I Love Stoke City

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones remains hopeful of keeping Badou Ndiaye within the club’s ranks for the ongoing season. The midfielder spent the previous campaign on loan with Turkish champions Galatasaray and the Istanbul outfit are understood to have the option to buy him during this summer’s transfer window.

Speaking to reporters, Jones acknowledged that there have been no concrete offers for the Senegalese at the moment and he is hopeful that the European transfer window closes with the midfielder still in the club’s ranks, he said: “We will see,” said Jones. We’ve had no offers for him. We’ve had inquiries, but no offers. And of course I am happy with that. He’s a fantastic player and I’d like him to stay. I’d like to keep him.”
(more…)

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones has said that he wants more goals from midfielders next season following the club’s dismal tally of 45 goals from 46 appearances. The Potters had the third-best statistic in terms of clean sheets during the previous campaign but the lack of cutting edge in the final third cost them in the pursuit of Premier League promotion.

Speaking to reporters, Jones said that he wants more contributions from the centre of the park after struggling to do so during the backend of the previous season, he told: “We want our midfield players to score. We want to score more than we did last season. Our defensive record was magnificent last season and if we can have that defensive record, then add goals from all different areas, then we will be a much better and more fluent side. I would have liked more goals, but we’ve got four more games to sharpen them up. We want our midfield players to score and we want to be better from set plays. So all over we want to improve.”
(more…)

Millwall manager Neil Harris has said that Lee Gregory’s move to Stoke City can be regarded as one of the worst-kept secrets in football. The 30-year-old had already made the decision clear to leave Millwall after running down his contract last summer and he has now penned a deal with the Potters with a view to potential promotion next term.

Speaking to reporters, Harris said that Gregory was always expected to join the Staffordshire outfit and his situation can be compared to the ongoing saga associating Frank Lampard with the managerial role at Chelsea, he told: “I think it was one of the worst-kept secrets in football! It’s like I’ll be amazed if Frank Lampard doesn’t go to Chelsea – that could be another one. Lee going to Stoke ticks all the boxes that Lee Gregory desired in the conversations we had.
(more…)

Charlie Adam has confirmed that he has received plenty offers to prolong his professional playing career. The 33-year-old is out of contract when his Stoke City contract expires next month and he appears keen on pursuing the next challenge in his career rather than stepping down from the game altogether.

Speaking to reporters, Adam indicated that he is currently experiencing a new way of life as he would find himself as a free agent for the first-time ever. He added that he has no plans of quitting from the game and he is prepared to play as long as possible with a number of offers on the table already.
(more…)

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones has revealed that the club will do their best to solve their goalkeeping woes ahead of next season. The Staffordshire outfit have produced plenty of blanks during the second half of the campaign and one of those came during the recent 1-0 Championship defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough.

Speaking after that game, Jones cited that the club lacked the ruthlessness to get something out of the encounter. He added that the Potters have spent extensively on attacking players and the emphasis is on the coaching staff to improve on the team’s fortunes upfront, he said: “We didn’t have a ruthless streak, somebody to take the chances. That’s what we will bring into the club – a ruthless streak and energy.
(more…)

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones cut a frustrated figure on Saturday afternoon after his team squandered a 2-0 advantage against Rotherham United to settle for a 2-2 draw. The Potters earned a comfortable two-goal advantage before the break with Sam Vokes and Sam Clucas finding the scoresheet but they could not sustain the same pressure in the second period where Rotherham made the comeback.

Goals from Will Vaulks and Matts Crooks levelled the proceedings for Rotherham in the second half and the Potters were eventually lucky to come up with a point after some top-notch goalkeeping from Jack Butland at the end. Speaking after the game, Jones was far from pleased with the showing and emphasised the need to concentrate through the entire 90 minutes.
(more…)

Stoke City defender Ashley Williams has said that he is prepared to fight for his position at the Potters despite dropping down the pecking order in recent months. The Wales international has not started for the Championship outfit since the beginning of February with Ryan Shawcross and Danny Batth being the outright picks for the central defensive duties.

In a report covered by the ECHO, Williams admitted that he is facing a frustrating situation at the Bet365 Stadium where he has barely featured in the past few months. Nonetheless, he is not prepared to give up on his career and he will continue to give his best shot for the remaining games of the campaign.
(more…)

Stoke City Nathan Jones has expressed his disappointment after his team squandered the chance to secure the maximum points on the road to Ipswich Town. The Potters appeared primed to grab a 1-0 triumph over the Tractor Boys on Saturday until Will Keane came up with a dramatic 92nd-minute equaliser for the hosts.

Speaking after the game, Jones was far from impressed with the Potters performance as they failed to attain their first win on the road since October. He added that the game should have been finished within the first period where they had multiple scoring opportunities and the failure to do so cost them with Ipswich coming out fighting following the break.
(more…)

Stoke City’s winter signing Danny Batth is determined to transform the club’s fortunes despite an unfruitful start to his career with the Staffordshire outfit. The experienced centre-back joined the Potters from Wolves on a permanent basis in January and he has since directly made the lineup with the surprise of the captain’s armband.

In the opening two games, Batth has witnessed the Potters suffer defeats against Hull City and West Bromwich Albion respectively but he remains upbeat for a change in momentum during the upcoming game at struggling Wigan Athletic, he enthused: “It’s a great stadium and a great fan baseand I’m looking to do well for the club and the fans. They’ve had a tough few years, so if I can be part of the revival, and what the manager is trying to do, fantastic. We have to really build and use the rest of the season in a positive way to try and get the fans behind us and stick to our task.”
(more…)

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones has said that he will use the upcoming FA Cup third round replay against Shrewsbury Town to evaluate the players within the squad. The 45-year-old was appointed as the new Potters boss during the previous week but he did not enjoy a smooth beginning after the team suffered a 3-1 defeat on the road to Brentford.

Still, there were some positives with the Potters returning to scoring ways after three Championship matches and Jones is now looking forward to the Cup replay against Shrewsbury where he could offer the opportunity for the reserve players. Speaking to reporters, Jones confirmed that changes are likely for the midweek Cup tie but he would not want to hamper the balance within the team.
(more…)