I think we’re exactly what we are, a bottom 3rd side who would have been down already had Johansson not been outstanding. What a state of a club, relying on other results to go for us with 1 game to go to stay in the division. The rebuild will take 2 seasons to get near the top 6 let alone in there

It appears we were priming ourselves for a 17th place finish all along! Should have known! 🙄

Much better today and sums up where we are - sadly aren’t a very good team. So to get a point where we could have won vs a half decent side has to be one point gained. It’s a dreadful state of affairs but it is our current situation. Big changes required to turn us into anything more. 😢

There’s no fight, no bite. The squad is unbalanced and weak. VJ in his interview re: the dressing room - “They’re a lovely group.”

Lovely dressing rooms get beaten. A Stoke dressing room should never be lovely. Together but not ‘lovely’.

100% - no doubt about that. It’s been an absolute car crash. Add to that dire recruitment, again… JW must be the luckiest man in football!

I agree. But I also think there were already warning signs then. We were pretty fortunate that day after getting hammered at Watford, losing comfortably at home to WBA, before being dreadful at Oxford. The season has been horribly depressing - and no sign of any improvement. 😢

We’re a team of nothing players. Bland.

I hope so!

Totally agree. But grimmer than this?

Genuine question - would relegation be the worst thing in the world?

Regardless of final score tonight, what a poor side we are. Just don’t know where we will even start in the summer. Limp, weak, passive, slow… flaccid. Take your pick. All the best Mr Robins - so much work to do.

Would be perfect if we sent Walsall Tezgel as a Lowe replacement! Everyone wins! As long as don’t lose Cannon… although, if we did, I’d expect us to get a replacement 1st choice striker in.

Yep. Think they could have been successful going into stable clubs with decent teams - sadly, we were neither.

Agreed. A long time since I’ve actually liked all of our players and get they were trying their best! But we do need a bit more grit!

And don’t forget the likeability of Schumacher! 🙄

Interesting that Robins talked about how quiet the team was… and they needed to talk more! Expect a few ‘characters’ to be added to the squad in the coming windows…

(But don’t get me wrong, I got swept up in the romance of Pelach and passion of Jones! 😃)

He comes across as a proper manager and I think he is very ‘Stoke’ (the good version) and surely the law of averages means were due a successful manager! Surely!

Totally agree. Looking much better. If these are one of the best then we’re not far off. Hands up - with NP, a number of teams looked to be ‘in another league’! I hope Robins has got the memo…

Am I right in thinking that Robins usually played a back 3/5 with Coventry?! 😬 #scfc #ccfc

The last person I would want on that list is Martin. Can imagine the Stoke crowd after the 10000 pass between cbs!

I should not be in the least bit surprised, but I cannot believe we’ve sacked NP without having someone lined up! Surely we are not inviting applicants - and starting the process now. This has been on the cards for weeks! Get your next man lined up and then sack NP - like he did with SS!

Indeed. This has always been a question for me. I agree we should get ‘the best CEO’ and Coates should give his money to someone who knows how to manage a football club… but what happens when that doesn’t work? The joy / pain of football is that nothing is guaranteed.

Exactly where I’d be going. JW knows he has got away with one with the NP debacle - this decision is huge. Be interesting to see who holds the power in the board room. Convention would suggest it should be JWs job to recruit but I suspect JC will be equally part of the process. Trust neither.

🙏 Lou, Lou skip to Lou….

Set up to fail - failed. But where do we go from here? After the Jones and Pèlach experiments, I assume it’ll be back to the experienced No1. I hope that JC / JW can clearly see the type of football this fan base demand - aggressive, high press and attacking. Fans won’t tolerate less.

This! It is in hope more than expectation we make the right appointment.

Agreed - but just don’t think it’s going to happen so in the interim I’d argue that it’s best we pick a manager / coach and stick with them in the hope that - over time - stability in staffing leads to greater chance of success on the pitch.

Agreed. But what’s the solution?

*failing?

Don’t disagree with that, but what timeframe do you put on it?

Does Amorim get sacked if he is in a similar position in a few weeks?

And what’s the alternative?