Head of Publishing at Planet Sport, overseeing editorial and content across seven major sport brands. Also a husband, dad and Stoke City season ticket holder.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: for Stoke to still be picking up points with the number of key players we have missing is the work of a genius.
Bollocks to good football for now. Just keep grinding out these results.
Loved that. We should have been out of sight, not 2-0 down, but we've seen good performances completely evaporate after conceding in the past so I give them massive credit for the 90 mins.
And mar lady secretly videod me and the lad watching the pen which made it even better!
Proper tears in the eyes win, that! Absolutely fantastic again.
Who knows how much impact Jon Walters and those speeches have had, but the difference between the past three performances and the few prior is night and day.
Keep playing like that and we'll be absolutely fine.
It was November 1, 2002 when Stoke first appointed Tony Pulis, struggling at the bottom of the Championship. Seventeen years later, after 10 years in the Prem, a cup final, Europe and three top-10 finishes, how the actual f*ck are we back where we started?
The amount of outsiders now suggesting Hughes was always a bad appointment or that we should have stuck with Pulis is astonishing.
We finished ninth three years in a row playing good football and would have achieved neither under TP.
It's gone wrong, but don't rewrite history.
In years to come I won't remember the last couple of years. I'll remember one of the most talented, most likeable players I've ever seen pull on the red and white. I'll always love the lad.
Stoke City can confirm that
@BoKrkic
has left the Club by mutual consent.
The Club would like to thank Bojan for his efforts during his five-year spell with the Potters and wish him well for the future.
#SCFC
🔴⚪️
I said it in the summer and I'll say it again. Stoke need a sporting director. A football man who knows the club and sets policies on transfers, playing style and everything else. We've had an accountant and non-league keeper making football decisions FFS. It's a joke.
Stoke Reserves are probably the best team in the world right now.
Unquestionably the best group of young lads I've seen at Stoke in my lifetime. So, so excited by what they can achieve with MON in charge.
I daren't post anything positive about Stoke these days, but that was an excellent away performance deserving of three points. If we can make the right signings in January we'll make the top six without a doubt.
Stoke were made favourites because people thought we had the strongest squad.
Now they're wondering why Rowett can't get a tune out of them.
Newsflash: this squad is an embarrassing mismatch of rubbish signings and players we've kept too long. There isn't a single one I rate.
Mar lady: "Why are you going to Stoke on Saturday? All you do is moan about it. Then you'll come home in a bad mood and ruin the night."
She obviously hasn't heard Super Jon's battle cry yet. Come on you bastard Potters!
Stoke were rubbish yesterday, but some of the reaction has been ludicrous!
Did people seriously expect a team with this many new players to be bang on it in every game in August?
We've recruited well and there's more to come. We'll do well this season.
There've been a few bumps along the way, but what a job Michael O'Neill has done. He took over a team hurtling towards League One, not wearing a parachute, and saved us with his bare hands.
I'm not expecting miracles, but I can't wait for next season.
My thoughts on Gary Rowett being sacked:
A club that sacks three managers in 12 months clearly has issues beyond who's in the dugout. Continually changing can cause more problems as each manager will want new players, meaning constant overhaul of the squad.
Is everyone else so scarred by the past five years that Stoke 0 Rotherham 1 feels like the most inevitable result of all time?!
Silly to say about the first game, but today's massive as part of the great reset.
Attacking football, a good win, and we can start to forget 🤞
Bae will take the headlines, but I thought Burger was outstanding today. Possibly his best game for us. He was everywhere.
We have to stick with this midfield and this team now. And tactics with full-backs at full-back. The balance was spot on.
There is literally nothing about this Stoke team to get fans excited.
No hardman. No wind-up merchant. No rapid winger. No goalscorer. No cult hero.
We have some good players that desperately need to be complemented by characters otherwise we'll be back to 13k in no time.
Stoke have accepted an offer from Sivasspor for Josh Laurent.
On the whole, I think Laurent's been a positive for us. But with 12 months left on his contract, it does make sense to move him on while there's interest IMO.
A key gap to fill though.
Paul Lambert certainly wouldn't have been my choice to replace Mark Hughes, but then I didn't want Hughes...or Pulis before that. Like both of those two, I'll get behind him from the off. He's done some good things in his career, he's passionate and he wants the job. Good luck.
I fully expect Stoke to appoint O'Neill, but if it's Rowett I can offer some insight. Know him quite well. Very meticulous, takes in a LOT of football, big reader, always trying to learn, good motivator, likes direct football...and very, very ambitious.
Don't know if it's because of how much I loved this man, how far we've fallen, or just that I'm having a particularly Thursday, but I had tears in my eyes watching this FFS.
Time of our lives. I'm convinced we'll never see anything better.
"He wants us to run more and to press the ball, don’t be scared to play direct and shoot on sight" - Zouma on Lambert.
Outsiders might think that's *too* simple, but Lambert's basically nailed every single problem we had under Hughes. Can't wait for tomorrow.
Absolutely sensational.
First half as good as anything I've seen from us in a long time.
Second half we needed Bonham, but mainly because we just kept on attacking. How good to see us not sit back and get two more.
Most enjoyable period of football since peak Hughes. Love it!
An unbelievable window for Stoke. Success can only truly be judged down the line, but I'm so impressed with the scouting, the ambition, and Neil in identifying the variety we need.
We were never going to get everything and a LCB was the one we missed, but bloody hell, wow! 👏
I don't know how many times I've said 'I don't believe it' since that...but I don't believe it! Tears in my eyes, a smile on my face and hope in my heart again. A performance worthy of the name Stoke City. Come on you rip roaring Pottterrrrrrsssss!!
I wish Shaqiri nothing but good luck at Liverpool. He wasn't always brilliant for Stoke, but it was still a privilege to see a player of his quality at my club.
There's no magic bullet formation, but Stoke just look so much better playing 4231. Build the attack around Powell and Fletcher and we'll always stand a chance. Good win.
I wanted to keep my powder dry until it was confirmed, but I hope to God we don't stick with Lambert. His pathetic negative tactics are as much to blame as anything. The second half was so, so predictable.
Josh Tymon will undergo a medical at Swansea this afternoon after they agreed a fee in excess of £2million.
Stoke also letting Matt Baker go back out on loan to Newport County. Okagbue has gone too.
All this surely means we've got some defensive reinforcements on the way?!
That result is all on Jones. We play well, get a confidence boost, and he changes half the team, dropping players who were excellent to bring in players out of form. Stupidity.
I like the bloke, but this team and these performances couldn't be further from what he promised.
I'm doing my best not to get carried away, but I'm seriously impressed with what Stoke are doing in the transfer window.
I was mega critical of what we did 12 months ago, but this time I can see the sense in every single signing. A manager is actually putting a squad together..
Fantastic again. Completely dominated that second half and stopped a very good Boro team from playing.
I'm saying it now: Neil will take us up next season.
A proper football team with three absolute monsters at the back. Seriously excited about this season.
Bollocks to a destroyer in midfield, we'll piss this tinpot league!
And we're off. We're a long, long way from where I'm sure Schuey would like us to get to - there were some dangled legs and half-hearted passes at 3-0 - but you can clearly see the change in mentality.
Work hard and be positive. We're always happy enough with that. SS gets it.
Get in there! Massive win.
Right team, right tactics and most importantly the right effort from the players.
If we win the fight, like we did today, we have the quality to stay up.
Let's hope this is finally, finally the start of something!
After 10 years in the PL, we were never likely to make an appointment every fan was happy with, but poaching one of the brightest young FL managers from a top Champ club shows the right kind of ambition.
Take the same approach with players and we'll stand a chance.
Gutted.
I think Coates has been right to stay patient. Changing managers mid-season rarely works out in the long term.
However, today's results have tipped the scale to leave relegation looking more likely than safety.
Regretfully, Coates must sack Hughes to ensure survival.
I said I wanted a young, up-and-coming manager who knows the Championship. Stoke have delivered.
As far as I'm concerned, this is exactly the right sort of appointment.
Now let's get some of the best Champ players in, too.
Get in! Clearly still room for improvement, but a decent performance with so many players missing.
Manhoef was excellent, Junho much better and Koumas a threat we need to learn how to use more. But Bocat was my MOTM. Thought he was superb.
PS. Sidibe's some player.
So if Stoke get everyone it seems they want, we may soon be looking at a completely new defence of Justin - Batth - McKenna - Osborn.
With respect to the lads with the shirt, this kind of overhaul at the back is what's needed.
With Vokes in the mix too, tomorrow should be fun!
That's the performance. Intensity, desire and a real attacking intent.
And just look how the fans responsed. Play like that every week and they'll get that support no matter what the result.
Absolutely brilliant today. Let's hope it's a turning point.
Stoke have indeed enquired about James Chester. Would be an excellent signing - he's a PL-standard defender. Big mates with Joe Allen and shares an agent with Shawcross, but it's just an enquiry at this stage.
Well done Stoke, that was fantastic. So many good performances , but I really like the way Junho and Cundle link up. Some great football.
And what an unusual feeling to be comfortable watching a crunch game!
I'm always slow to turn against managers, but I've got a foot in the MON out camp after that. Doesn't know his best team, got the midfield balance wrong today and never addressed it. Atrocious display.
You can't sympathise with Stoke because our recruitment has been poor, but in fairness to MON, if the equivalent players were out for Liverpool, you don't blame Klopp
Bursik (Alisson)
Souttar (Van Dijk)
Sawyers (Thiago)
Thompson (Keita)
Powell (Jota)
Campbell on way back (Salah)
You've got to think this will happen if Leeds or Swansea put the right money up. Suits all parties, as he's clearly not going to get many games here.
And Junior Tchamadeu can then cover left and right back.
Outstanding again. Defended well, pressed superbly, and with a bit more composure we could have won that by a few more
Hoever and Laurent especially were absolutely fantastic. Get in there!
Looking through our squad, I think there are eight players who should play every week. The three spaces allow for three different formations, but this nucleus, for me, should rarely change.
Bursik
Wilmot
Jagielka
Allen
Baker
Brown
Powell
Campbell
Eye-scratchingly bad. And we lost. The relegation coffin gets its first serious tap.
Even if we haven't got anyone lined up, Jones has to go tonight.
And as unpalatable as it is, I want Pulis back. I'm convinced he'd save us and I can't say that about anyone else.
My goodness.
Get in there! It would have been getting seriously toxic if we'd lost today, but we saw again today we've signed some really good attacking players.
And to their credit, the back four and keeper were fantastic from 2-0 down.
Keep the faith, there's something here.
It's happening. Peter Crouch - 38 yesterday - is returning to the Premier League and is on his way for a medical at
#Burnley
. Sam Vokes to Stoke is also close to completion for around £7m
#scfc
Poor as a collective and very poor in the case of a few individuals, but there's no need for the (inevitable) overreaction. It wasn't a horror show like we've seen; we were just punished for mistakes and lacked quality with our final ball.
We move on.
Stoke have accepted an offer from Sivasspor for Josh Laurent.
On the whole, I think Laurent's been a positive for us. But with 12 months left on his contract, it does make sense to move him on while there's interest IMO.
A key gap to fill though.
I don't want to go overboard, but Lee Gregory is better than Pelé.
Joking aside, he's *exactly* the sort of player we've needed these past couple of seasons. I already love him.
We've had false dawns before since being relegated so musn't get carried away... but it certainly points towards us being European champions in three seasons.
I can't quite believe how right we have got it this window. A remarkable turnaround in recruitment.
A good win against a very, very well drilled team. The system worked again, the boo boys played well and the substitution completely halted Swansea's pressure. A good night for Gary Rowett.
Yesterday was undoubtedly dire, but I struggle to understand why any fan can't be forgiving of it considering the fixture list and number of players injured or not fully fit.
More than ever, it's a war of attrition this season. Just keep picking up points and stay in touch.
That's an outstanding performance and result. Preston are exactly the sort of unique challenge Neil referred to on Friday. We've regularly struggled in this type of game so to win it so comfortably is really promising. Get in!
I honestly can't believe how quickly Stoke fans' views have changed from 'this squad should be top six easily' to 'this squad is terrible'. Already people have realised Rowett had no choice but to protect the defence. So he was sacked for being unlikeable, basically.
Goodness gracious me. I just do not understand this team. How can they turn in a performance *this* bad just a few days after Saturday. Is it arrogance? Is it the coach? Or are the good performances just a fluke?
This is unspeakably bad.
I like Lambert. I like his values and I like how he handled himself. I wish he'd been dealt a stronger hand and it had worked out. But he wasn't, it didn't, and so he had to go.
Now let's hope for a forward-thinking appointment, a manager who can build the club in his image.
We may still get something from this game, but I'll say it again: the recruitment is a joke.
This is our third season playing 352 and we don't have a LCB, targetman or any depth at WB. Yet we signed a CB we didn't need, a DM on loan he won't play & a striker who doesn't fit in.
WHAT A NIGHT! I forgot what that sort of win felt like.
And I don't care if he did stumble on it, that system and that team has got real potential. The attacking benefits of the diamond but with cover for the defence.
The battling tonight was superb. At last! Get in there!
Wow! OK, it wasn't a Championship match, but it'd take a brave man to drop any of that midfield three to revert back to the WBA midfield for Saturday.
Phillips has got to be a strong contender to start too.
Signs of the forward-thinking, athletic team we've been promised 🤞
I have to say I think Steven Schumacher ticks a lot of boxes for Stoke.
- He's had tangible success as a manager
- He's got a team playing exciting, attacking football
- He's from a working-class city and has successfully built a rapport with the fans of his current club
I was at Wigan in 2000 after Sir Stan died and I'll be there again tonight to remember Banksy. It speaks volumes that people follow Stoke to this day because of him. And he was an even better man than keeper.
Let's do him proud. And hope for a well observed silence this time.
For all of Stoke's problems, I still believe it's the midfield that's the biggest. Strikers continually lack service and get slated. Defenders continually get left open and get slated.
There's a common denominator. And it's not going to change.
I'm going to ignore the end there and say that was marvellous tonight. So many outstanding performances, but Pearson really has transformed the midfield.
It's just such a shame these loanees aren't ours because this is close to being a tremendous Championship team. Loving it.
I imagine that'll be that for Schumacher. We might be down no matter what, but our only chance is to give someone else a go.
It's a massive shame, as he'll no doubt have a good career, but the wheels, the axles and the bottom of the bus have come off. Yet again, we've f*cked it.
Thanks Mark for two and a half wonderful years. It's gradually got worse since then and you had to go, but you got us playing the best football I've ever seen us play and for that I'm grateful.
I've barely tweeted about Stoke this season, mainly because I'm just so bloody bored of it all.
I'm sad to see Jones go and we all know the problems run deeper than the manager so for goodness sake, just appoint Pulis to get us out of this mess.
A terrible selection and terrible performance to match. I eagerly await the next raft of changes on Saturday while MON searches for his preferred team in the 38th game of the season.
Like Jones before him, he's completely lost faith in himself. Can't wait for the season to end.
Delighted with Afobe. Good age, a proven record in this division, and has pace and energy which we've lacked.
I can't fault anything we've done since relegation. Lessons really do appear to have been learned 👏
This summer
@TEAMtalk
were the first to report Stoke's interest in Jared Dublin, Junior Tchamadeu and Sead Haksabanovic, and the first to report Swansea's interest in Josh Tymon.
Not everything comes off, but some great people work for TEAMtalk these days. Well done to the team.
"We have to be more aggressive off the ball, close people down a bit quicker and if we can do that we’ll be all right."
So pleased to hear Lambert say this. It's such a simple improvement we can make, that'll make a big difference.
It didn't happen for us in the final third, but you can see we're going to be very hard to beat this season. Very competitive. Solid and the goals will come another day.
Good performance and decent result to start.