Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. An aerial view of people gathered together to display the number 100. They are standing on grass, which is partially covered in brown leaves.

  2. Robins says Potters guilty of 'naivety'

    Stoke City manager Mark RobinsGetty Images

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins watches his side lose to Middlesbrough

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins said his side were guilty of "naivety" in losing 3-1 at home to Middlesbrough.

    The Potters manager said: "I'm disappointed. They [Middlesbrough] have lost their last five but there is too much naivety - we make poor decisions at times - which means either a promising move breaks down or we take the wrong option.

    "Out of possession we are getting into some really poor positions and some of the players don't understand... if you miss those duels you are out of position and they can hurt you. They are young players and they are making [poor] decisions.

    "We have to dust ourselves down before Watford on Saturday. We have 12 games to go and we have to pick up enough points to stay in the division and that's what we have to do this season before we can turn our attention to things that need putting right."

  3. The back of a police officer wearing a high-visibility vest with the words "police" in blue and silver lettering.

  4. Children sat around a long table while they talk and eat their food.

  5. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper - a woman with short blonde hair, wearing a blue scarf and a black coat.

  6. Two mugshots - the one of the left is a bald man with a black top and the one on the right is an older bald man with a grey top.

  7. Stoke disappointed to miss 'massive' opportunity - Moran

    Stoke City midfielder Andrew Moran stands with his hands on his hips during a match Getty Images

    Andrew Moran scored twice in 35 Championship appearances during a season-long loan with Blackburn in 2023-24

    Stoke City midfielder Andrew Moran says the squad were "really disappointed" to miss out on a "massive" opportunity for a second straight win against Norwich as they prepare for tonight's home game against Middlesbrough.

    The Potters travelled to Carrow Road buoyed by an impressive 3-1 victory over Swansea City but came unstuck as Josh Sargent scored twice in the Canaries' 4-2 victory.

    "To get two wins in a row in this league is massive," Moran, on-loan from Brighton, told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "We really wanted that and it was disappointing we didn't do everything we could've. We felt really good after that [Swansea] win and wanted to capitalise on that."

    Stoke are five points clear of the relegation zone as Boro visit the Potteries - the first of two games against sides with play-off ambitions, with Watford arriving on Saturday.

    Head coach Mark Robins is slowly getting more options at his disposal, with the likes of Ben Pearson, Sam Gallagher, Million Manhoef and Ben Wilmot all returning to full fitness.

    Moran is adamant that is a "really good thing" as they prepare to try and put Saturday's setback behind them against Middlesbrough.

    "We've got two home games coming up now. That's the best part about Championship football - you've games every two days so when you have a tough result, you've got the chance to bounce back and give a better account of ourselves."

  8. Marva is wearing a blue top with leaf detail on and a black jacket and has long hair and glasses. Lionel is in a black suit and light shirt. He has his left arm around Marva and is holding their award.

  9. Jack Parton with his arm around his mum, Julie. Jack has a grey hoodie on, and Julie has a light yellow top on - she has curly, shoulder-length hair. They are both standing in front of a flight of stairs.

  10. King Charles, wearing a grey suit, stands behind a bar and pulls a pint while a man wearing a black jacket and blue shirt stands next to him and watches.

  11. Eight people gathered at the side of the road at the entrance of a village, underneath a 30mph sign. A woman standing in front holds up a piece of paper with a diagram on it.

  12. Burton boss Gary Bowyer at Lincoln

  13. Pick of the stats: Stoke City v Middlesbrough

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    Under-fire Boro boss Michael Carrick takes his Middlesbrough side to Stoke on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) seeking to avoid a sixth straight Championship defeat.

    Boro have tumbled down the table to lie 13th and head to a Potters side unbeaten in four home games since Boxing Day, conceding just once in that spell.

    Mark Robins' side are 19th, five points above the relegation zone, but could close to within six points of Middlesbrough with a victory.

    • Stoke City have lost just two of their past 20 home league games against Middlesbrough (W11 D7), a 2-1 loss in February 1998 and a 2-0 defeat in June 2020.

    • After winning the reverse fixture 2-0 in September, Middlesbrough are looking to record a first league double over Stoke City since the 2019-20 season.

    • Stoke are unbeaten in four home league games (W2 D2) and are looking to pick up back-to-back home wins for the first time in the Championship this season.

    • Middlesbrough have won seven of their past nine Championship matches played on a Tuesday (L2), although did lose their last away game in midweek 3-1 at Leeds in December.

    • In his managerial career, Stoke manager Mark Robins has won six and lost just one of his eight previous home league games against Middlesbrough (D1), winning his past three in succession with Coventry from 2021-22 to 2023-24.

  14. Lemmy while performing on stage with Motorhead. He has long black air and is wearing a black hat, black shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black trousers. He is standing facing to the right next to a microphone and is holding a bass guitar. A Marshall guitar amplifier and cabinet is visible on the left as pink/purple smoke rises behind him.

  15. Two paramedics standing in front of helicopter with their hands behind their backs looking into the camera.

  16. A woman with long blonde hair pushes the stop button while standing on a bus

  17. A small duck with brown and green markings on its head, and black, white and grey patterns on the rest of its body. It is on water with some weeds poking through the surface around it.

  18. 'Avoidable' - Robins' verdict on loss at Norwich

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins, standing in front of Norwich City fans, shouts instructions to his playersRex Features

    Mark Robins shouts instructions to his Stoke City players during their 4-2 defeat at Norwich City

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins said his team lost focus, concentration and discipline to hand the game to Norwich City in the Potters' 4-2 loss at Carrow Road.

    He told BBC Radio Stoke: "All defeats are tough but this one was avoidable.

    "We didn't get things right in the press to start with because we ended up being too deep, but you have to realise that comes from being brave and the back line has to be high.

    "We grew into it a little bit but the composure wasn't there when we won the ball back because of the weight of pressure.

    "We had gone in 1-1 and then we're talking about imposing our game on them by adopting an aggressive mind-set. Then you have a really good chance in the game because they (Norwich) will give you chances, but we lost our focus, our concentration and our discipline."

  19. A four-way junction that has cars waiting at two entrances. There are potholes and dents in the road.

  20. Burton Albion celebrate their winner against Lincoln City

  21. Josh Sargent (right) celebrates with Borja Sainz

  22. Connor O'Riordan of Crewe Alexandra (right) celebrates his goal with team-mates

  23. Jill Hood has shoulder-length brown hair with a fringe. She is standing in front of a green wall. She is wearing a khaki green coat with a green scarf that has red, blue and yellow flowers on it.

  24. A man wearing skiing attire while standing on snow-covered ground with trees in the background. He is wearing pink sunglasses and a yellow jacket that has the number 42 on it.