Mark Robins' 'biggest thing' from first two weeks at Stoke City
Stoke City played out a score draw with West Bromwich Albion as Nathan Lowe got on the scoresheet in his first game since returning from a brilliant loan at Walsall. Here are the talking points from the Hawthorns.
Nathan Lowe gets his chance to impress
It was such a confident striker’s touch from Nathan Lowe to steer in that opening goal. The posts are still the same in the Championship, Mark Robins had said to him when he was back at Clayton Wood before his recall, and such an instinctive moment seemed to prove it.
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He might have added a second, he helped with the press and he charged and challenged when he could as he led the line. He took responsibility to get his head on long balls and make sure defenders were in a game.
It’s no mean feat to be the sole centre-forward in this division and Stoke haven’t had many who have done it well over the last seven years. He looked like he loved every moment of it and he’ll be desperate to show he’s ready to take it on right now.
That’s brilliant for everyone; the teammates from the academy who are hoping to follow in his wake, the coaches who have helped to get him to this point and the supporters who can see one of their own so proud to be playing for them.
Stoke go five unbeaten
It’s two wins and three draws, including an FA Cup victory at Sunderland, which is a good habit to get into. The shot count was 23-5 against them here but Viktor Johansson, barring a one-on-one with Jayson Molumby shortly after Albion’s equaliser, didn’t have all that much to do – particularly when compared to some matches he’s played over the last few months.
Mark Robins seems under no illusions about the size of the challenge he’s taken on but he’s been able to keep a pretty consistent side playing in a pretty consistent way over his first couple of weeks, including that crucial relationship between keeper and the two centre-halves, Ben Wilmot and Ashley Phillips, who is really finding his feet.
Robins said: “My biggest thing is that the players have been brilliant. They are working their socks off and giving everything. I've said to them that it's fine, nobody gets everything right with the press and we didn't get it right at times but for the most part they are having a right go and that's the prerequisite. That's the minimum but not every team does that and not every player wants to do that but these have got together and they can do it. On the back of that they will start to get results, start to get confidence and don't look back. We're trying to catch the teams above us.
"It's a chance to do that this week. A three-game week is normally a moving week and we've got to back this up on Wednesday at Portsmouth. It's a really tough place to go, then we've got a home game against Oxford who are winning games under Gary Rowett.
"We've got to be ready and the energy we're going to need is going to be interesting."
Youth progress and a small squad
Two things to note about Stoke’s bench when the teamsheet dropped. Well done to Jack Griffiths and Kieron Willox for their promotion from the under-21s – Griffiths had scored the previous night in a 2-2 draw at Manchester City. Bosun Lawal had played in that game too and was among the subs here.
So that also highlighted the size of Stoke’s squad at the moment, with injuries to Lynden Gooch and Sol Sidibe as well as Ben Gibson adding to Million Manhoef, Eric Bocat, Jordan Thompson and Ben Pearson in the treatment room.
“You haven’t got long enough,” said Robins, when StokeonTrentLive started running down the injury list post-match – but circumstances are limiting his hand during games at the moment.
He said: “You've got teams who can make five changes and not weaken their team but actually come on and make a difference in a positive way. At the moment and this isn't putting anyone down but there are circumstances that mean in certain positions we haven't got enough or anything to be able to make changes to make a difference and go on to try to win the game. What they've done today is put people on that will give them the energy in positions that need it to try to win the game.”
