Stoke City Stories on Facebook

Follow Stoke City Stories on Twitter

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Sorensen Annoyed By Rotation


Thomas Sorensen has spoken out about his frustration with Tony Pulis' squad rotation policy at Stoke.
The Denmark international has been forced to share goalkeeping duties with Asmir Begovic for the Potters this season.
Pulis has opted for squad rotation due to the club's Europa League campaign that has seen Stoke already play 43 matches in the current term.
Sorensen has started 23 of those games with Begovic getting the nod for the other 20 and the Dane reluctantly accepts the role.

Frustrated

"I am frustrated, but the coach has kept his rotation system all season," Sorensen told Ekstra Bladet.
"I have got to accept that he wants everyone to be in shape. He has also done the same with the other players."
The 35-year-old was also keen to point out he is not responsible for the club's disappointing results this season.
Sorensen added: "We have had a spell where we haven't got the results we should have had. But I don't feel that it's my fault at all."

Tuesday 28 February 2012

Lund's Loan To The Pirates Extends

Matthew Lund's loan to Bristol Rovers had been extended to the 28th April.



Lund joined the Pirates at the end of last month and has since featured four times for the League Two side.
Rovers manager Mark McGhee is pleased to have secured Lund's services for the maximum period allowed for emergency loans, which covers all but one of the club's 14 remaining league games.
He told the club's official website: "We are delighted that Matthew is staying as he has become an important part of our squad.
"I'm sure he is going to make a huge contribution to the finish of our season."

Shotton To Move Position

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has told Ryan Shotton his future position at the Britannia Stadium will be in midfield not defense.

Shotton has made his way through the ranks at the club playing either at full-back or in central defence but Pulis sees him as a midfielder and aims to play him there in the future.
The 23-year-old only broke into the Potters first team 10 months ago but has been used in various positions since then and Pulis believes he is a star of the future.
Pulis says Shotton put in his best performance in a Stoke shirt in the 2-0 victory over Swansea at the weekend and sees him as a wide midfielder in the future.
"It's a fallacy that he's a defender, as everyone seems to think," Pulis told thisisstaffordshire. "If you ask him, he played as a centre-forward as a schoolboy here, but Blakey changed him to a centre-half.
"So he's always been a forward-thinking player who got turned into a defender. He's got good energy and pace, while the three crosses he put in against Swansea were of the greatest quality.
"Playing in midfield is very much a long-term option for him."

Brunt's Loan At Rovers Extended

Tranmere have extended their loan of Ryan Brunt by another month.



The 18-year-old moved to Prenton Park in January and has made five appearances for Rovers , scoring in the 1-1 draw against Charlton in League One last week.
Rovers boss Les Parry told the club's official website: "I'm delighted to keep Ryan for another month.
"He's done well since he has been here and is a handful for opposition defenders.
"He took his goal really well against Charlton and hopefully there are more to come.
"I'd like to thank Stoke manager Tony Pulis for allowing Ryan to stay with us."

Sunday 26 February 2012

Potters End Losing Streak


Stoke end their Premier League losing streak 2-0. The Potters haven't won a league game since the beginning of January.
Brendan Rodgers doesn't blame stand-in goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel responsible for Swansea's 2-0 defeat at Stoke.
Premier League newbies, Swansea, beat Stoke by 2-0 in the reverse fixture in October, were dealt a blow before kick-off when Michel Vorm was ruled out through illness.
The Dutchman has been one of the star performers for Rodgersa' team this season, and it was certainly not an easy game for Tremmel to make his Premier League debut in.
The deadlock was broken after 24 minutes as Matthew Upson powered in a header from a Matthew Etherington corner as Tremmel chose to stay on his line. The visitors were undone again six minutes before the break from another set-piece when Peter Crouch nodded home following Ryan Shotton's long throw.
Rodgers said: "I thought Gerhard Tremmel dealt well with most of what he had to do. I thought some of our play was very good but we were disappointed with the two goals we conceded because we obviously know the threat that Stoke have.
"Their quality into the box is very good and they get people on the end of it. We're disappointed with the scoreline but performance-wise I thought there were a lot of good moments."
Match Statistics From Sky Bet
Stoke CityTeam StatisticsSwansea City
2Goals0
21st Half Goals0
2Shots on Target3
3Shots off Target4
4Blocked Shots2
8Corners4
14Fouls8
0Offsides0
1Yellow Cards0
0Red Cards0
66Passing Success84.7
26Tackles26
65.4Tackles Success61.5
26.4Possession73.6
56.4Territorial Advantage43.6
194Total Passes616
26Total Crosses19
156Lost Balls167
43Recoveries61
20.71st Half Poss.79.3
27.32nd Half Poss.72.7
Please remember they are from Sky, so they are biased against Stoke

Saturday 25 February 2012

Sorensen and Woodgate


Stoke defender Jonathan Woodgate believes the visit of Swansea to the Britannia Stadium on Sunday will in some ways be a tougher test than Valencia. Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen insists he expects to start against Swansea when the two sides meet at the Britannia on Sunday.

The Potters went down to a brave 1-0 defeat at the Mestalla on Thursday, which sent the Spaniards through to the last 16 of the Europa League with a 2-0 aggregate win.
And with Brendan Rodgers' side earning numerous plaudits for their style of play, Woodgate claims City will have to be well prepared for the encounter.
The centre-back feels the side from South Wales could even prove more difficult than their European conquerors.
The former England defender said: "We have a big game on Sunday and we need to win it.
"Swansea are similar to Valencia. They play just as much football as them, in fact they even pass the ball a bit more than Valencia. We should be used to that now and it should be a good game.
"They (Swansea) have been first class. The way they have played their football and got to where they are is a credit to them. They had more possession than Arsenal, and they beat them - that is some job."
With manager Tony Pulis usually selecting Asmir Begovic for domestic cup and European games, the Dane was a surprise inclusion for Thursday's game in Valencia.
But Sorensen does not expect the Bosnia international to reclaim the number one jersey ahead of him for the clash against Brendan Rodgers' side.
He said: "I want to be playing on Sunday. I will be very disappointed if I don't. I don't think I could have done anything more (against Valencia) and that's all you can do when you get the chances."
Despite the uncertainty, he was pleased to be picked for the game in Spain, saying: "These are the sort of games you want to be playing in, so I was delighted."
The Potters are looking to arrest a run of four straight league defeats that has seen them drop to 13th in the table.
Sorensen has set his sights on two victories from back-to-back home games against Swansea and Norwich to steady the ship.
"We need a win," he said. "We have two home games against two of the promoted sides who have done really well, but we need to get some momentum going and, on paper, we need six points just to calm things down and get the confidence back up. Then I am sure we can go from there."


Survival is key for Pulis

Pulis believes Stoke can bounce back from recent bad form in the Premier League following Stoke's exit for Europe. 


Stoke's attention now focuses on the Premier League after the defeat in Valencia. Pulis will be looking to end a run of four defeats against Swansea tomorrow.


"We need to pick some points up," admitted the Stoke boss. "We've got enough games to do it and I'm just hoping and praying it drops for us on Sunday.
"Every team that have gone the distance (in the Europa League) have found it difficult to keep the momentum going. We have to make sure we focus ourselves now and try to get an extra 10 points.
"We need another 10 points to stay in the Premier League and we've got a massive FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool. The lads will relish that. We'll be rank outsiders, and rightly so, but we'll be fully committed.
"It's been very taxing on the players and it's been very hard getting them back up for Sunday games but the players have really enjoyed it.
"It's been draining for me too but I've got to get myself going. Occasions like this you live for and you dream about."
Pulis rested key players for the trip to Valencia and is expected to restore many of them to the starting line-up against the Swans.
One dilemma is whether to pick Asmir Begovic or Thomas Sorensen in goal, with some speculating - given Pulis' rotation policy - that Sorensen's inclusion in Spain would see Begovic start on Sunday.
But Pulis added: "I just wanted to give Thomas a game.
"Asmir's played the last couple of games and I've always rotated. I think the goalkeepers are very close in lots of respects. I thought Thomas did smashing."





Friday 24 February 2012

Stoke vs Swansea Preview



Stoke will be aiming to bounce back from Thursday's Europa League exit by returning to winning ways at home to Swansea on Sunday.
The Potters' European adventure finally came to an end with defeat in Valencia and Tony Pulis' thoughts will now turn to improving their domestic form after four defeats in a row in the Premier League.
It seems the Stoke boss already had one eye on this clash given that he named just four substitutes for the trip to the Mestalla, leaving the likes of Peter Crouch and Jon Walters at home.
And Pulis will be expecting to reap the rewards against a Swansea side that - for all the plaudits they have received - are struggling on their travels.
Brendan Rodgers' men have won just twice away from home in the Premier League, although they did pick up a victory at West Brom earlier this month.
But the Swans followed that result up with a disappointing home defeat by Norwich and will need to avoid a similar outcome if they are prevent Stoke from leapfrogging them in the table.

Team news

Pulis is expected to make significant changes to the team that exited the Europa League in Valencia on Thursday evening.
Crouch, Walters and Matthew Etherington could all return to the side after being rested in midweek.
Robert Huth is still serving a suspension for his sending off against Sunderland, although Rory Delap's red card at Crawley has been rescinded.
Swansea will welcome back Joe Allen after he missed the home game against Norwich through injury.
And Allen could oust Chelsea loanee Josh McEachran from the Swans' midfield.
Kemy Agustien and Andrea Orlandi are doubts but Rodgers will have a near full-strength squad to choose from for the trip to the Britannia Stadium.
Possible starting XIs
Stoke: Sorensen; Delap, Shawcross, Wilkinson, Wilson; Pennant, Whelan, Palacios, Etherington; Crouch, Walters.
Swansea: Vorm; Rangel, Caulker, Williams, Taylor; Britton, Allen, Sigurdsson; Dyer, Sinclair, Graham.

Tony Pulis defends Stoke team selection at Valencia



Stoke manager Tony Pulis defended his team selection after their Europa League defeat by Valencia.

The Potters lost 1-0 in Spain and 2-0 on aggregate in their last-32 tie.
Pulis left nine-first team regulars out of the squad that travelled to the Mestalla and only named four of the permitted seven substitutes.
But he said: "We actually had four captains of their countries out there and the team had more experience than the one at the Britannia Stadium."


Stoke were backed by 4,000 supporters who had made the trip from Staffordshire to the east coast of Spain for one of the biggest nights in their club's history.
And some disappointed fans voiced their concerns about what they believed was an under-strength team selection from Pulis at the Mestalla.
However, the Welshman insisted the plucky display by his much-changed side , which created a number of great chances - notably for Kenwyne Jones, justified his decision.
Pulis said: "The team I played today is the team that have played the majority of games in Europe. I don't know what all the fuss is about.
"But negative press sells better than positive press. We're disappointed because it's been such a positive run, such a great adventure for everyone at the club.
"This has whet my appetite for more and I just pray to God that we will get the chance again in the next year or two.
"To give Valencia two games like that shows just how far this football club has come. I, for one, have relished this competition."
Meanwhile, defender Robert Huth claimed Stoke's performance proved they were determined to progress to the next round of the competition.
"If you watch the game, it's not Stoke to give up. We made a few changes to hopefully improve the team, but we lost to a good team," he said.
The German also praised the vociferous contingent of visiting supporters.
"They have been brilliant," added Huth. "There are more than 4,000 of them and everywhere you looked you could hear them. We thank the supporters and hopefully we will see them again soon somewhere like this."

Thursday 23 February 2012

Valencia 1 - 0 Stoke (2-0) Report



Battling Stoke City crashed out of the Europa League in the round of 32 following a narrow defeat by Valencia.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, the Potters, who fielded a weakened team, were not disgraced in going down to another single-goal loss.
Jonas scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half, calmly converting Pablo Hernandez's cross.
But Stoke had chances of their own, with Kenwyne Jones twice being denied by Valencia goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
After leaving nine first-team players at home, the finger of frustration will be pointed squarely in the direction of manager Tony Pulis by the 4,000 Stoke supporters who made their way to the Mestalla.
Whether players like Peter Crouch, Jon Walters and Matthew Etherington would have had the necessary nous to humble a team third only to Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain's La Liga is debateable.
They certainly would not have offered more industry than their understudies, who performed admirably against a team almost as comfortable in possession as any of their more illustrious Spanish rivals.
What they might have brought to the Mestalla, however, is a more ruthless cutting edge.
While Jones, Ricardo Fuller and Cameron Jerome gave the Valencia defenders an uncomfortable night physically, none of them could apply a finishing touch.
After all, Stoke had two glorious chances to haul themselves into the tie before Jonas scored in the 24th minute.
Following the initial shock of seeing Daniel Parejo rattle their woodwork with a curling free-kick inside 60 seconds, the old adage that change is as good as a rest seemed to ring true for the visitors.
They carved open their hosts with two delightful moves that could and should have hauled them back into the tie.
First Rory Delap sent in a teasing cross which an unmarked Jones could only flick at Guaita, before the same player was sent scampering clear by Wilson Palacios - only to scuff his shot straight at the keeper.
Such profligacy proved costly when Hernandez showed a neat turn of pace to breeze past Danny Collins and pull the ball back for the unmarked Jonas to tap into an empty net from six yards out.
Stoke's Diego Arismendi was fouled in the build-up to the goal, but the catalogue of defensive errors that ensued as Valencia swept up the other end to score was more concerning than any mistake by the officials.
A lack of craft in midfield meant the pace and muscle of City's front three was the only way they could force their way back into the tie.
They showed fleeting glimpses of working an opening when Palacios poked wide, while Jermaine Pennant offered a new outlet on the flanks once he was summoned from the bench, but it was Valencia who looked more threatening as the game opened up.
The best of those chances came when Jonathan Woodgate hit a free-kick into empty space in the middle of the pitch and watched in horror as it was picked up by a Valencia midfielder, who put Roberto Soldado in on goal.
Thankfully for the former England defender, Thomas Sorensen blocked the striker's shot with his legs.
With matches against Chelsea, Liverpool in the FA Cup sixth round, and Manchester City on the horizon next month, Pulis may have had one eye on domestic competition when making the raft of changes as his side came up short in continental combat.
Only time will tell whether his decision is vindicated.