The eye test: Southampton (A)

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days, before you've actually left them" 3 wins in 3 and top of the league is one thing, but Stoke's win on the south coast was by far the most significant statement of the Mark Robins era so far. Under Pressure The … Continue reading The eye test: Southampton (A)

The eye test: Sheffield Wednesday (A)

Sambegou Bangoura and Mamady Sidibe were on the scoresheet last time Stoke won at Hillsborough, with Johan Boskamp's men lifting themselves to seventh in the table in November 2005. A lot has happened since then for both clubs, but it's taken The Owls to be in a particularly poor state for Stoke to break their … Continue reading The eye test: Sheffield Wednesday (A)

The eye test: Derby (H)

As Mark Robins emphasised post-game: "It's one game. It's one game. It's one game." Football is a game of emotion and it's only natural that the serotonin hit of Divin Mubama's 96th-minute header has fuelled a sense of optimism not seen since last year's opening day victory over Coventry, or the tonking of Rotherham the … Continue reading The eye test: Derby (H)

Dissociation Football

This season is my first without a season ticket since 2000/01. That season, I was eight years old, Stoke were in their third campaign on the spin in the third tier of English football and regularly played in front of crowds of 12,000. Port Vale beat us on our own turf. Icelandic manager Gudjon Thordarsson … Continue reading Dissociation Football

Meet Stoke City, a club failing to hit ‘reset’

“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss” Stoke didn’t really reset during pre-season as much as they remained on standby. After four opening games in which criticism of Michael O’Neill intensified on the airwaves, terraces and social media cesspits, the verdict for the season is already in with 42 games to go. We’re … Continue reading Meet Stoke City, a club failing to hit ‘reset’

Michael O’Neill: Restoking the fires

Final days of the season are often good, but that final day of The Championship will be talked about in the alehouses of Nottingham, West Bromwich, Barnsley, Swansea, Luton and more besides for years. For Stoke fans, it may be forgotten slightly. Although a surge from 17th to 15th was nice, not to mention the … Continue reading Michael O’Neill: Restoking the fires

Stoke City Legends: Mark Stein

  Association football is lovingly referred to around the world as the ‘beautiful game’ and it has been a constant source of iconic sporting images throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. There are certain photographs which are instantly recognisable to football supporters, either because they showcase a special moment in time or encompass the emotions … Continue reading Stoke City Legends: Mark Stein