Bullied and broken... Stoke City sent brutal message as unthinkable looms with Portsmouth defeat
Mark Robins claimed Stoke City were victims of the dark arts as they slipped to a 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth - but Potters fans had different ideas as their side slipped closer to the Championship relegation zone.
Colby Bishop converted a penalty and Callum Lang capitalised on some indecisive defending to put Pompey two-up in nine minutes before Connor Ogilvie made the match safe early in the second half.
Ben Wilmot had made it 2-1 in the first half, but Robins bemoaned being beaten in the physical side of the clash as Stoke dropped to 19th in the table, just two points clear of the bottom three.
READ MORE: Stoke City defender set for X-ray to cap tough night at Portsmouth
READ MORE: Mark Robins gives blunt verdict on Stoke City side too easily bullied by Portsmouth
The Stoke boss said: “I’m really disappointed. Portsmouth set the tone from the start and we didn’t live with that. We allowed them to bully us.
“They set their stall out by throwing themselves to the floor, fouling us and kicking us, all the dark arts. They have old-manned us tonight.
“They have players with experience who have come up on the other side of the game. It was old school type of football, but we have to be able to deal with it and not just think that teams will allow you to come and play.
“They ran harder, that is how they put us under pressure. That’s what they are and how they’ve been built.”
Just under a thousand Stoke fans made the trip south, but many more were watching a poor display on TV. And they didn’t hold back in their assessment of the squad Robins has inherited at the bet365 Stadium.
Here is what a few of them have had to say on social media…
@SwifNick37: Absolutely shocking performance - our new manager needs some new players. Can’t tackle, can’t pass, can’t defend and very weak in a lot of areas.
@SCFCOkay: Complete embarrassment of a performance and some bizarre substitutions to say the least, but it’s Robins first loss. Go again Saturday and put it right because we’re deep in this relegation scrap now.
Sam Thompson: Not a single defender that can defend. Not one midfielder who wants to put a shift or a tackle in, and our attackers have at most three goals this season. What a squad we’ve assembled.
LeanneSCFC: Woeful from start to finish, never turned up, beaten to every ball, pushed aside, no physicality...
BobSays: My heart goes out to the fans that have travelled down here - you didn’t deserve that.
Nath: It annoys me when the club put posts like “a first defeat in six”. They are desperate to try and stop the fans from turning. Why don’t they say it how it is… The Potters fall to another defeat making it 1 win in 14 championship games? Not a hope we stay up this season.
Steve: Instead of putting a first defeat in six why not put one league win in the last 14? A performance worthy of League One. Absolutely pathetic "effort".
Will: One win in 14, never mind this first defeat rubbish. Draws are almost irrelevant in this league.
Marv: I don’t know what to say other than I think we’re doomed this season with this current squad.
Dan: Incredibly bad group of players, but give Robins a few years to sort us out.
Potter Dave: I’m not purposely digging Robins out, but the fact he’s looked at Ennis and thought you’re starting a game that’s as important as this one is absolutely terrifying.
Bill: Don’t want to hear anymore from this football club. No post match waffle. No false promises. No match day hype. I only want to know if we’re going to sign any footballers that look like they’ll put a shred of effort and quality back into the broken football club.
Laird of Glencairn: As Stoke fans, when are we going to realise that no matter how many times we change the manager this squad of players accumulated through various sporting directors and heads of recruitment just aren’t very good?
