Stoke City

Stoke City return from the international break looking to pick up where they left off.

The Potters are undefeated in their last two matches and face promotion chasing Norwich City at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

Stoke have won four of their last six at home in the Championship and will be looking for their first win over the Canaries since 2018.

Head coach Narcís Pèlach told BBC Radio Stoke how he's trying to build consistency and momentum.

Michael Rose has started the last two Championship matches for Stoke City, two games which the Potters have not lost.

On Saturday they take on Norwich City at the Bet365 Stadium after spending a fortnight on the training ground.

The 29-year-old defender says it's been two weeks well spent getting to understand what head coach Narcís Pèlach wants.

Rose told BBC Radio Stoke how he has benefited from the international break and working more closely with Pèlach.

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City defender Michael Rose says the players know where they stand with new head coach Narcís Pèlach.

The international break has given the Catalan valuable time on the training ground as he continues to stamp his own style of play on the team.

Having sat out the first five games of the season through injury, the 29-year-old has started the last two Championship matches and says the message from Pèlach is clear.

"He's been really drilling in his methods of how he wants us to play," he told BBC Radio Stoke. "It's been a good week for us without a game to really focus on how he wants us to go about things.

"For me it's been really good because when I came back I was kind of chucked in and getting used to the way he wants to play, but I feel like I now understand."

The Potters now face Pèlach's former club Norwich City on the back of the 6-1 win over Portsmouth and the 0-0 draw at Swansea - and two improved performances.

"They've been good," said Rose. "It's showing the boss we can play the way he wants to play. He's got confidence from it too. He's seeing us do what he wants us to do.

"He'll know what Norwich are all about. If we stick to the principles of what he wants us to do then hopefully over the period of the season it's successful.

"He's one of those that, if you don't do it, you're not going to play. He's very black and white. And, as a footballer, that's good because you know where you stand."

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City head coach Narcís Pèlach will be hoping his Stoke City players come back from international duty unscathed this week.

Winger Million Manhoef is in the Netherlands Under-21 squad to face Sweden on Monday (17:45 BST).

Teenagers Sol Sidibe and Jaden Dixon are with England's U18s for Monday's home match with Ukraine (15:00 BST).

Potters number one Viktor Johannson could win his fifth Sweden cap against Estonia in the UEFA Nations League on Monday (19:45 BST).

Young goalkeeper Tommy Simkin, who is on loan at Walsall, will be joined by Tottenham Hotspur loanee Ashley Phillips in the England U20s squad for the meeting against the Czech Republic in Doncaster (19:00 BST).

Liverpool teenager Lewis Koumas will hope to feature when Craig Bellamy’s Wales host Montenegro on Monday (19:45 BST).

Other first-teamers representing their countries are Bae Junho with South Korea at home to Iraq (Tuesday 12:00 BST).

On-loan Brighton midfielder Andrew Moran is with the Republic of Ireland for their away trip to Italy and Jordan Thompson will help Northern Ireland take on Bulgaria (19:30 BST).

Stoke City are two unbeaten under head coach Narcis Pelach.

Following the 6-1 win over Portsmouth the Potters picked up a point at Swansea City.

In the latest episode of BBC Radio Stoke's 'A Cold Wet Tuesday Night' podcast, Lucas Yeomans and George Weaver (aka Potterlytics) discuss the result and what next for Stoke.

"It's a squad that should be pushing higher than 16th but it's a squad that has had three different playing styles in 10 months."

Listen to the full episode here.

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City defender Ben Wilmot feels the club is heading in the right direction under head coach Narcís Pèlach.

The Catalonian has lost two, won one and drawn one of his first four games in charge.

Wilmot who has now played under four managers or head coaches since joining Stoke from Watford three years ago so consistency will be the key to success.

"Whoever is the most consistent tends to be the teams at the top of the table at the end of the year. It’s one thing certainly while I’ve been here, that we’ve really lacked.

"It’s win, loss sort of that up and down throughout a season, which isn’t good enough and someone like me who’s been here a while now can see the positive changes that have happened here,” Wilmot said.

The 23-year-old also praised Pèlach's approach since his appointment in September.

"It's completely different and we've had a lot of information with a load of games in a short space of time. So it's going to take a while to get used to it, we're almost having to learn on the job. We haven't had a free week in a long time, so it's been tough but the international break will be good for us to get used to what he wants us to do.

"We are in that good frame of mind where we have some good momentum at the minute. However we have a good block of days where we can train and the head coach can get more information into us."

Stoke City head to Swansea City on Saturday and head coach Narcís Pèlach will be looking for back to back wins.

Following the Potters 6-1 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday night, the Catalan coach is challenging his players to keep improving.

"We need to be on the front foot and organised. The Championship is perform, perform, perform and you need to do it every three days.

"It's not about how you play on Saturday it's how you will play on a Tuesday as well. If you are a six on Saturday and a two on Tuesday, for me Saturday is nothing. We have to try to be consistent."

After winning his first game as Stoke boss, he told BBC Radio Stoke what the win meant to him.

Stoke City won their first match under new head coach Narcis Pelach and what a win it was.

The Potters beat Portsmouth 6-1 with striker Tom Cannon scoring four goals.

In the latest episode of BBC Radio Stoke's 'A Cold Wet Tuesday Night' podcast, Lucas Yeomans and George Weaver (aka Potterlytics) discuss the impact of Pelach's changes and Cannon's big night.

"6-1 is such a rare scoreline, Stoke haven't had six sitters, there are a few where the goalkeeper will be looking at himself. They pounced on the chances that they got."

Listen to the full episode here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Stoke City will look to end a three game winless run in the Championship when they face Portsmouth at the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night.

• Stoke City have won both of their last two league games against Portsmouth, and will be looking to win three in succession for the first time since April 1963.

• Portsmouth have failed to win any of their last six away league games against Stoke City (D2 L4) since a 2-0 victory in February 1995.

• Stoke have lost both of their last two home league games, last losing three in a row in October 2023.

• Portsmouth have only won three of their last 30 away games in the Championship (D10 L17), and are winless on the road this season (D2 L1).

• Stoke have only won one of their last eight league meetings with newly promoted opponents (D2 L5), a 3-0 win over Plymouth in April last season. At home, the Potters have failed to score in six of their last seven against promoted sides (W1 D1 L5).

The result leaves them fifth from bottom of the division before a home game against second from bottom Portsmouth on Wednesday evening (19:45 BST).

In the latest episode of BBC Radio Stoke's 'A Cold Wet Tuesday Night' podcast, Lucas Yeomans, George Weaver and Dana Malt (Boro Breakdown) discussed the Potters defeat and the way forward under head coach Narcis Pelach.

"I think there is going to be a backlash or something approaching a backlash about the way we were playing on the ball. It was clear by 10 minutes in we were quite happy to keep the ball at the back and be very very patient.

"I thought off the ball we were appalling"

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds