Yahoo News Steven Schumacher issues Stoke City warning despite emphatic Plymouth Argyle victory
Steven Schumacher insists Stoke City cannot rest easy yet after a huge 3-0 win over Plymouth pushed them to within sight of Championship survival.
Stoke leapfrog Plymouth and reach the 50-point barrier thanks to goals from Ki-Jana Hoever, Million Manhoef and Wouter Burger and it would take a remarkable set of results to haul them back into danger - even in a division which has a habit of producing the unexpected.
Now the focus will quickly turn to next weekend’s match away at promotion-chasing Southampton before a final game at the bet365 Stadium against Bristol City.
READ MORE: Live reaction from the bet365 Stadium
Schumacher said: “We felt 50 points was a milestone we needed to get to. That was the target we set but the way that games have gone and results for teams down the bottom, we know it's not done.
“I've just said to the players it's important we get in on Monday and have as good a week as we did this week and focus on the game We are going to Southampton who are one of the best teams in the division but we've got to try to get something from the game because you just never know. We've got to keep going until it's mathematically secure and at the moment it's not.”
There had been a lot of hype surrounding this game as two teams separated by just one point at the bottom went head to head - and Schumacher was up against his old club too, with a bumper crowd and sell-out away end.
The head coach was pleased with the character his players showed to get such an emphatic win in their biggest game of the season.
He said: “We've stressed all week that there was going to be a bit of noise around the game obviously and everyone understood how important it was against a team so close to us in the league and if we won we'd go above them. That wasn't lost on us and we asked them to concentrate on the game and not worry about anything that was going on outside of it. We knew it was going to be a good atmosphere, which it was. Both sets of fans played a huge part in the game and it's been a good day for us.”
It was a big game on a personal level too, with Schumacher up against his old PE teacher, coach and boss Neil Dewsnip as well as the club where he launched his managerial career.
He said: “I obviously had my eye on this game since I came here and I would have hoped that both teams would have been safe by now so it could have been a bit less pressure.
“It's weird when you come up against people who are your friends, like when we came up against Ryan (Lowe, Preston manager) earlier in the season. You have this weird feeling all week in your belly, it's not nice. But what was important was to get the result. I've obviously got a lot of affection for Argyle and I always want them to do well but today was about Stoke and trying to get three points for our team which was what we needed.”
