Stoke City

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Stoke boss Narcis Pelach has identified the midfield as a key area that his side need to improve in order to win more matches.

The Potters have only claimed victory in five of their 22 Championship matches this season to find themselves in the bottom six heading into Christmas.

"We have to win more duels in the middle of the pitch, which we have lost a lot of in recent games. Not just duels but second balls as well," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We lost physicality here with injuries, with Bosun Lawal and Ben Pearson.

"We have players in the midfield that are technical but not that physical and this is why we've won less battles basically."

Pearson suffered a set-back in his return from a long-term hamstring injury, while Lawal made the trip to Hillsborough on Saturday after back issues kept him out of training but was left on the bench.

With injuries impacting squad selection, Pelach says the answer to their midfield struggles may be in recruitment.

"We need to put on the pitch players who win more duels and if we don't win enough, we will need to go in January and in the summer and find players who can," Pelach added.

"We talk about talent but you don't see the talent.

"There's a level of fight in the Championship that you have to meet and now at the minute, we need to improve this."

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Saturday's 2-0 defeat at ten-man Sheffield Wednesday means it's now no win in eight matches for Stoke and boss Narcis Pelach.

"It's a hard one to take. You expect to win when they are down to 10 men," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We defended badly (on both goals) – we shot ourselves in the foot. We have to be much more aggressive because we have more numbers than them in the box, it cannot end in a goal, it's unacceptable.

"In the first half I think we were more pragmatic, aggressive, won many more duels and second balls which is what I demand from the team. The first 45 minutes are good.

"There were some decisions which changed the game in big moments. Lewis Koumas was one v one with the keeper and was (given) offside when he was not and the two penalties (not awarded), Bannan and Lewis Koumas, this is unacceptable, but it is what it is at the moment."

Sheffield Wednesday have won five of their past six away games to climb up to ninth in the table, but they return to Hillsborough on Saturday, where they have won just one of their past seven matches.

Visitors Stoke are winless in their past seven games and have just one victory in eight on their travels, albeit an eye-catching 2-0 success at Blackburn on 6 November.

The Potters have slipped to 17th, just five points above the relegation zone.

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost just two of their last 12 league games against Stoke City (W4 D6), though five of their past six home matches in that spell have finished in draws.

• Stoke have failed to win any of their last four league games against sides from Yorkshire (D2 L2) last enduring a longer run of seven games between February and October 2019, which included a 1-0 away loss to Wednesday.

• Wednesday have failed to win any of their past three home league games (D2 L1) and could record their second 4+ matches winless run at Hillsborough in 2024.

• Stoke have failed to win any of their last seven league games (D4 L3), conceding exactly two goals in each of their past four matches.

• In the Championship this season, Stoke have faced the most shots (345), while only Plymouth (121) and Luton (115) have faced more shots on target than the Potters.

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Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach said he was "angry and disappointed" at how his side lost "way too many" duels in the 2-2 draw with Cardiff.

Andrew Moran put the Potters ahead, but the visitors equalised before the break and then went ahead through Ben Gibson's own goal.

Stoke rescued a point deep into stoppage time with Gibson making amends by heading home the equaliser, but Pelach was "really unhappy" with the performance.

"I'm not pleased at all with what I've seen," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"You cannot compete in the Championship with this level of duels and second balls. We lost too many throughout the whole game. We need to win the ball back.

"The ball is 50-50 and we need to have the right level of energy for winning it and then you have a chance.

"But if you don't win duels and second balls in this league, it's impossible. So, really disappointed with this performance.

"We save a point at the end with the set-play goal but we have to be much more mature and we have to compete much better than this."

Pelach said the players were aware of his frustration with the result which left Stoke 17th in the table, five points above the drop zone.

"I expressed that unhappiness to the team that if we don't compete much better than that, we don't have a chance in this league," he added.

Listen to Narcis Pelach's post-match interview on BBC Sounds.

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Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach says his side need to keep positive after a string of tight games has seen them on a three match losing streak.

The second half seems particularly tricky for the Potters, who have conceded almost double the number of goals after the half-time whistle as in the first half, with just nine before and 17 after the break in 20 Championship games so far.

Ahead of Cardiff City's visit on Saturday, Pelach told his players they cannot dwell on their past results.

"We cannot feel sorry for ourselves - I don't want this in my game - so we need to get over ourselves," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"Sometimes through losses, you can find opportunities to learn and improve things for the future. And this is what I'm doing."

Stoke's average age for their matchday squads is the second youngest in the Championship behind only Sunderland.

And while the Potters manager knows his side lack seasoned veterans, he believes that his own experience as a young manager at 36 proves they can still compete.

"I've had to fight for everything in my life. I'm used to fighting, nothing has come easy," Pelach added.

"My mentality is there, I know how to live this profession and I want to explain this to my players as well.

"We can be young. I just want courage, I want passion, I want love and I want energy. Step by step, I'm sure we will get there."

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Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach posted a social media message to fans this week after they lost a third game on the spin with the Potters 18th and just four points above the bottom three.

Cardiff City occupy one of those positions are on a six-game winless streak with Omer Riza demanding a reaction following the midweek defeat to Preston North End.

• Stoke City have failed to win any of their past eight league games against Cardiff City (D5 L3) since a 2-0 home win in February 2020.

• Cardiff are unbeaten in their past four away league games against Stoke (W1 D3), with each of the past three ending in a draw.

• Stoke have won just one of their past six home league games (D4 L1) and could fail to score in three successive such games for the first time since December 2023.

• Cardiff are winless in 11 successive away league games (D5 L6); their longest such run since November 2014; they last endured a longer such run in March 2014 as a Premier League side (13 games).

• Cardiff have shipped 37 away league goals in 2024, their most in a single year since 2019 (also 37), last conceding more back in 2014 (41).

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Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach has posted a message to fans on social media vowing to work as hard as possible to start winning games again.

The Potters' 2-1 defeat by Luton Town on Tuesday was their third successive loss in the Championship and they have failed to win any of their past six matches.

"Defeats hurt and late goals are hard to take, but we will find our way back," Pelach said in a post on X., external

"The next few days are about giving you something to cheer at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

"We will work as much as possible to improve and we will soon find ourselves in a good run of results."

Stoke have slipped to within four points of the Championship's relegation zone and on Saturday they are at home to Cardiff City, who are 22nd but could move out of the bottom three on Wednesday when they take on Preston.

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Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach says his side tried to play the game in a different way to their opponents during their 2-1 Championship loss at Luton.

The Potters boss praised his side for their bravery in possession but admits they were outmuscled by the home team.

"Luton were more physical and bigger than us, but we knew that," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We tried to play the game in another way – when we had the ball we played to our style, on the ground.

"You cannot choose how they play - you have to face it because you cannot tell them how you want them to play but when we have the ball we can choose so I was pleased when we had the ball we tried to play our style and be brave on the ball."

Stoke have now lost their past three Championship matches and are without a win in six games as they prepare to host third-bottom Cardiff City on Saturday.

"We were in a good place not long ago and now we have lost three on the spin but we have to be calm and I'm sure with the body language and attitude we have we will improve very soon," added Pelach.

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Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach has warned his side to expect a bit of an aerial battering when they take on fellow strugglers Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.

Rob Edwards' Hatters might be struggling to win games back in the Championship this season but, with the twin threat of big strikers Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris, they remain a menacing proposition to defend against.

Pelach remembers Luton from his time as number two to Carlos Corberan three seasons ago at Huddersfield, who scraped past the Hatters in the play-offs the season before Luton finally went up to the Premier League.

"We played them four times that season," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke. "The ball comes in from 70 yards and if it is flicked on, it goes in your box. But, if you win that ball, you might have a chance of a counter attack.

"It is case of making sure you are on it all the time. Any mistake you have to be on your toes, playing with red alarm. That is how it is there and we have to compete.

"You don't play many games in the Championship like this - but you still have to play. They come into the box with long balls. It is going to be more uncontrollable."

After missing Saturday's late defeat at Sunderland, central defender Ben Gibson's return after sickness would be a big plus for the Potters as they attempt to handle Luton's long-ball specialists - but his fitness is still being monitored.

Stoke lost 1-0 at Luton on their last visit to the Kenny in February 2023 under Alex Neil - thanks to a 20-yarder from Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu.

But a year to the day on from Neil's sacking, such have been the changes in the Potters squad that the only player from the starting line-up that day still at the club is Ben Wilmot - and he was a substitute on Saturday at Sunderland.

"I want to focus on the things we did well at Sunderland," added Pelach, as he bids to end a five-game winless run against a Luton side unbeaten in their past four home games.

"The high press was really good. But what we didn't do well was the game management. We have to try to sort it out for Luton. We need to sort out the defensive issue we are having at the moment."

Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach was talking to BBC Radio Stoke sports editor Matt Sandoz.

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Luton Town's troubles in adjusting to life back in the Championship are well documented but their form at Kenilworth Road is giving fans hope of better things to come.

The Hatters have only been beaten once in their past eight Championship matches at home but sit just two points clear of the relegation zone.

Only Plymouth (three) have scored fewer than Stoke City's five away goals in the Championship this season and they come into this match without a win from their previous five games.

• Luton Town have won two of their past three league games against Stoke City (L1), as many victories as across their prior 18 such meetings combined beforehand (D3 L13).

• Stoke City have lost just one of their past seven away league games against Luton Town (W4 D2), though that sole defeat did come on their last visit to Kenilworth Road in February 2023 (0-1).

• Luton have only won one of their past seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (D1 L5), although that was their last match at home, beating Cardiff 1-0 in November.

• Stoke have only lost two of their past nine midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) games in the Championship (W4 D3), and are unbeaten in all four so far this season (W2 D2).

• The side scoring first has won each of the past six league meetings between Luton (2 wins) and Stoke (4) since a 1-1 draw in February 2020.

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When Sunderland host Stoke City on Saturday, it will be the Championship's two youngest sides facing each other.

Both teams have put out a starting XI with an average age of 22.7 this season, the lowest in the division.

Forwards Tom Cannon and Bae Junho and midfielder Andrew Moran, all 21, have been key players for the Potters, while 19-year-old on-loan Liverpool and Wales international Lewis Koumas brings an additional attacking dimension and 20-year-old Junior Tchamadeu has held down an important role at right-back.

"That we will see a lot of energy from both sides, because this is what young players give," Potters manager Narcis Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke. "For fans, it will be an exciting game."

Defender Ben Gibson was the only player to start Stoke's defeat at home to Burnley last weekend who is over the age of 26.

The club are 14th in the league table, while previous leaders Sunderland are fourth.

"Now they are having a little bit of a down, compared to the start to the season," added Pelach, who believes both clubs will improve as their youthful teams gain more experience.

"The basics of the model are already there. We are young, we are growing. We had a very good month in November."

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Sunderland looked virtually unstoppable until November - but the early-season front runners have now dropped to fourth place after failing to win any of their six games during the past month.

The Black Cats, who were beaten 1-0 by new leaders Sheffield United last weekend, need to rediscover the winning habit at home to Stoke City as they bid to make up ground.

Stoke, who are 14th in the table, began last month with successive wins against Derby and Blackburn but have since lost momentum, registering three consecutive draws prior to a 2-0 defeat against Burnley.

● Sunderland have lost four of their last six league games against Stoke (W2), losing those matches by a combined score line of 12-3.

● Stoke have won two of their last three away league games against Sunderland (L1), as many victories as across their prior 24 such matches combined beforehand (D9 L13).

● Sunderland are one of only three sides without a win in the Championship since the start of November (D5 L1), with the Black Cats scoring the joint-fewest goals in that time (3).

● Stoke are winless in their last four league games (D3 L1), and could fail to score in three successive league matches for the first time since November 2023.

● Only Sheffield United (65 minutes 01 seconds) have been trailing for less time in the Championship this season than Sunderland (104:37). The Black Cats have only gone behind in one home league game this season, a 2-2 draw with Leeds in October.

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Stoke City captain Ben Gibson says the side cannot just rely on their forwards to score goals.

The Potters have only managed two goals in their past four games and have drawn a blank in matches against Preston and Burnley.

"It's not just on the forwards, just as it isn't with the defenders when we keep clean sheets because we should have goals all around the team," Gibson told BBC Radio Stoke.

"It's something we need to address. We'll work really hard this week, have long meetings about it and find ways to score more goals."

Tom Cannon is Stoke's leading marksman with seven of their 19 Championship goals but they are the joint-fourth lowest scorers in the division this season.

"Tom's been fantastic for us, we have to find more goals to support him and also give him more chances."

Stoke are 14th in the Championship and visit fourth-placed Sunderland on Saturday.