At the end of the final home game of the season, Stoke’s players were sent out to do a lap of appreciation, honouring the fans, and were faced with row upon row of empty red seats.
The supporters have stuck with their team admirably this season, but over the last few weeks patience that was wearing thin has been worn through.
The performance against Portsmouth was abject, lacking enthusiasm, energy, desire and resolve from more than a handful of players in red and white.
After the game manager Mark Robins said players would be “cut loose.”
Damningly, he added that Stoke “need to move people on who are mercenary, don’t want to train and don’t want to work hard.”
Robins reiterated again that the club has a lot of work to do and fans are again staring down a summer during which one failed project will be torn down and another one put in place, all in the space of three or four months.
He has repeatedly said that greater physicality will be a priority and promised significant change and a focus on players with the right mindset to compete.
Everyone associated to Stoke will hope it’s ninth time lucky for a club stuck in Championship purgatory.
