Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. Stoke boss Pelach defends tactical switch

    Narcis Pelach deep in thought as he contemplates another Stoke City defeatRex Features

    Narcis Pelach's Potters have now picked up just four points out of a possible last 27

    Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach defended his latest change in tactics following the Boxing Day home defeat by Leeds United after seeing the Potters extend their winless run to nine matches.

    Four points out of a possible 27 is the club's worst winless run in the league since taking only two points from their opening 10 games at the start of the 2019-20 season under Nathan Jones - and they were booed off by significant numbers of the fans still left in the ground at the final whistle.

    The plummeting Potters now stand in 19th place in the Championship going into Sunday's home game with Sunderland - just three points outside the relegation zone.

    And Pelach, who has won just three of his 18 league games in charge since succeeding the sacked Steven Schumacher in September, has been criticised by fans and the local media for simply making too many changes.

    After deciding to operate with a back five to counter Leeds' attacking threat, Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke: "We chose the formation we thought would work best.

    "It's a difficult game and we prepared the team to try to be resilient. A lot of teams who went with a back four against them were out of the game very early.

    "They make you defend a lot. They have a lot of ball possession. And then if you press them high and you go late, they beat the press and then they have an open goal. But then, if you sit, it looks like you're not trying, and it's difficult.

    "We tried in the first seven or eight minutes, and we were more there. We created a big chance with Lewis Koumas, which could have changed the night.

    "This is what we need. In those little moments, you need to be punishing in order to beat Leeds. That's why not many teams come close to beating Leeds.

    "It dropped off because of the quality Leeds have. You have ideas and try to implement them, but at the end of the day when the ball is there and there's a player in front of you that waits until you move and then finds a free player, it makes you drop."

  2. A train operatored by West Midlands Railway in Birmingham. The train has a yellow front and black and white carriages with yellow doors and shows the West Midlands Railwya logo. A platform is visible and there are overhead lines, with trees in the background.

  3. A selfie of a male and a female with their son in the middle. They are on a balcony in a theatre. The woman has short blonde hair and is wearing glasses. The father is bald and also wearing glasses. The son in the middle has short brown hair and is wearing a dark jumper.

  4. A street view image of the drinking fountain which is sitting on grass with a car park in the background

  5. A group of protestors, some with arms raised, are stood smiling at the side of the road. Some are holding plastic cups, raised in celebration.

  6. An alleyway leading to a residential street with terraced houses. A number of items have been dumped on the left of the alleyway. There are two black bins next to the wall on the right, opposite an open black gate. A silver car can be seen in the background parked next to the terraced houses.

  7. The corner of a residential street on a misty day with a police car parked at the side of the road on the left and another parked in a house's driveway in the distance. A number of other non-emergency vehicles are parked in driveways and at the side of the street.

  8. A black and white photo of a man and a woman in the doorway of a rock house, with the wooden porch leaning against a sandstone cave with cut in windows and doors. He wears a white shirt and tie and trousers with braces. She has a light dress with a pattern on it. They stand on a bricked pathway outside the house.

  9. Pick of the stats - Stoke City v Leeds United

    Stoke v Leeds graphic

    A win on Boxing Day could see Leeds United top the Championship table if results go their way elsewhere.

    Leeds are three points behind leaders Sheffield United but with a much healthier goal difference and they take on a Stoke City side with no wins in their last five games.

    The Potters are 19th in the table and four points above the relegation zone.

    • Stoke have won three of their last four home league games against Leeds, losing the other 3-0 in August 2019.

    • Leeds have won three of their last four league games against Stoke, winning each game without conceding a goal (3-0 and 5-0 in 2019-20, 1-0 in March 2024).

    • Stoke City have lost one of their last eight league games on Boxing Day (W4 D3), losing 2-0 away at Birmingham City in 2018.

    • Leeds United have won three of their last 10 Boxing Day matches (D3 L4), winning those in three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018.

    • Leeds manager Daniel Farke has lost his last three Boxing Day league matches, losing twice with Norwich (in 2019 vs. Aston Villa and 2020 vs. Watford) and last year with Leeds away at Preston.

  10. A detached house with the front door and part of the white garage door boarded up with wooden boards. About 10 bunches of flowers are laid near to the front door.

  11. A woman in a black fleece with yellow trim is leaning into a donkey stood in its paddock. Her hand is stroking beneath the donkey’s mouth. She has dark hair tied back. The donkey has a white nose and a dark grey face and body. The barn door can be seen in the background.

  12. A man stands in front of a wall with Christmas decorations and pictures of mountain scenery. He is bald, wearing glasses, a blue and white scarf, a blue jumper and black leather jacket. The strap of a satchel can be seen going across his body

  13. A conductor wearing a santa hat conducts a choir who wear Christmas jumpers and some have tinsel around their necks. All of the choir are women, wearing dark clothing and all are in a church with marble pillars and a wooden fence in front of them.

  14. Matt stands on the right next to three nurses from ward 408 of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. One nurse is holding a box of chocolates and another holds a fruit hamper.

  15. Amy Langston is wearing a black coat and a top with a black ribbon. She has long brown hair and is wearing a black and white checkered beret on her head. Amy is standing in front of a Christmas tree and is smiling.

  16. A man with short blonde hair in the middle of his head, smiles and reaches up with his right hand. He is wearing a blue coat and a wall is visible behind him.

  17. A road junction that bends to the right. Red brick buildings in the background, with a low wall in front of a car park. There is a lamp-post to the left and a sign that reads "give way".

  18. Tamworth v Forest Green Rovers

  19. A red brick building next to a road with two lanes. There is a black sign written vertically down the tallest side of the building that reads "Castle House". The right-hand side of the building nearest to the road is made up of black glass windows.

  20. Cheltenham Town v Crewe Alexandra

  21. A red brick multi-storey building is surrounded by a building site. There is a smaller building in front that has a sign that reads Good Yards. With brown water in front of that.

  22. Birmingham celebrate a goal

  23. Leeds goal taker Joel Piroe celebrates at Stoke with one of his goal makers Ethan Ampadu

  24. Stoke City squad photo including Mike Pejic and George Eastham in February 1972