressed his anger over that in a television interview before kick-off, with the Saints squad having to walk the final 100 yards of the journey to ensure they were not held up entering the stadium.
"I'm not for one minute suggesting Swansea had anything to do with that," said Hughes.
"Maybe it was over-zealous Swansea fans in positions to affect our hotel booking but those things you can use to your own benefit as a motivating factor.
"We got held up a little bit outside as well because we were first here on the coach and apparently we were meant to wait for Swansea.
"But we weren't going to do that. We were too focused, we got off the bus and walked the 100 yards into the ground. We weren't going to be denied and messed about."
Hughes also responded to a statement from Stoke suggesting they might have stayed up had they sacked Hughes earlier in the season.
The Welshman lost his job after Stoke were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sky Bet League Two side Coventry in January and although he admitted he was partly culpable, he suggested that "people need to look closer to home at times."
"I don't need to go there really, People have an opinion," added Hughes.
"I'm not without blame but maybe people need to look closer to home at times."
