'As poor as we've been' - Rowett

Gary Rowett said Oxford United's home defeat by Stoke City was as poor as any performance since he joined the club

Oxford United manager Gary Rowett said his team's display in the 3-0 home defeat by Stoke City was as bad as any since he became manager last December.

Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford: "That's probably as poor a performance we have had, overall, since I've been here, which is disappointing on the back of finishing the way we did against Millwall.

"Early on we should have been a goal to the good. Greg [Leigh] gets a brilliant chance and maybe just mistimes his jump from a yard out when it hits him in the face and goes a yard wide.

"Their first was a poor goal to concede, the second was a set-piece where we let Nzonzi run off us for a good finish and the third came just at the start of the second half when we had changed things tactically in the hope of giving ourselves a chance.

"It summed up the evening really, in that we can't get going, and we petered out as well, not showing the relevant fight late in the game."