I Love Stoke City

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Xherdan Shaqiri has yet to overcome his persistent calf issues and he is unlikely to make a comeback in the near future. The Switzerland international has not featured for the club since January 11 and Klopp is unsure over a possible return date for the attacker.

In a report covered by the club’s official website, Klopp said that Shaqiri is nowhere close to training with the first-team squad and he cannot put any timeframe for him to return to first-team action, he told: “Not close to team training yet. We never did, but this time for sure we cannot, put any time pressure on it because it is obviously a difficult one. It was never a big one but always big enough to keep him out for another two or three weeks. So, we just wait. He is not close to team training.”
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Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has backed young midfielder Matteo Guendouzi to become one of the best in the world. The 20-year-old is presently in his second campaign with the Gunners and he has already become a constant figure at the heart of the midfielder alongside captain Granit Xhaka.

Speaking on the club’s official website, Lacazette compared Guendouzi with the top midfielders in the world by stating the Frenchman’s desire to make things happen with the ball. He added that his compatriot wants to be one of the best midfielders and he is going through the right path after making a positive beginning to the campaign.

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Stoke City forward Scott Hogan believes the Potters have the ability to beat any team on their day despite making a poor start to the current campaign. The Staffordshire outfit are currently rock-bottom of the Championship after 11 games and they have gone into the international break with a boost after registering a late triumph over Swansea City on the road.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Hogan said that the break has come at the perfect time for the Potters and this will ensure that they won’t get carried away by the Swansea result. He added that the team are expected to perform much better than the recent run of results and the squad is capable of beating any side in the Championship.
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Stoke City manager Nathan Jones has said that he is grateful that the board have backed him during a difficult period for the side. The 46-year-old joined the Potters as their new head coach from Luton in January this year but he has since guided the team to just three wins from 27 games in the Championship.

At present, the Staffordshire outfit are right at the bottom with just one point from the opening seven matches of the 2019/2020 season but the hierarchy are yet to yield the axe on the ex-Luton boss. Speaking in a press conference, Jones appreciated the support from the club’s owners but admitted that he can’t rely on the same, should the club’s poor run of form continue.
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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 boss Nathan Jones has spoken about his disappointment after the Potters suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Queens Park Rangers in the Championship opener. The Staffordshire outfit suffered the worst possible start after the poor positioning of goalkeeper Jack Butland allowed an easy tap-in for Jordan Hugill.

At the start of the second period, Eberechi Eze doubled the scores for the visitors and this eventually left the Potters with a mountain to climb as they only managed a consolation through Sam Clucas. Speaking after the game, Jones said that his team were probably the better side at the beginning but the error from Butland handed the impetus to the Rangers.
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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.”
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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