Ryan Shawcross’s horrific Emirates trip

Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross has described their trip to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and back as ‘horrendous’.

The team bus was stuck in heavy snow on the M1 after the midday postponement of the Potters clash with the Gunners.

Shawcross told the club’s website: “We certainly don’t want another journey like that, it was horrendous.

Ryan Shawcross

“The spirit remained high on the bus and I suppose in many respects it was a relief that we actually made it home.

“With so many cars and lorries getting stuck and being abandoned we were fortunate that we didn’t end up that way.”

The Potters will remain closer to home over the festive period, with four out of five home matches after they make the short trip to Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day.

Stoke City set for Arsenal clash

Stoke City travel to the Emirates Stadium to face an Arsenal side looking to bounce back from defeat.

The Potters themselves will hope to avenge last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Blackpool and second-placed Arsenal.

In last season’s clash, centre-back Ryan Shawcross saw red following a tackle on Aaron Ramsey, which resulted in the young forward breaking his leg.

Ryan Shawcross

But Tony Pulis has defended Shawcross and said the young defender will not let that impact on tomorrow’s match.

He added: “Ryan is a very honest lad and has done fantastic for this club.

“I don’t think he will approach the game in any other way, he is a competitive defender but an honest kid as well.

“I have seen the challenge over and over again and I am convinced along with 99 per cent of people that there was no malice in the tackle.

“He has no justification to go to the Emirates and be anything other than what he is – an honest competitor.”

Kick-off is 3.00pm.

Click below to see the challenge in last season’s match at the Britannia Stadium. Warning to viewers the video is graphic.

Pulis urges fans to ‘raise the roof’ for Birmingham clash

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has called for fans to ‘raise the roof’ as they look to break their run of five-successive defeats against Birmingham City tonight (Nov 9).

The Potters will also be without the services of Ryan Shawcross, who serves a one-match suspension after his sending off against Sunderland.

Pulis said: “We need the fans behind us tonight.

Tony Pulis

“It is a massive game for us, and what concerns me is that we have played well in the last five games but have nothing to show for it.

“We have got to stay strong and hope the luck changes – we need to go out there and get the result we need.”

Robert Huth is set to take over Shawcross’s role with either Danny Higginbotham or Andy Wilkinson coming into what is expected to be an otherwise unchanged side.

Birmingham enter the match on the back of three-successive draws but have beaten Stoke three times out of the last four at the Britannia Stadium.

Blues boss Alex McLeish could recall Craig Gardner and Jean Beausejour who both features in their 2-2 draw with West Ham United on Saturday.

Britannia Stadium

Defeat for McLeish’s men tonight would be their 100^th loss in the Premier League but the record books are with them as the Potters last-top flight win against Birmingham came in March 1984.

Last season the teams battled out a goalless draw at St. Andrews and Stoke lost 1-0 at the Brit.

The referee for tonight’s clash is Mark Clattenburg, who was in the centre of the Nani goal debate in Manchester United’s recent clash with Tottenham on October 30.

Kick-off is 7.45pm.

Expected line-up: Begovic, Wilkinson, Huth, Faye, Collins, Whitehead, Wilson, Pennant, Etherington, Walters, Jones

To see Stoke fans in good voice at last season’s clash with Bimingham click below:

‘Game changing’ decision cost Stoke, says boss Tony Pulis

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has stressed that ‘game changing’ decisions are not helping his side climb out of trouble, writes North Staffs Football’s James Hale

The Potters slipped further towards the relegation drop zone following their 2-0 defeat to Sunderland – their fourth-successive defeat.

Pulis (pictured) once again felt aggrieved after seeing referee Martin Atkinson miss a deliberate handball from Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole. A decision Pulis felt changed the outcome of the game.

He told BBC Sport: “The decision was a game changing decision. That’s the sixth in 11 games that we have had given against us.”

Tony Pulis

The run of poor refereeing decisions has coincided with the recent run of poor results, and leaves Stoke reeling towards the foot of the Premier League.

It was a game in which neither side dominated, Stoke made the livelier start but were punished as Sunderland opened the scoring in the 9th minute through Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan.

Sunderland’s record signing gratefully slotted home after pouncing on the loose ball.

Both sides then traded opportunities before Jones looked set to equalise only to see his powerful header knocked away by Cattermole’s arm.

Stoke protested furiously but after consultation with his linesman referee Martin Atkinson awarded only a corner.

Pulis told BBC sport the consequences of the decision: “It’s handball, everybody will agree it’s handball, Cattermole gets sent off, you hope you score the penalty and it’s then 11 Stoke City players against 10 Sunderland players with 20 minutes to go.”

The Potters misery was then further compounded with the dismissal of Ryan Shawcross after a second bookable offence.

Moments later Gyan again found the target to gift Sunderland the three points, and leave the Potters on ten points, out of the relegation zone based on goal difference.