Stoke City

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Stoke City boss Mark Robins was frustrated with the quality of his substitutes in their loss to Southampton on Saturday, but former Potters defender Gareth Owen thinks the starting XI also needs to take some responsibility.

"I'd also look at the starters because some of the changes he [Robins] probably didn't want to make," Owen told BBC Radio Stoke.

"He didn't want to take Eric Bocat off, he didn't want to disrupt that back four, but because he was flagging from a physical perspective, he felt he needed to do that.

"The circumstances for Stoke are a couple of players missed pre-season, two new players coming in haven't been the priority players at Ipswich so they have to get back up to speed, look how many games Sam Gallagher played last year, how many games Ben Gibson played last year.

"The club have come out and said they get better over the course of the season but you don't want to give yourself too much to do. Certainly on the basis of that last 30 minutes, you definitely saw a difference in the physicality of the players."

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's match between Southampton and Stoke City.

Here are some of your comments:

Southampton fans

Michael: With so much uncertainty hanging around thanks to the FA and subsequent player transfers, it's doubly hard for Southampton to make progress at the moment.

So a win like this is vital. A testament to Tonda Eckert's coaching skills and his players' ability to overcome such a devastating end to last season.

We stand by the Saints full of pride.

Peter: Phew! A bit lucky! Was at the game on Saturday. Thought we looked very rusty. However, glad to get the result. We need to improve!

Adam: Good win but need players in, especially in defence and midfield.

Image source, Shutterstock

Stoke City fans

Mark: Bad game management yet again from Mark Robins, we were holding our own until he decides to change it. It went downhill from there.

There are people at our club that seriously need to take a long hard look at themselves.

David: Strange selection from the manager playing Ben Gibson and not Luke Graham, and also not bringing Million Manhoef on. Shows negativity from the manager instead of trying to win the game. The chance of winning was there but the negative substitutions worked against us, and then to throw the subs under the bus was poor. Please be more positive, Mr Robins.

Craig: Very lacklustre second half for Stoke. They fell to pieces.

Second league defeat in a row for Robins this season and an abysmal record since last January. I reckon he could well be sacked this week as a result.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke’s Stoke City Commentator

Image source, Getty Images

The glucose gels were being passed around not long after the hour mark as Stoke's players began to flag in the heat.

Up until then, they'd been the better side but fell away along with their energy levels against a Southampton team that kept the ball well and ran the legs from under the away side.

The Potters have rebuilt their medical department and changed how they work between games to try and avoid the number of injuries that ruined last season, and they hope to get stronger as the season goes on, but right now, they look a bit undercooked.

That means they need their substitutes to make an impact off the bench, but the manager, Mark Robins, was left questioning the attitude and motivation of the players he brought on after the game.

In both of their opening matches, opposition substitutes have been decisive, while Stoke's have struggled to affect the action.

Ben Johnson looks like a good addition to the squad, and George Hirst got valuable minutes under his belt as both made their debuts.

Stoke need a positive result pretty quickly though, to restore the optimism created by a summer of significant expenditure in the transfer market.

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Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke after defeat to Southampton at St Mary's.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

A new extra episode of BBC Radio Stoke's A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast is out now.

Join Lucas Yeomans and Ben Rowley as they discuss new signings and Southampton away.

Listen above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Stoke boss Mark Robins insists there is no "doom and gloom" around the club following their opening-day home league defeat by Swansea City as he prepares his side for Saturday's trip to Southampton.

The 10-man Potters won 2-1 at St. Mary's a year ago - their third victory in their first three Championship matches last season.

They travel to the south coast having lost 2-1 at home to the Swans last weekend but Robins told BBC Radio Stoke the result has not had a negative effect on his squad,

"It's [the Southampton game] on the back of the defeat on Saturday and everything around you is doom and gloom - it isn't that," Robins said.

"You shake things off, we look back at what happened and what we maybe could have done better.

"We were in that game, I don't think we deserved to lose, we could and should have had three points from it with the chances that we had.

"So whilst you're not fluid or free flowing - they weren't either, they looked like they have a settled squad, a settled way of doing things and I thought we coped with that apart from two moments down the side that ended up costing us goals."

Robins has overseen a busy summer of ins and outs at the club, as well as changes in training and off the field to try to avoid a repeat of last season's injury crisis.

He said that transition will continue to develop on the pitch.

"There will be a way of getting players in the positions that they're really comfortable with and that takes a little bit of time," he said.

"[We've had] interesting conversations, when the work's getting done, things are sort of dripped in. You can see things happening in training that might mean certain differences to where people want to be or feel most comfortable on the pitch, where those partnerships start to be formed."

Robins is also confident last season's win at St. Mary's will give the players - especially those who were part of it - added belief when they take on the Saints.

"Obviously each season is different but we go down with the same aim. It's a great place to go and play your football and we look forward to it.

"You can have good memories of places and you can glean something from that and if you can do that, then brilliant.

"It's what we do now, it's what we do moving forwards that matters. The fact you've been somewhere and taken the points is a good experience.

"I think last season we ended up without the ball so much, so can we have the ball a little bit more? - which will impact the game in a positive way."

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Stoke City are being heavily linked with Ipswich Town striker George Hirst and Tractor Boys fans feel it could be a coup for the Championship side.

The Scotland international scored 11 goals in 42 games during Ipswich's promotion run last season, though he only netted three times in 26 appearances in their previous Premier League campaign after issues with his knee.

"No offence to Stoke but I was expecting him to rock up at one of the parachute teams, if I'm honest," Richard Woodward of the Blue Monday podcast, external told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I did think he has a role to play for Ipswich maybe but things have shifted a bit with Kieran McKenna moving on.

"I think the key thing for him is confidence. He struggled for consistent minutes but when he got in the team, when he was fit - and he has had a few injuries - I can't praise him enough."

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These two sides are hoping to bounce back from defeats on the opening weekend of the Championship season - both losing 2-1.

Stoke managed only 22 points away from home last season while Southampton's home record was only bettered by the promoted duo of Coventry City and Ipswich Town.

• Southampton won 2-0 away against Stoke in their most recent league meeting in January but have not won back-to-back league games against the Potters since October 2006.

• Stoke City are unbeaten in each of their past five away league games against Saints (W4 D1); among 2026-27 Championship opponents, the Potters are only on a longer unbeaten streak away to West Ham United (6).

• Southampton have won their first home game in just one of their past 14 league campaigns (D8 L5 since 2012-13), though it did come last season, scoring twice late on to beat Wrexham 2-1.

• Stoke City lost each of their final seven away league games last season, last having a longer losing streak on the road in the Football League between August and November 2003 under Tony Pulis (8).

• After losing to Swansea, Stoke will be hoping to avoid losing their opening two games of a league campaign for just the third time this century, after 2010-11 and 2019-20.

Stoke are aiming to complete a deal for Ipswich striker George Hirst in time for the 27-year-old Scotland international to appear for the Potters against Southampton on Saturday. (Pete O'Rourke, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

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Eric Bocat is ready to take on any role Stoke City boss Mark Robins wants him to fill.

The Frenchman has started both games for the Potters so far this season, scoring his first goal for the club in Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Swansea City on the opening day of the Championship campaign.

Bocat, 27, made 21 league starts for Stoke last season but is not taking anything for granted this term.

"When the team needs me, I will be here and always answer the call," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I just keep going, keep working. Even though I am starting, if one day I need to go on the bench I will be there for the team."

Stoke took the lead through Bocat's 10th-minute goal at the weekend only to see Swansea come from behind and take the three points.

"Everyone is important to the team - if you're starting, on the bench or not called up for the team, you need to be ready," he added.

Stoke hope to pick up their first points of the season when they visit Southampton on Saturday, 22 August.

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Stoke City are interested in taking full-back Triston Rowe from Aston Villa. The Premier League club are understood to be open to either a loan or a permanent deal for the 19-year-old. (The Athletic - subscription required), external

Meanwhile Stoke and Preston are set to be disappointed in their pursuit of Hull City defender Cody Drameh who reportedly wants to remain with the Premier League club. The two Championship clubs are reported to have offered £1m for the right-back. (Sky Sports), external

Find more of Tuesday's EFL gossip here.

The latest episode of BBC Radio Stoke's A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast is out now.

Lucas Yeomans and Matt Sandoz are joined by former Stoke City striker Louis Moult to reflect on the opening day defeat by Swansea City.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke commentator

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Stoke had enough chances to take at least a point from their 2-1 defeat to Swansea but ultimately came off second best in too many of the game's biggest moments.

Eric Bocat scored a good goal at the end of a good move but Sorba Thomas, so often the hero over the past year, missed a very presentable chance at 1-1 and several other lower profile opportunities were passed up by a poor final pass or shot.

Swansea scored the winner immediately after the bulk of their substitutions all came at once, taking advantage of a brief period of chaos partially brought about by the changes and kept the ball impressively to see the game out.

In all, they looked closer to the finished article as a team with Stoke still looking to reinforce their squad and, in doing so, retool their attack in the transfer market.

They will hope that those moves will help them become more efficient in front of goal, something they've needed to do for some time.

After the game, manager Mark Robins said he and the club's recruitment team are hoping to add to the squad soon ahead of a tough run of fixtures through the rest of August.

The Championship provides a long, testing campaign and it's clear the club is well aware of what it needs to do while the transfer window is open to give itself the best chance of success.

Image source, Getty Images

Japanese midfielder Tatsuki Seko has left Stoke City to join J1 League side Urawa Reds for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old returns to Japan after two seasons in the Championship with the Potters, having arrived from Kawasaki Frontale in the summer of 2024.

He played 75 times for Stoke across all competitions, but has not featured in the early weeks of the latest campaign.

"Tatsuki and his family were open to exploring a return home and, after we reached an agreement with Urawa, he leaves with our gratitude for his commitment as a Stoke City player," Stoke's sporting director Jonathan Walters told the club website., external

Image source, Opta

Stoke begin their Championship season with the visit of Swansea to the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Mark Robins' men began the campaign with an EFL Cup first round win over Oldham last weekend and the 3-1 home win over Derby last season was their third straight opening day win.

The Swans bowed out of the EFL Cup at home to Birmingham while they are winless on the opening day of the league season since 2020.

• Stoke City have lost just one of their past 15 home league games against Swansea City (W10 D4), going down 2-1 in March 2021; they've won this exact fixture in each of the previous two campaigns.

• Swansea City beat Stoke City in their last league meeting 2-0 in March; last winning consecutive games against the Potters in the 2020-21 Championship campaign.

• After losing each of their final four league games last season, Stoke are looking to avoid five successive defeats for the first time since January 2005.

• Swansea avoided defeat in their final four away league games last season (W2 D2), not since between February and November 2020 have they gone five successive games on the road unbeaten (11 games – W5 D6).

• Only Gustavo Hamer (12) recorded more assists in the EFL Championship last season than Stoke's Sorba Thomas (11), while he led the league for chances created (90) and expected assists (9.8).

Image source, Shutterstock

Stoke City boss Mark Robins said he does not want to dampen down expectations fans might have this season and believes "anything is possible" heading into a new campaign.

The Potters embark on their ninth attempt to return to the Premier League since they dropped out of it in 2018 and have invested heavily on and off the field in a bid to significantly improve on last term's 17th place.

"I think the Championship looks really strong," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke in the build-up to Saturday's opener at Swansea City.

"It remains to be seen, but on paper it's really strong. Teams are spending, teams have got different capabilities now and you've got to keep up with that, you've got to try to surpass that.

"It remains to be seen what we can do, and where we can be, but there's no dampening any expectation. We're part of it. Anything's possible at this stage."

Stoke started last season strongly before their campaign was ultimately ruined by persistent injuries across the squad and Robins has previously highlighted the importance of the revamped medical department under Damian Roden.

Robins is confident players will be available and "at the right level to perform" during the season and has underlined the importance of trying to enjoy it.

"That's the job really in amongst all of the stuff that goes on around it, which is the white noise," he said.

"But we just focus on what we do and remembering why you do it because you love it - and also other people love it and they want to come and watch you because they've got that excitement for anything's possible.

"So we've got to do that. We've got to, at this stage, reach for the stars."

Johansson 'epitomises everything good'

Robins has also explained his thinking behind replacing Ben Wilmot as captain with goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

"This isn't something being taken away from him [Wilmot]. The reason I gave him that was to try and give him some confidence in terms of his communication and leadership which he's taken on and you can see there's a difference," he said.

"I thought Ben had done really well in the circumstances last season and captained us to a really good start.

"Viktor is somebody who epitomises everything that's good. This isn't a criticism of Ben by any stretch.

"Viktor's somebody who is vocal in the dressing room, he's vocal in meetings and demonstrates the sort of characteristics that you want from a captain of Stoke City."