Talking points from a horror show at Elland Road

Stoke City were blitzed by a Leeds United side who were well up for it as they closed in on a return to the Premier League. Here are the talking points from Elland Road.

First of all, this was a bad day to catch Leeds United, who gave a 45-minute demonstration of being streets ahead the best team in the Championship. They wanted to put on a show for their supporters to take a big step towards promotion and they came out at 100mph. It was catastrophic news for whoever was getting in their way.

Stoke didn’t help themselves. They couldn’t find a way out of the pressure and Leeds were playing too quickly for them to do the defensive basics.

Mark Robins said: “It is (difficult to stop) if you don’t stay with runners. It’s difficult if you don’t get pressure on the ball, it’s difficult if you’re worried about making mistakes and, in turn, you give them the freedom of the pitch. That’s what happens, they’re good footballers, really good players. You have to make sure you have to stay with it and we didn’t, there was just a total lack of anything, which was really, really disappointing.”

Leeds are by far the best team that Stoke have played this season, even if Stoke gave them a platform to show how good they can be.

Robins said: “I don’t know when a good day is to catch Leeds, certainly here where they haven’t lost all season I don’t think. They’re a really good side and you have to give them respect and we do but not the respect we gave them in terms of not laying a glove on them at all. We had one or two opportunities to have shots from distance but there’s nothing to talk about other than we didn’t defend, we dropped too deep, let them have space, let them have freedom of the inside of the full-backs, make runs off the inside of us, make runs off the outside of us, play one-twos around us, nobody stayed with runners, the goalkeeper had no chance with any of them really.

“Joel Piroe won’t have an easier four-goal haul in his life.”

Stoke need these players on Friday

There is a time for recriminations but, for the moment, Stoke still have their fate in their own hands but have to make that count. Sheffield United at home on Friday night is a chance to settle it. It’s another tough game but these players, again, have to come up with a suitable response to this horror show.

Robins’ answer to how he would deal with players said it all.

“We are going to move on, we have to move on really quickly,” he said. “We have to focus on what’s coming next because there’s nothing we can do about this one, not enough time to be able to.

“I think everyone would love them to really get a roasting and give them the rollocking of their lives but the truth of the matter is we have to move to a place really quickly when we can focus on the game coming up on Friday.

“That’s what we’ll do. As I’ve said to you before, once the season has finished we can focus on what comes next and what needs to happen next.”

The permutations

Cardiff, like Plymouth, can no longer catch Stoke.

If Derby or Luton lose next week – away at Hull or at home against Coventry respectively – then they can’t catch Stoke either. Luton and at least one of Hull or Derby will start the final day behind Stoke whatever happens.

Preston are panicking, Oxford are nervous.