Stoke City

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West Ham United are celebrating winning both the Championship's manager and player of the month awards for September.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo oversaw an unbeaten run last month which produced four wins from their five league games in which they scored 18 goals.

Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos had a prolific September for the Hammers, scoring four goals while also helping them keep two clean sheets as they moved up to second place in the table.

"I am delighted to win this award, but it was an excellent team effort this month," said Mavropanos.

"We had some good results, went on a good run, and obviously this award means that we are doing something good with the team.

"I am the one who has been given the award this time, but it could have been any of my team-mates, and I am just really happy that we are in a good way right now."

Lincoln head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Swansea's Vitor Matos and Mark Robins of Stoke City were also nominated for the manager award.

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Stoke City will hope to continue their excellent form when they visit Bolton Wanderers in the Championship on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 BST).

The Potters lost their opening three games of the season and were bottom of the table at the end of August but are unbeaten since then and have climbed to seventh with four wins from five matches (D1).

Bolton have won two on the bounce following a run of four straight defeats, with their most recent success a thrilling 4-3 win at Norwich before the international break.

• This is the first league meeting between Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City since a goalless draw in the Championship in December 2018.

• Stoke City are winless in their pre10 league visits to Bolton Wanderers (D4 L6) since a 1-0 win in October 1990 under manager Alan Ball.

• Bolton have won their past two Championship matches – they haven't won three in a row at this level since April 2014; this is their 197th game in the Championship since then.

• No team won more points in the Championship in September than Stoke (13), who won four of their five matches (D1). It was more wins than they'd managed in their previous 23 games (W3 D6 L14).

• Thierry Gale has been involved in four goals in eight Championship appearances for Bolton this season (3 goals, 1 assist) – he's the first Barbadian with as many as three goals in a Championship season since Nick Blackman scored 11 in 2015-16 for Reading.

Robbie Savage will have his first crack at management in the EFL after taking over at Peterborough United, while Michael Duff has replaced Graham Alexander at Bradford City.

Savage and Duff both appear on the latest 72+ EFL podcast with Jobi McAnuff, who is joined by Luke Chambers and Tommy Smith.

The panel also discuss the teams who have impressed and disappointed them in the Championship so far this season.

Spoiler alert... Stoke City, Swansea City, QPR, Burnley, Norwich City and Derby County all get a mention.

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

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Lincoln City head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Swansea's Vitor Matos, Mark Robins of Stoke City and West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo have been nominated for September's Championship manager of the month award.

Cohen and Shaw oversaw a run of eight points from five games for newly-promoted Lincoln last month, including away wins at Preston and Bristol City.

Matos won August's award and is in the running again as Swansea took 10 points in September to move to the top of the Championship table.

Stoke City recovered from losing their opening three games of the season under Robins to go unbeaten last month with four wins from their five outings and move up to seventh place.

West Ham boss Nuno's side rattled in 18 goals in their five matches in September with only Millwall preventing them from taking three points in a 2-2 draw at The Den.

The winner will be announced at 06:00 BST on Friday, 9 October.

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Stoke City midfielder Djibril Soumare says the togetherness in the squad has helped turn their early season form around.

After losing their first three games of the Championship season, the Potters have rallied excellently, winning four of five matches before the international break to move into seventh place, two points off the top two.

Soumare, one of a number of key summer arrivals that included £10m Northern Ireland midfielder Ethan Galbraith, has been an impressive presence in Stoke's run and the former Sheffield United loanee said there was a simple reason for that.

"I felt love since day one. So I'm really enjoying it here," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I think that togetherness is really like a family on the pitch, out of the pitch. I said when I joined I still want to develop and the staff here, coaches - it was the right one for me I think.

"If it's time to be serious we're going to be serious but in the dressing room, having a laugh with the boys, is something special."

Soumare made 25 appearances for the Blades in the Championship last season and he said he returned to England from Portuguese club Braga this summer with more of an idea what to expect.

"There's still a lot to develop on my football - the intensity, because I think I'm not 100% fit yet as I didn't have a proper pre-season," he added.

"That season [with United] wasn't perfect but I learned a lot - it was my first year in England, so now I think I understand the league better and will enjoy it more.

"To be honest, I really love this team, so I'm really looking forward to score my first goal - that will be something really special for me."

Stoke return to Championship action on Saturday at Bolton Wanderers [15:00 BST].

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Stoke City midfielder Ethan Galbraith held his hamstring as he left the field during Northern Ireland's goalless match against Georgia on Monday.

The 25-year-old, who had missed the international side's previous game against Ukraine to return home for the birth of his son, was substituted off the pitch in the 65th minute with the injury issue.

He started the match alongside Potters team-mate Justin Devenny.

Stoke return to action on Saturday when they make the trip to Bolton Wanderers (15:00 BST) in a bid to extend their five-match undefeated streak.

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Tamworth have signed Stoke City defender Sydney Agina on loan.

The 19-year-old full-back joins Potters team-mate Gabriel Kelly at the National League club.

Agina, who made his senior international debut for Kenya against Lesotho in June, spent the first month of this season on loan at Tamworth's league rivals Forest Green Rovers.

He has made five Championship appearances for Stoke and could make his debut for the Lambs in Saturday's game at Hartlepool (15:00 BST).

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National League side Tamworth have signed Stoke City midfielder Gabriel Kelly on loan until 1 November.

The 19-year-old is yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for Stoke but has captained the Potters' under-21 side this season.

Kelly's move was confirmed shortly before Tamworth's National League fixture at home to Sutton United on Wednesday.

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

Lucas Yeomans, Matt Sandoz and Louis Moult discuss two great goals that helped Stoke go five games unbeaten before the international break.

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

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Former Stoke City defender Ian Cranson believes the Potters' increased squad depth can help them maintain their positive start to the campaign.

Stoke were top of the Championship in the early stages of last season but results took a downward turn in November.

They ended up finishing in 17th place, just eight points above relegation.

However, five of Stoke's new summer additions have scored in the Championship so far this season to help them to seventh place - Jack McGlynn, Ben Johnson, Justin Devenny, Ethan Galbraith and George Hirst.

It is their impact that Cranson believes can help the team keep up their momentum.

"We had this last year where they were good until November and then all of a sudden the wheels came off, but I think the big difference this year is that we seem to have a lot more quality in depth," Cranson said.

"Players are coming on the field and players that are replacing injured players are hitting the ground running.

"They are adding to the team, there is not one of them haven't contributed anything."

Stoke will return to action following the international break against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, 10 October.

Listen to the full reaction below or on BBC Sounds here.

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

Here are some of your comments:

Stoke City fans

David: Stoke were by far the better side, dominated the first half. Were unfortunate to go behind after Bamford won a dubious free-kick and Phillips beat Johansson at the near post. Stoke fought back with a special from McGlynn the USA international and then Gallagher, back from injury, scored a cracker to seal the win and a deserved three points for Stoke.

Selina: Fantastic win. It's harsh and funny that it [Sam Gallagher's winner] was offside. What a way to win a game.

Steve: Quite splendid. Three straight home wins for the first time in years. Robins looks and sounds happy, the players are a team on and off the pitch. It's only September but we are looking ok for at least a top half finish for the first time since relegation.

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Sheffield United fans

Garry: The club is in a mess. This is what happens when you sell your best players, don't spend the proceeds and bring in frees and loans.

Martin: Sorry Chris, it's time to go. No play patterns, weak in defence, not creating chances.

Dave: Nothing has changed from last season. Can't win a tackle or a 50-50 ball. Can't pass to their own player or keep possession. No running off the ball, no forward line. Oh the change... they sold their best three players. Wilder has passed his sell-by date.

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Stoke City produced two goal of the season candidates to find a way past Sheffield United and head into the elongated international break in the best possible way.

The Championship can consider itself warned about the quality Jack McGlynn has when it comes to shooting from anywhere inside 35 yards from goal.

In following up the one he scored with his weaker right foot at Watford with a screamer with his left, McGlynn announced himself as a legitimate goalscoring midfielder in this division just weeks after his move from MLS.

What might help him to continue to fly under the radar is the fact that Sam Gallagher outdid him a few minutes later from a similar distance.

Ethan Galbraith's commitment to finding a forward pass makes Stoke far more dangerous, but his ball over Gallagher's shoulder left him with a lot to do.

The touch under pressure was perfect and the strike was even better, further underlying the fact that he possesses a mix of brute force and subtlety that few players in the second tier can boast.

Justin Devenny and Galbraith have come up with decisive moments in recent weeks, as has Eric Bocat, and the depth of quality available to boss Mark Robins only improved further with the return of Junior Tchamadeu off the bench after injury.

It's three weeks until Stoke play again, at Bolton, but everyone involved from fans to coaches and players can enjoy the break in matches at the right end of the Championship table after a run of form that gives cause for genuine optimism.

Stoke City want to keep pushing forward as they look to extend a four-game unbeaten run in the Championship, head coach Mark Robins has said.

After losing their opening three league matches, the Potters have taken 10 points from a possible 12 to move up to 12th place in the Championship table.

Robins is keen for his team to go into the international break on a positive note against Sheffield United on Saturday (12:30 BST).

"You've got a lot of games that have been packed in - we've got the sport science team who are around that, so we have to adhere to those protocols but we'll work within the parameters we're got to try to maximise the availability of everybody," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We're in a decent spot but nobody is resting on their laurels. We want to push forward as much as we can, as quickly as we can but there's a lot of optimism and confidence which can't be misplaced - you have to keep grafting."

Stoke have lost all three games against Sheffield United since Robins became head coach in January 2025 and he hopes they can put on a better show this time.

"We want to continue in the same vain in our ethos and the way we've gone about the games," said the former Coventry boss.

"We've got a different challenge against a different team with a really experienced manager but we have to try to get closer to them than we have in the past."

Listen to more Stoke City content and interviews on BBC Sounds.

This will be the 114th meeting in all competitions between Stoke City and Sheffield United when the sides meet on Saturday (12:30 BST).

The Blades are hoping to recover from exiting the Carabao Cup at the hands of League Two Fleetwood on Wednesday, while Stoke have taken 10 points from a possible 12 in the Championship.

• Stoke have lost each of their past five league meetings with Sheffield United since a 3-1 win in October 2022 under Alex Neil.

• Sheffield United have won away to Stoke in both of the past two Championship seasons, and could win three successive away league games against the Potters for just the second time, after April 1960.

• Stoke have won three of their past four Championship games (D1), as many as their previous 23 beforehand (W3 D6 L14).

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in five away league games (W3 D2), the longest ongoing run of all current Championship clubs.

• Only Rio Cardines (5) has more Championship goal involvements this season among defenders than Stoke's Eric Bocat (4 - 2 goals, 2 assists).

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Former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest coach Warren Joyce has joined Stoke City's academy coaching team.

The 61-year-old has been appointed professional development phase coach and was on the sidelines for Wednesday night's Premier League International Cup defeat by Borussia Monchengladbach.

Joyce spent eight years as part of Manchester United's coaching setup and a further five at Forest which included an FA Youth Cup final loss to United in 2022.

He has also managed Royal Antwerp, Wigan Athletic and Melbourne City at senior level.