Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. Sam Parkin, Final Score EFL pundit

  2. Worst of the season - Robins

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins watching his team lose at Queens Park RangersGetty Images

    Stoke manager Mark Robins said his team had been given a reality check at Queens Park Rangers.

    Harvey Vale's second-half goal earned a 1-0 win for the hosts as the Potters fell to their first away defeat of the season.

    Robins told BBC Radio Stoke: "That's the worst we've played this season. We have to maintain a level and maintain our non-negotiables, and we just didn't.

    "We got exactly what we deserved, so it's back to the drawing board. Optimism is fantastic but unless you do things right all the time, and not just when you fancy it, you are going to come unstuck.

    "Feet on the ground, which isn't a bad thing, but we have got to get back on it. That's two 12:30 kick-offs now where we've lost 1-0 and not played to our potential.

    "It can't become a thing because there will be a few of them."

  3. Stoke feel the squeeze at Loftus Road

    Mark Elliott
    BBC Radio Stoke commentator

    Stoke City's Aaron Cresswell has his hands over his eyes at full-time following defeat to QPRGetty Images

    Mark Robins said it was "the worst we've played this season" and held to the high standards they have set over the past couple of months he certainly had a point.

    Stoke just could not find the quality on the ball, intensity or incisiveness they have shown this season but despite the sub-par performance they could have still taken a point.

    Million Manhoef missed an absolute sitter from close range with a second-half header that cleared the bar which almost loomed over him and Aaron Cresswell had a late shot cleared off the line.

    In the end, QPR edged it in terms of overall performance and missed a couple of chances of their own in addition to the goal they scored but frustratingly, they were not that much better than a Stoke team stuck in second gear.

    Loftus Road is compact and the pitch is small and a Potters side that likes to stretch the play horizontally as well as vertically never really seemed to get to grips with the narrowness of the field and the lack of space that caused.

    Rangers allowed the Stoke centre-backs to keep possession without pressure but any pass into midfield was a trigger to press and they used the whitewash as an extra defender, closing down really effectively and forcing Stoke backwards with too much regularity.

    Stoke misplaced too many passes when they did find space, made one or two poor decisions in the final third and generally looked like their sharpness had been dulled.

    Robins made the point that they've lost two 12:30 kick-offs this season and was keen to point out that they can't "allow that to become a thing".

    The manager was "disappointed" and the squad has good depth so it may be that some of those players who have been patiently waiting for a chance while the team has been winning sense an opportunity when Norwich visit the Bet365 next time out.

  4. EFL ball

  5. Harvey Vale celebrates his winning goal against Stoke

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  12. 'No easy games in the Championship' - Robins

    Stoke City boss Mark Robins insists there are "no easy games" in the Championship as he looks ahead to Saturday's game against QPR.

    The Potters have enjoyed a strong start to the season, with four wins and one defeat in the opening five games.

    "For me, there has been significant change, and positive change but we just have to keep that going," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "I'm excited by the way we have started the season and obviously excited by what we can do moving forward.

    "It is really early days, I can't stress that enough - we have played five games and each game has presented a different challenge, tomorrow will do the same."

    Robins' side will look to maintain their perfect away start to the season when they visit MATRADE Loftus Road on Saturday lunchtime.

    "We say this every week that there are no easy games," Robins added. "QPR have just had two really good back-to-back wins, so their confidence will be there.

    "I know they lost heavily against Coventry but they bounced back from that and showed that it was just a blip."

    Listen to Robins' full interview and more on Stoke City on BBC Sounds.

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  17. Devante Cole

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  24. Yasmin, Caz and Órla, the three finalists from The Great British Sewing Bee series 11