Stoke City's dismal start to the season continued on Saturday as they lost at home to Bristol City despite taking the lead.

That made it six defeats in seven in the Championship for Nathan Jones, leaving the Potters four points from safety at this early stage.

Therefore, it's no surprise to see that the pressure is seriously building on the ex-Luton chief and the Daily Mirror (16/09 Football Pull Out, p18) suggested that Chris Hughton is someone that the hierarchy will consider if Jones is sacked.

The 60-year-old is available after leaving Brighton over the summer and here we outline THREE reasons why he would be the perfect choice to help this struggling Stoke squad turn their season around...

He is proven at this level

Most importantly, the Staffordshire side would be getting a manager who has delivered success at this level regularly over the years.

He took Birmingham to the play-offs and has won promotion with both Newcastle and Brighton in the past.

After taking a chance on Jones, who had only show his qualities in the lower leagues, this would be a much safer and more logical choice for Stoke.

He is available immediately

Another positive for the Championship side is that Hughton would be available to join up straight away.

Instead of sacking Jones and trying to negotiate with another club for a candidate, they can sound the experienced figure out first and then make a move.

Even at this stage of the season, Stoke can't really afford to be wasting much time and if they do decide to replace the current boss they must act swiftly.

He can improve the team defensively

Finally, whilst there are a host of issues with the team right now, the most obvious one is that they are conceding far too many goals.

The 17 they have allowed is the worst in the division and it's something they need to address and Hughton would be able to do just that.

He has shown at all his clubs in the past that he is capable of organising a team in terms of their shape and bringing a defensive discipline.

A pragmatic approach may not be what Stoke want in the long-term but they need it right now and Hughton has done enough to suggest he would be able to evolve as he gets more time.