Movatterモバイル変換

[0]ホーム
URL:

Stoke & Staffordshire

The video playlist

Watch our pick of standout clips from Stoke and Staffordshire

Sport

Latest Updates

  15. 'Never known a situation like this in my career'published at 13:38 GMT 13 February

    Media caption,

    Robins: 'We've got learners with L plates on'

    Mark Robins hopes Stoke's decline in form and "unprecedented" injury crisis will not affect the morale in the Potters' camp.

    Since rising to second place in the Championship after 17 games at the end of November, the Potters have won three, drawn four and lost eight of their next 15 games.

    City's injury list grew to double figures with Bosun Lawal limping off with what Robins called a "significant" muscle injury in Wednesday's1-0 defeat at Charlton, which left Stoke 14th.

    He joins goalkeepers Viktor Johansson and Gavin Bazunu, forwards Divin Mubama and Sam Gallagher, midfielder Lewis Baker and right-back Junior Tchamadeu among those in the treatment room, while illness has also spread through the camp leading into Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie at home to Fulham.

    Robinstold BBC Radio Stoke: "There's illness and significant injury. It's not an easy time, that's for sure, but it's a challenge I have to face and wade through.

    "For me, this is unprecedented in my career, I have never known a situation like this before. Each one has a knock-on and to pick your way through it is difficult.

    "It's disappointing, it can be demoralising at times, you can be 'woe is me,' but it's the situation we're in and we have to deal with it, there's nothing I can do about it. The injuries were not avoidable."

    Despite the crisis, Robins said he is looking forward to the challenge of facing the Cottagers, who sit 12th in the Premier League.

    "It's a good thing because we have a chance to play Premier League opponents," he said. "That's what the Cup throws up. You don't get that chance very often, sometimes pre-season, sometimes not at all."

    The injuries have been particularly damaging in an attacking sense - Stoke have only scored twice in their past six matches, and not at all in the past three.

    Robins added: "It's something we have to be better at. There are times when we get opportunities to shoot but we turn it down or take it a fraction late.

    "The whole ethos in this game is to score. We may forget that at times and pass responsibility to somebody else. Is that a confidence thing? I don't know.

    "The front end we have learners with the L plates on. They have to stay confident and positive because these times can impact your confidence and morale.

    "In the case of (January arrival) Milan Smit, he's been playing and scoring goals in the Europa League and comes here and you find it different and difficult.

    "He's going to be a good player for us but it's going to take time."

  24. Are Stoke's promotion dreams slipping away?published at 09:30 GMT 12 February

    Mark Elliott
    BBC Radio Stoke commentator

    Jesurun Rak-Sakyi fires over the Charlton crossbarImage source,Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Stoke are winless in their last six matches and have scored just twice during that run

    At full-time at The Valley it finally felt as though Stoke City's promotion dream had begun to slip away irretrievably.

    You could see it in the body language of the players, heads bowed and shoulders slumped.

    You could hear it in the frustration in the voices of Steven Nzonzi and his manager Mark Robins.

    You could feel it emanating from an away end full of fans who have grown to associate the capital with gut-wrenching disappointment.

    Nzonzi is 37 and a veteran of more than 650 senior games but the hurt was visible in his eyes as he tried to put the disappointment the squad were feeling into words in his post-match interview.

    Robins rightly made the point that injuries have wrecked the momentum his squad had built over the opening third of the season, admitting that at some point missing eight, nine or 10 senior players, as the Potters have for much of the season, was always going to catch up with the them.

    But he also made the point that they cannot expect more if they continue to be so poor in the final third, questioning his team's effort to get onto the end of crosses and a lack of willingness to shoot.

    In the end, Stoke created enough to take something from the game but did not and that has been the story of their season.

    A season that promised so much is petering out and for a fanbase who had dared to dream after a flying start, that's so tough to take.

    In many ways the disappointment is so much greater because the highs of this campaign have been so good but now, the bigger picture has been replaced by something smaller.

    Can the team win on Sunday against Fulham to keep their interest in the FA Cup alive and can they play with a bravery and freedom in the league that comes with having little left to lose?

    String a few results together and who knows, Stoke fans might start to dream again but for now, it is about rediscovering their identity, playing at pace and throwing at least some of the contagious caution that has come with their recent form to the wind.

[8]ページ先頭
©2009-2026 Movatter.jp