Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. Robins reacts to defeat at Derbypublished at 18:36 BST

    Media caption,

    Robins: 'We've looked passive'

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins spoke BBC Radio Stoke after Monday's 2-0 defeat at Derby County.

    "How did I see the game? It was a nothing first half, but they had better chances than us," he said.

    "On Good Friday it was a really good win. Then coming into this one as we come to the end of the season, I'm looking for more.

    "And really, I'm left disappointed because we've certainly not done enough with the ball, but we have looked passive, which isn't us – it shouldn't be us and can't be us. And we left ourselves open to that defeat, and that is a concern.

    "After a game where we've had to work hard, even against a Sheffield Wednesday side that has been struggling, we win the game and we have to bounce onto the next one, and we don't or can't do that.

    "It is really difficult to win any game of football in any division, and the Championship is brutal, but you certainly have to match the opposition in terms of fight, and we haven't got that.

    "We just haven't got that at this stage and the players who have got that just looked like they weren't at the level of Derby's players."

  2. 'We lacked fluidity' - Robinspublished at 18:01 BST 3 April

    Mark RobinsImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Stoke are 13th in the Championship

    Stoke manager Mark Robins said his side lacked fluidity in attack and admitted it was a laborious performance in the 2-0 over Sheffield Wednesday.

    Goals from Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Lamine Cisse secured victory at the Bet365 Stadium.

    But Robins wasn't entirely satisfied with the manner of the result.

    "We were nowhere near fluid throughout the game," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "We were at times, but we looked laboured in movement and passing. We created good openings and should have had more chances on goal if we'd had been more awake.

    "We got the game done, a clean sheet and 54 points, more than the entirety of last season. You talk about incremental improvement, that is there for everyone to see."

    Robins added that expectation was high because Wednesday have already been relegated, and pointed out his squad has been stretched recently.

    "It was hard. You're on a hiding to nothing because people expect you to win and score a avalanche of goals. That hasn't happened.

    "They've got lots of good players. They've lost some and gained some. Sheffield Wednesday are young and they've been through the mill in the past few seasons.

    "We've had eight players to work with whilst others are injured, coming back or on international duty. Logistically it is tough; to get the game won like that was pleasing."

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