Stoke City, almost to a man, had one of those days against Southampton.
They lacked energy, aggression, intensity and accuracy in a performance that has to go down as an aberration.
This wasn’t the Stoke City we know and that can at least partly be blamed on an injury crisis we’re becoming all too familiar with.
Million Manhoef is the latest first team player to join the lengthy list of patients being treated by the club’s medical staff and manager Mark Robins says none are expected back before next week’s game at West Bromwich Albion.
His captain Ben Wilmot, himself just back to full fitness became the latest player to say with frustration that the situation is worse than anything he’s experienced in his career.
But there’s a real danger now that The Potters’ season will be derailed by fitness issues to so many key players.
The gap between themselves and the play-offs is widening and the next three to four games may go a long way towards deciding whether or not they’ll have too much to do by the time reinforcements arrive.
An addition or two before the transfer deadline and some positive results over the next few weeks will change that narrative but there is a palpable nervousness amongst the fanbase.
The next month could define Stoke’s season.
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