Stoke City

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The Plymouth Argyle chairman Simon Hallett has been talking to the The Pilgrims Podcast , externalabout Steven Schumacher's decision to join Stoke City.

Schumacher left the Devon club for Stoke in December following the departure of Alex Neil.

Hallett said it was a disappointing time for him:

"I'm not saying I didn't feel betrayed you know, I think we'd been very good to Schuey, betrayed is a very strong word. Did I feel like I'd been let down, yeah.

"I'll be back on good terms with Schuey one day, I hope. I don't think he has any reason to be bitter towards me."

In regards to Schumacher's replacement at Home Park, Ian Foster, Hallet said: "I think Fozzy [Ian Foster] is on the path to being a great manager in the same way that Steven is on the path to being a great manager."

Lucas Yeomans is back with BBC Radio Stoke's Praise and Grumble show. (Monday, 18.00 GMT)

Stoke City head coach Steven Schumacher reacts to the Blackburn defeat and the frustration of the fans. Listen to the show here from 6pm.

Call Lucas to talk about what's happening at Stoke City on 0800 1218080

Stoke City left the pitch to the chant of "You're not fit to wear the shirt" as fans voiced their frustrations following another Championship defeat.

The Potters lost 3-1 at Blackburn Rovers, a fourth straight defeat for Steven Schumacher's relegation threatened side.

Stoke have won just twice in their last 18 matches and players bore the brunt of the supporters anger as they went over to the away end at Ewood Park.

Head coach Steven Schumacher says he understands why fans are feeling angry:

"It's not easy at the moment we're not playing well we're not getting the results we need and the fans are getting on the lad's backs.

"I've said the fans have got every right to be disappointed and have a go at you because at the moment we don't look like a team."

Schumacher continued, "They're having a go and we're going to need to stand up and take it on the chin and show some character to respond."

What do you think? Send us your comments.

You can hear more on BBC Radio Stoke's Praise and Grumble from 6pm

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Stoke City goalkeeper Tommy Simkin has been with the club since the very start of his career, but he's only ever made one senior appearance.

Due to his limited amount of game time, the 19-year-old has had loan spells with the likes of AFC Fylde, Solihull Moors and Forest Green Rovers.

Now being back at the Bet365 Stadium, Technical Director Ricky Martin has opened up on the next steps for the teenager, both in the short and long term.

"When you are talking about academy graduates, he's an England youth goalkeeper coming through the ranks and someone we think of very highly so he will be part of our plans and he will be part of our succession planning of who we bring in and when we bring people in.

"We need to ensure there is a pathway and he's had some great loans this season, some great experiences and he's back with us now training with our first-team squad. He's with Steven and the first-team squad every day at the moment, and from my point of view, I've got to have one eye on the future as well."

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Stoke City have been handed a boost after learning that Million Manhoef is eligible to make his debut for the club against Blackburn Rovers after gaining international clearance.

Potters defender Junior Tchamadeu is also set to come back into contention after recovering from an illness following his return from the African Cup of Nations.

Steven Schumacher's usual captain, Josh Laurent, has resumed training, though this particular fixture is expected to come too soon for the midfielder. Enda Stevens remains on the sidelines and will be out for several more weeks.

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On Thursday, Stoke City held the Fans Forum at the Bet365 Stadium, with Head Coach Steven Schumacher, Technical Director Ricky Martin and Chairman John Coates on the panel.

The first question Coates was asked on the night was regarding why the club have made so many managerial changes since being relegated to the Championship, to which he responded:

"The first thing to address is we haven't done well enough. We've performed well below my expectation, our expectation, and that's been a thing of great personal regret for me. I feel it very much and I feel very badly and desperately want to change that. What I would like to say, during that period, the support we've had as a club and from the supporters and from yourselves has been excellent and the patience that's been shown during that tough period, I'm very grateful for.

"When you look at a manager or a head coach and you see them in a particular environment at another club and he's done well, you never quite know until you take that person and put them in that different environment as to how they are actually going to perform. There can be a number of things different in any different environment, expectation size, the way maybe people expect you to play, but the fact is, we've had a number of managers that haven't quite been successful. There are some reasons beyond their control for that.

"When we came down to the Championship, that was the exact year they changed the profit and sustainability rules in order to make any breach of those [rules], severe points deductions. You are just seeing the alarm that's setting off in the Premier League at the moment. That happened the year we got relegated and so we went from a business model of when we got to the Premier League we were putting a lot of money into the club every year in order to try and punch beyond our weight, punch beyond our economic resource as a club and that was highly successful for us.

"When they made that change and we were down in the Championship, we had to change that business model and we had to somehow get ourselves compliant with the rules, and that was tough. That has had an effect, but I would still have expected us to be better and I still expect more and it's upon me to look at every aspect of the club, whether that be off the pitch, whether that be recruitment, whether that be the academy, and we've just got to make sure we are doing everything better, and with that, we give Steven the tools with which to get successful and break that cycle."

What are your thoughts on the comments made by John Coates?

Have your say here.

With Stoke City preparing to take on Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, we asked you to send in your predictions as to how the game could pan out, alongside your opinions on the state that the club currently find themselves in.

Here are some of the responses that we received:

Bryan: No need for entertaining football at this stage, it has to be a point at least. Put out the best team to achieve this, then a home win against QPR is a must.

Andy: Recruitment team should hold their heads in shame, squad completely overhauled but a distinct lack of quality. Needed to strengthen the defence, add a permanent goalkeeper and a striker that at the very least knows where the goal is - failed! 6 points from the next 2 games is a must! Players need to show some grit!

Lewis: It has felt like an extremely turbulent season, the excitement for the amount of new faces at the start of the season to where we find ourselves today. We need the 12th man for the remainder of the season to have hope of avoiding relegation. This starts on Saturday against Blackburn.

Hannah: I hope we can start winning games again and we need to get behind the team.

Dave: Stoke will win.

• When Stoke and Blackburn faced each other in the reverse fixture of this game back in November, the visitors secured a 3-0 victory at the Bet365 Stadium.

• The Potters have lost their last three consecutive games in the Championship, with this being the first time that has ever happened to Steven Schumacher in the league since the start of his managerial career.

• The Ewood Park outfit have only won one of their last eleven matches in the second tier, so they will be hoping to return to positive form this weekend.

• Ahead of Saturday's meeting, Jon Dahl Tomasson is expected to leave his position as the opposition's manager, with the former red and white stripes midfielder John Eustace having been linked as his possible successor.

• City are 20th in the table as it stands, with three points having the potential to lift them up to 16th dependent on the results of other clubs around them.

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Ahead of Stoke City's upcoming away game vs Blackburn, Steven Schumacher has been speaking to BBC Radio Stoke's Matt Sandoz, external at his pre-match press conference, previewing this weekend's opponents and discussing the recent absence of Ryan Mmaee.

On Rovers: "They are a team who are in and around us. They've had some good patches of form throughout the season, they've had some indifferent games where they haven't got the results that they probably expected, but we know that we are going there and it's going to be a tough game. There's an issue going on at the moment I think internally with them so that's going to make it harder to prepare for I imagine. It's going to be another away game, that's never easy in the Championship, so we'll go there fully expecting a tough game but confident that we can get a result."

Mmaee: "We set out on the first day about what standards and behaviours we expect around the training ground. There's a couple of incidences where we felt Ryan wasn't buying into that and it's not fair for me to demand things from a whole squad and there's only one or two that, or in this case there was one person who I felt was letting the staff and letting the players down. It sends the message that we're serious about what we're saying. I'm not just going to come here and flippantly say something, I have to back up what we ask and what we're requiring from the players and at the moment, Ryan isn't available."

Stoke City are set to make the trip to Blackburn Rovers this Saturday and will be hoping to turn their form around following last weekend's 5-0 defeat to Leicester City.

The Potters are in desperate need of points to start lifting them up the Championship table, but will they be able to pick any up on their visit to Ewood Park?

Get involved by sending us your score predictions and thoughts ahead of the game using the online form below.

Have your say here.

Stoke City were interested in a move to sign Dunfermline Athletic defender Josh Edwards during the January transfer window, according to a report.

The Potters and Preston North End were both name-checked as potential suitors for the left-back, though it was Barnsley who saw a six-figure bid rejected.

However, the 23-year-old is expected to continue being monitored ahead of the summer, so the club could look to revisit a deal at the end of the season. (The Courier, external)

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Having returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, Stoke City defender Junior Tchamadeu has been speaking to BBC Radio Stoke's Lucas Yeomans about the experience of wearing the shirt on such a momentous occasion for Cameroon.

"It was surreal for me to be honest. Obviously it's a tournament where, as I grew up, I was watching my country play in it, so to represent my country in a huge tournament is a great honour for me and my family, and just being there in itself was just crazy to be honest. The set-up of everything, the vibes around the group, it's just so good and I'm just proud and happy that I was given the chance to be a part of it.

"It's probably my biggest achievement in my career so far and I'm glad I played a little part in it, not as much as I would have liked, but at the end of the day, being there in itself was a huge achievement for me and to obviously do it at my age, I feel like it makes it that bit better so I'm not really too down on not featuring as much as I would have liked."

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On transfer deadline day, Stoke City secured the signing of Niall Ennis from Blackburn Rovers, but the striker already knows Steven Schumacher having previously worked with him during his time at Plymouth Argyle.

Therefore, Pilgrims correspondent, Chris Errington, external, has been speaking to BBC Radio Stoke to deliver his opinion on whether the forward has the potential to become a success at the Bet365 Stadium.

"He, to me, is a sort of traditional penalty box player. Probably not going to do masses outside the penalty area, but he will come alive in the box and if you can create chances for him, he's a good finisher.

"Staying fit has been a little bit of an issue for him, that's something that Stoke will need to work on and make sure that they keep on top of any little niggles and bits and pieces that he gets.

"It's a big move now for Niall. He's staying in the Championship, he's going to be working with a manager who he knows really well and vice versa, this is a big opportunity for him.

"He knows him as a player, as a person and I know Steven puts a lot of emphasis on getting the right people as well as good players. Niall certainly comes in the category of a good person, great guy to talk to from a journalist's point of view, so I think the best chance of getting the best out of players is working with people that they know and trust, so I can see why they've reunited together at Stoke."

Rangers are interested in a move to sign Stoke City striker Tyrese Campbell at the end of the season, according to a recent report.

The Potters forward first emerged as a target for the Scottish Premiership outfit four years ago where talks were held, though a deal failed to come to fruition.

Philippe Clement's side are now looking to take a second bite of the cherry for the 24-year-old who will be out of contract and therefore a free agent in the summer. (Football Insider, external)

Following the 5-0 defeat to Leicester City, Stoke City are set to hit the road to take on Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, and BBC Radio Stoke's Angela Smith, external has been speaking to Lucas Yeomans to deliver her thoughts ahead of the game.

"Their manager is offering to leave, they've had problems signing a player, they've got injury problems, and a lot of people will use the term the 'charity bus' of Stoke will go into the stadium. I just hope that that doesn't happen and we turn it around this weekend. It's a tough game and one we have to get something out of.

"We do have this tendency to shoot ourselves in the foot when we get against good teams. You'd say that we've done okay at Blackburn. They battered us at home, they scored three against us at home this season and won probably at a canter.

"All I think every Stoke fan can ask for at the weekend is to give everything they've got. That's all you want as a fan. You don't want applause if they play well and they don't win, you want them to come off that pitch looking like they are dying for the shirt, and if they do that at the weekend then I think they've got a good chance of getting at least a point, hopefully three."

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Stoke City defender Junior Tchamadeu has recovered from a sickness bug and will be available for Steven Schumacher for this weekend's trip to Blackburn Rovers.

The 20-year-old started three games for Stoke City's new head coach before heading to the African Cup of Nations to represent Cameroon.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, Tchamadeu said he's keen to nail down his place in Schumacher's starting eleven:

"He's given me opportunities and he's trusted me, which for me is key in football and that gives you the confidence and willingness to keep working hard and performing for him no matter what."

He continued, "It gives you that drive when you know you are getting rewarded for your hard work so that's important to me and obviously I respect that a lot."

"I just want to get back to doing what I was before, keep working hard and keep doing well with my performances and try and help the team," he said.

We asked you your thoughts on the current state of play at Stoke City. This is what you told us:

Bill - Stoke City's next two games are crucial to us staying in the Championship. Blackburn Rovers (18th) & QPR (22nd) in the league. If Stoke don't win both we will be sucked into a relegation battle. Whether Schumacher survives as head coach depends on the next few games. I think panic will set in and a new manager will be searched for.

Dr. Dave - Saturday's performance was the worst I can remember from Stoke in a long time (and that's saying something). I was there for the 0-7 v. Birmingham in 1998, and this was almost as bad. Schumacher looked and sounded shell-shocked and must be wondering what he's got himself into. Not his fault though - dire recruitment has left us with a terrible squad.

Bryan - On current form Stoke are in for a relegation fight. QPR game will be a huge important opportunity to get three points. Hopefully the management can sort out their best starting 11 and all the players give their all. I see them just avoiding the drop and hope the quality of football improves. This will help with planning for next season.

Bobby - We will stay up, I don’t think I’m doubting that really but I definitely want us to finish above 19th.🙏

David - I can only see relegation for us. Another unproven manager saying we are going to play attacking football is one thing, but if we attack we need to score and that's just not happening and the defence is non-existent. Totally embarrassing.

Kevin - We have no leader on the pitch and too many individuals playing for themselves. We have lost our identity since Tony Pulis left. We need a change of Director to take us forward and not backwards. His name is John Coates.

Do you agree? Have your say here.

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Stoke City have won just one home game since October and have only scored three times at the Bet365 during that period.

The Potters find themselves fifth from bottom of the Championship but do you think they will turn things around?

What's gone wrong at the club?

How big a job does Steven Schumacher have?

Which players have made an impact this season?

Send us your thoughts here

Stoke City have only won once at home since October and fans are worried about the prospect of relegation.

This is what some supporters told BBC Radio Stoke's Praise and Grumble show.

Paul - I'm absolutely gutted, words can't express what I have seen. It's like they don't know what they are doing.

John - Embarrassing to be honest, the players have to take responsibility I don't even know where we go from here. I understand Leicester are top of the league but we have to be realistic with the fact that players are getting paid phenomenal money and they should turn up. The level of quality has been abysmal.

Marcus - Sometimes you have to take a step back, we can get all these managers in but you have to look at the recruitment. We've got to look at people who are behind the manager and who brought these players in. I really am worried, I was optimistic when Schumacher came in but it's not down to the manager, it's down to the players. They need a wake up call and I'm lost for words.

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Former Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan says Steven Schumacher's team can turn their form around by working hard on the training pitch.

Whelan made more than 300 appearances for the Potters over a nine year period in which time helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2008 and to an FA Cup final in 2011.

Speaking after the club's 5-0 defeat to Leicester City, their heaviest loss at home since a 7-0 defeat to Birmingham in 1998, Whelan said:

"What the fans want is just a little bit more heart and desire to get around the pitch and after an hour if you are knackered and you've put everything in the manager will see that and you can make a few changes. There are certain lads that are going through the motions a little bit.

"For me it's a given, it hurts everybody I was never one that loved winning but what I did do I hated losing. I hated losing in training, in small sided games, I'd hate losing in one v one, so you have to show some heart and desire to get a result. If it's not for yourself or your family then who is it for?"

Stoke have only scored twice at home since the beginning of November and find themselves fifth from bottom of the Championship. Whelan said the players need to look at themselves:

"You can't be blaming the managers and coaches, it's hours on the training ground, it's hard work. If you give that first and foremost then the fans will stick with you," he said.

"It's not just Saturday it's Monday to Friday, you ask any of the players from our dressing room we'd have harder training sessions than some games because we gave everything."

He continued, "Arnautovic and Shaqiri once they came in they didn't realise how tough training was because there would be lads putting in harsh tackles on them in training because that's what we'd be doing in the games.

"Train the way you play, play the way you train and everything else will look after itself."