Stoke City

Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke following Wednesday's 1-0 loss at Ipswich in the Championship:

"It was a close game. One bit of quality came from them in the second minute, they took their chance and scored.

"From our perspective, we created not enough. From the back to the final third, we were really good.

"We moved the ball really well and the final pass, the final decision that's going to get you a shot or create something, is missing. We're taking the wrong option or not seeing the right one. When we get the chance for that final ball to create an opportunity, we're getting it wrong.

"Those are the things that are frustrating because, to me, that is easy.

"There were numerous occasions in the game where if we just take a little bit more care or we have a little bit more incisiveness, we'll win games.

"Back to front was really good, but the final third, final ball, final shot and final creativity was lacking against a really decent team who have started to roll into gear."

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Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has praised Stoke City manager Mark Robins for his longevity in the game but isn't in a rush to emulate it.

The Tractor Boys welcome the Potters to Portman Road on Wednesday night and McKenna is expecting a tough game despite Stoke's 4-0 loss at Sheffield United on Saturday.

"I think they've been playing really well," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I've been impressed. One of the best footballing sides in the division for sure.

"I think they'd probably say themselves, Saturday was a one-off in terms of a game really getting away from them. Other than that, they've been tight in every game.

"We're expecting a really good team, a really good footballing test. It should make for a good game, so we're looking forward to it."

McKenna said Robins is doing "a really good job" at Stoke, with both sides fighting for promotion ahead of this fixture.

"Fair play, brilliant career as a manager after a good career as a player as well, big credit to him," McKenna said.

"They [Stoke] have had quite a few years in the division where they've not quite been able to get it going.

"This has been maybe the best they've done for quite a while and it's no surprise he's had a big input.

"He's a very good manager but that level of longevity is to be respected but not repeated in my case."

Listen to Kieran McKenna's full pre-match press conference on BBC Sounds.

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The FA Cup third round draw was made on Monday evening, with all 24 Championship clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Ties will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

These are the ties involving Championship clubs:

• Cambridge United v Birmingham City

• Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

• Bristol City v Watford

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Stoke City v Coventry

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Ipswich Town v Blackpool

• Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Burnley v Millwall

• Norwich City v Walsall

• MK Dons v Oxford United

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

• West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

You can see the full draw here.

Ipswich and Stoke will both look to strengthen their bid for promotion when they meet in the Championship at Portman Road on Wednesday night (19:45 GMT).

The Tractor Boys bounced back from two games without a win with an impressive 3-0 victory over leaders Coventry on Saturday.

The Potters have stuttered in recent weeks, winning just one of their past five games (L4) including a heavy 4-0 loss at Sheffield United last time out.

• Ipswich have won just one of their past 10 league games against Stoke (D5 L4), though it did come in their most recent home meeting with the Potters in August 2023 (2-0).

• Stoke failed to score in either league meeting with Ipswich when they last faced in 2023-24, only once before going three without a goal against the Tractor Boys (between 1986 and 1987).

• Ipswich won nine of their 11 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home league games between 2022-23 and 2023-24 (D2), but since the start of last season have lost three of their four at Portman Road (D1).

• Stoke have won their past two midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) Championship games, last having a longer winning run between November 2022 and February 2023 (4).

• Ipswich's Jack Clarke has been involved in three goals in his past four league appearances against Stoke, scoring one and assisting two.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator

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Saturday's defeat by Sheffield United was a one off, an aberration in a season of highs and that must remain the case if Stoke are to retain a top six place as Christmas approaches.

Stoke City lost themselves on the way to South Yorkshire and need to find what they misplaced quickly with a tough trip to Ipswich on the horizon and four defeats from five to recover from.

You would have been forgiven for wondering whether a team of imposters had been allowed to walk out at Bramall Lane, so uncharacteristic were the goals they conceded.

Statistically the best defence in the league coming into the game repeatedly allowed free headers from Sheffield United corners, were pushed around by the home side's physicality and a side praised as one of the most competitive in the league lost out over and over again to powerful vertical runs.

It's not the Stoke we're used to seeing and it's one the manager Mark Robins will not want to see again.

But it's also no time to panic. This was poor but the quick turn around will allow these players, or those outside of the team sensing an opportunity, to put things right against an Ipswich side who have found form.

Stoke's consistency has been their strength but this season more than most, the Championship feels like Mrs Gump's box of chocolates.

Stoke City may not know what they're going to get from the opposition on Wednesday night but they know what they need to be. Themselves. The team we'd grown accustomed to seeing.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke after his side's 4-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

"It's a disappointing result and a disappointing performance from the first set play," he said.

"Don't over-react is my first thought even though it wasn't anything near where we want to be or need to be. I've spoken all season about the unwritten contract between us and the supporters and we fell way below that.

"We need to lick our wounds and make sure this doesn't happen again.

"I know exactly what's happened and it's an easy one to sort out as long as you want to go and head the ball and don't get pushed around.

"It's a chastening afternoon. It hurts, it stings but it's part of football.

"It is what it is. You always feel for the supporters who paid their money and travelled and they were brilliant because they were applauding us and I don't think we deserved that. I think we deserved a slap but we've certainly had one from Sheffield United."

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Stoke City full-back Junior Tchamadeu has all the attributes to make further progress in the game, according to boss Mark Robins.

The 21-year-old will only be available for the Potters' next two Championship games before heading off to the African Cup of Nations to play for Cameroon.

"When you look at the Championship as a whole there aren't many better, if any," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"He's got everything to be a real success both for us and Cameroon and we're absolutely proud of him but we will miss him because when you have a player of that stature and that quality then you are going to miss them without a doubt."

Tchamadeu has made 77 appearances for Stoke since joining from Colchester United for an undisclosed fee in September 2023 and Robins admits he'll be difficult to replace as they look to maintain their promotion challenge.

"It's something we knew would potentially come along and tried to solve but couldn't, but ultimately we've got to try to find a different way while Cameroon are in that competition but I hope they do well," he said.

Stoke visit Sheffield United in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Sheffield United head into this game (15:00 GMT) looking to make it four wins in a row for the first time since February.

Stoke City have won two of their past three away games but were beaten at Leicester in their last road trip.

• Sheffield United have won their past three league games against Stoke, as many as they had in their previous 14 against the Potters (D6 L5).

• Stoke have won just two of their past 16 away league games against Sheffield United (D5 L9), with those victories coming in April 2004 (1-0) and December 2007 (3-0).

• Stoke (30) are 11 points ahead of Sheffield United (19) coming into this match, their highest lead ahead of a meeting with the Blades since March 1996 (14 points).

• Sheffield United have won their past three league games, netting exactly three goals in each. They last won four in a row while scoring 3+ goals each time in April 2017 in League One.

• Stoke City have lost three of their past four league games (W1), as many as they had in their first 14 this season (W8 D3).

"We are still so much better than what these last three results, and the stats behind it, have shown.

"It's just we've been here before and I think some Stoke fans are triggered from past seasons."

BBC Radio Stoke's Lucas Yeomans is joined by content creator Ben Rowley to talk about Stoke City's last-gasp defeat against Hull - a third loss in four league games.

Listen to the full episode of A Cold, Wet Tuesday Night and more Stoke City content on BBC Sounds.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator

Image source, PA Media

At half-time, it looked like Stoke were cruising to a second successive win. By full-time they were coming to terms with a third defeat in four games.

Such are the highs and lows of this rollercoaster Championship season in which nobody bar Coventry can seem to put a decisive run of wins together.

Mark Robins was as emotional as we've seen him post-match. He said his team deserved to lose and wants more from them in the big moments that often decide the sort of tight games Stoke have lost in recent weeks.

Emotions were heightened by the irresponsibility of some Hull players, led by John Lundstram who decided to goad the home fans in the Boothen End rather than enjoying the win with their own fans at the other end at full-time.

That sparked several minutes of pushing and shoving on the pitch and the odd projectile from a minority in the stands in unedifying scenes that didn't need to happen.

The palpable post-match frustration of those in red and white is fuelled by the fact that Stoke stand on the brink of an amazing 2026 that looks there for the taking if only they can solve two key problems.

Can they be more efficient in front of goal and can they stop conceding goals from moves beginning with their own possession midway inside their own half?

They played really well in the first half against Hull and they're clearly a good side. But their chances of promotion will be determined by their ability to become more efficient in those areas.

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Stoke boss Mark Robins felt his side contributed to their own downfall in their last-minute defeat to Hull at the bet365 Stadium.

Sorba Thomas volleyed Stoke ahead before they capitulated in the second half and Robins was not happy with Hull for sparking a player melee after the final whistle, which could result in an FA charge for the Potters.

Robins told BBC Radio Stoke: "It was a game of two halves. We gave them the impetus, we gave them their goal, although it was offside. I've got to say it's offside and you can't miss that.

"But they've missed that and it's ended up in the back of our net. And then time after time, we were getting in really good areas and not completing the pass, not finding the man coming onto it, not finding the final pass.

"Then for the final goal, we've inexplicably given the ball away in the middle of the pitch and they've broken against us. They were better in the second half, but we allowed that to happen and that's a real frustration.

"At the end, I've spoken to the referee, and one of their players has incited the crowd and we've ended up in a situation where there are players confronting each other. We'll get charged with failing to control our players or whatever it is and it's an absolute joke.

"I'm fuming at what we did in the second half and I'm fuming at what happened at the end."

At this point in the season, Mark Robins says he is more interested in how people in and around Stoke City are feeling than who is in the automatic promotion places.

His previous side Coventry are top of the Championship while The Potters are second after a 3-0 win against Charlton on Tuesday.

When asked how he feels about seeing the two sides' places in the league table, Robins said: "I want to be top."

He added: "It's not something I sit and stare at. It's not something I sit and think about too much. It's only 17 games, you look at all sorts of things that you can't affect and then you're wasting time so you procrastinate about things that you've got no control over so, no point.

"I think that my energy is better served to look at what we're doing, what we can do better and then getting on with that and I think everybody is aware of that.

"The staff and the players are aware of that. It's only about us. We talk about it's us in the building, it's us around the place, it's our supporters, it's you guys [the media], the positivity and the good will that we've gleaned.

"Those are the things that feel good around the place and you can really use that to push things forward and I think that the players are in a brilliant place because of all of those things, because of the performances they put in so I'm happy with all of those things.

"Christmas is around the corner and there'll be plenty of work that goes on in the community now, that continues all season anyway but we can start to put a little bit back into the community."

You can listen to more from Mark Robins on BBC Sounds.

Stoke City will look to maintain their position in the automatic promotion spots as they host a bruised but promotion-contending Hull City on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Potters currently sit in second place after a 3-0 victory over Charlton ended a two-match losing streak.

But the Tigers will have plenty of motivation for a win of their own after two straight losses puts them outside the top 10 but still just two points adrift of the top six.

• The home side has failed to win any of the last seven league meetings between Stoke City and Hull City (D1 L6), since the Potters won 2-0 in September 2021.

• Hull City have won their last two away league games against Stoke, as many as they had in their previous 18 visits to the Potters (D7 L9).

• Stoke have won five of their last eight league games (L3), one more win than their previous 12 matches in the Championship (W4 D4 L4).

• Hull have lost three of their last four league games (W1), as many as in their opening 13 games of the 2025-26 season (W6 D4 L3).

• Since the start of 2021-22, Stoke's Sorba Thomas has both the most assists (34) and chances created (323) in the Championship, while last time out against Charlton Athletic was the second time in a Football League game he recorded three goal involvements (2 goals, 1 assist) after August 2021 v Reading.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Stoke are in the hunt to sign Louie Barry on loan next month with Aston Villa planning to recall him from Sheffield United.

The midfielder has not played for the Blades since October and Villa will bring him back and immediately send him back out on loan in January.

Promotion-chasing Stoke, second in the Championship, are among a host of interested clubs which include Derby, Hull and Oxford.

Barry spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull - after a successful 16-goal loan spell in League One with Stockport - but it was cut short by a knee injury and he made just four appearances.

The 22-year-old has been struggling with a cyst in his right knee and has returned to Bodymoor for treatment.

He is expected back at Bramall Lane next month and is due to be available for the Blades' final games of the year but it remains unlikely he will play.

He started the season well under Ruben Selles but United lost their opening five games before Selles was sacked and replaced by the returning Chris Wilder.

Barry made nine appearances for the Blades but has started just once under Wilder, in a 1-0 win over Watford in October, while his knee issue forced him to miss Sunday's derby win at Sheffield Wednesday.

"We are quickly approaching the halfway mark of the season and it's not just the top six, they [Stoke] are second.

"I know Ipswich will have a say in that, they've got a game in hand and look like the team that are making a bit of a move but Stoke are finishing in the top six."

Lucas Yeomans and Stoke City commentator Mark Elliott dissect a fantastic 3-0 performance against Charlton Athletic that sees them up to second on the Championship table and get a little carried away dreaming of a promotion-contending season.

Listen to the full episode of A Cold Wet Tuesday Night and more Stoke City content on BBC Sounds.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Robert Bozenik did not even need to think when asked what he needs to do to take his game to the next level.

"Goals, goals, goals," was the reply.

Making a rare start for Stoke in place of the rested Divin Mubama, Bozenik was singled out by his manager Mark Robins for praise despite leaving Tuesday's 3-0 win over Charlton without adding his name to the scoresheet.

He came close, firing just wide from the edge of the box in the second half but his work-rate and hold up play were superb.

Bozenik has never been prolific but has been working with Robins - a former forward himself - to improve his strike-rate.

Off the pitch, he says he has settled in well, sharing a commute with international team-mate Tomas Rigo from an area they both share with Burnley goalkeeper and fellow Slovakian Martin Dubravka.

On it, against Charlton he showed he can offer plenty to Stoke's season.

They have long had competition for places all over the pitch and Tatsuki Seko, Steven Nzonzi and Eric Bocat came in as Robins made four changes to his side and did well.

That has helped put them in a great position in the Championship table and now for the first time since arriving from Boavista in the summer, Bozenik has had a big part to play in a significant game.

With Mubama, the fit-again Sam Gallagher and Bozenik to choose from, Robins has options in the one area that had looked light.

Stoke have genuine depth and a real chance at getting themselves to January in a position to make a run at promotion to the Premier League.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins says his side probably played better in the Championship defeats to Leicester and Coventry than they did in the 3-0 win over Charlton on Tuesday night.

But the 55-year-old believes the victory was "well-deserved" and is delighted the Potters have moved into the automatic promotion spots.

"It probably felt like we were comfortable," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We were in front early after two minutes, followed that up and then we were three-up in the first half.

"They had a real go at us. We kept things simple because that was what got us the goals.

"I think it was well-deserved and just reward, really, because the three performances we have had over the last three games, this, Coventry and Leicester - it probably wasn't our best performance of the three.

"We've ended up getting three goals, conceding none and winning three points. So, happy days, because I think this moves us up to second."

This is a first league meeting between and Stoke and Charlton for five years and Addicks' boss Nathan Jones will hope it goes better than his last encounter against another of his former clubs.

Charlton's 5-1 drubbing at home by Southampton on Saturday leaves them looking to avoid three successive league defeats.

A victory for Stoke and defeat for Middlesbrough against leaders Coventry would move the Potters into second place in the Championship.

• The home side has won each of the past four league meetings between Stoke and Charlton, with this the first since a 3-1 victory for the Potters in February 2020.

• Charlton have won just one of their past 13 away league games against Stoke (D2 L10), with that coming in their first ever visit to the bet365 Stadium in February 1998 (2-1).

• Stoke lost 1-0 in their last home league game against Coventry, last losing consecutive home matches in September 2024.

• Charlton's first six away league games this season followed a pattern of draw, loss, victory, draw, loss, victory. Their seventh game was a draw at Hull and then they lost at Wrexham in their eighth.

• Since winning their first meeting in October 2017 with Coventry (3-0 vs Luton), Stoke boss Mark Robins is winless in his past seven against Charlton's Nathan Jones (D3 L4), most recently a 2-2 draw in September 2022.

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Stoke City Under-21s head coach Dave Hibbert has left the side to join Wycombe Wanderers as their first-team set-piece coach.

The 39-year-old took charge of the Potters Premier League 2 team in January and departs after 12 years of service within Stoke's academy.

Former Potters winger Liam Lawrence will take charge of the vacant head coach role in the interim.

"Dave has made a significant contribution to the development of hundreds of academy players, on and off the pitch, in more than a decade of service to Stoke City," Stoke academy manager Sam Stockley said., external

"Dave has our gratitude for his dedication to his various roles at the club and our sincere best wishes for his future career."