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Wilfried Bony’s attitude is being questioned by his Stoke team-mates - just three weeks after arriving at the club.

Boss Mark Hughes hoped striker Bony would be the proven Premier League goal-getter his Potters have lacked when he landed him on loan from Manchester City on Deadline Day last month.

But it is understood he and his staff are already unhappy with the 27-year-old for failing to show the appetite and work-rate they expect of their players.

Bony is Stoke’s highest-paid player because they have taken on most of his £120,000-a-week man City salary, and team-mates believe he is not providing the Midlands club with value for money.

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The Ivory Coast international is yet to score in his three appearances and looks a shadow of the player who terrorised Premier League defences with 25 goals in a season and a half with Swansea before his move to Man City in January last year.

There were also question marks about Bony when he was at the Blues, and Swansea were put off re-signing him in the summer because of a perceived poor attitude.

(Image: Getty)

Hughes’ foreign invasion of recent signings has caused discord in the dressing room, with record-buy Giannelli Imbula also unpopular.

The French midfielder has not integrated with the squad since an £18.3million move from Porto in January, keeping himself apart.

(Image: Getty)

This has caused resentment at a time when the team needs to be united to halt an early-season losing run.

Stoke are bottom with just one point from five games - conceding four goals in three of them - are also out of the EFL Cup after last-gasp defeat by promoted Hull on Wednesday.

They have been on the slide since the start of April, winning just one of 12 league matches.

Despite chairman Peter Coates’ public backing for Hughes, it is understood the Welshman's position is under growing threat.

He knows he needs to beat West Brom - led by his Potters predecessor Tony Pulis - when they visit the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

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In pictures — Another Stoke defeat as Hull put them out of the EFL Cup:

Skipper Ryan Shawcross revealed Hughes has given them the hairdryer treatment made famous by their former Man United boss Alex Ferguson, because he is so angry with their displays and claims they are desperate to put things right.

“The manager has let it be known to us in on uncertain terms that we have let him, the supporters and, most importantly, ourselves down,” said defender Shawcross.

“It’s a worry and we know that our failures have to be rectified immediately, but it’s imperative we stick to our principles and keep putting the work in on the training ground to help us come through this tricky period.”