Stoke City player ratings vs Oxford as insipid Potters made to pay price

Steven Schumacher is heading into his first full season as Stoke City head coach.
-Credit: (Image: Harvey Todd)


Stoke City struggled to land a punch on Oxford United as they fell to a disappointing defeat on the road.

Stoke had gone into the international break with a spring in their step thanks to wins at Plymouth and Middlesbrough but they looked rusty here, never really looking like they were going to worry an opposition who were prepared to defend when needed.

And Stoke’s defending was left wanting, particularly for the decisive goal scored by Idris El Mizouni at the start of the second half. The midfielder was left wide open to collect a cross from the right and bury past Viktor Johansson.

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Stoke, who increasingly frustrated a sell-out away support that had been determined to pull the side out of what seemed like a stupor, must be infinitely better when they now head into back-to-back home matches against Fleetwood and Hull.

Steven Schumacher made four changes to his starting XI from the win at Plymouth, handing first league starts to Tom Cannon and Sol Sidibe, introduced into midfield some 14-and-a-half years since his dad and club hero Mama started his last league game for the club, away at Manchester United. Lynden Gooch and Ben Gibson also returned to the team as Ryan Mmaee has moved to Rapid Vienna and Ash Phillips, Lewis Koumas and Andrew Moran were named among the substitutes.

The first 45 minutes did not make for a half that will live long in the memory. Stoke, with their attacking talent needing to channel through Gooch in his surprise selection at number 10, could not create chances of note. Million Manhoef had a couple of hopeful hits, Ben Wilmot wellied one low from long range when a ball fell loose and Eric Bocat steamed in from left-back to have a shot blocked.

Oxford couldn’t get into the Stoke box either but were tempted to try their luck from distance, with Mark Harris spinning to hammer a shot close to Viktor Johansson and Gooch gifting a chance for Tyler Goodrham to force a decent save. Siriki Dembele fancied himself against the visiting defence and twice he got the wrong side of Wilmot, who was quick enough on the first to recover. On the second, Dembele was running too flat out into the area to be able to control his cross.

Schumacher was forced into a change 10 minutes before the interval as Gooch limped off to be replaced by Moran, immediately giving Stoke a more natural balance. Moran was dynamic and able to join in play, like he did immediately at the start of the second-half when he was picked out by Burger and pulled back for Manhoef, who couldn’t then find a teammate.

Stoke were almost immediately behind with a moment of dreadful defensive organisation. Ruben Rodrigues has the ball on the Oxford right and, as Gibson stayed at the front post, Wilmot dashed across him to try to mark Mark Harris he thought was going to get a pull back. Instead, the ball was whipped to the back, where Junior Tchamadeu was marking two.

Stoke struggled to test Jamie Cumming in response. There were fleeting moments of quick play but bad passes or control or decisions saw moves grind to a halt. Schumacher changed things and turned to Niall Ennis and Emre Tezgel while Manhoef remained the most likely to make something of nothing, a nutmeg followed by a dinked cross begging to be attacked if only anyone was willing.

Oxford had opportunities to put the game to bed and Johansson needed to stand up to a strike on the breakaway from Goodrham before Peter Kioso spurned a glorious opening at the back post from a corner. So the 10th trip to Oxford for Stoke ticked off and still without a win.

Here are the player ratings from the Kassam Stadium

Johansson: A couple of comfortable saves and stood up to be counted. Should be furious at those in front of him for goal. 7

Tchamadeu: Sometimes let down by moments of poor control or decision making. Didn’t hide but has to be better. 5.5

Bocat: Couldn’t stop the cross that led to opener. Useful when he could link in going forward. 5.5

Wimot: Dembele got better of him a couple of times. Normally quick enough to recover and some important tackles. All must share responsibility for opener. 5.5

Gibson: Experience and leadership is supposed to stop moments like that dreadful opening goal. Some strange decisions to run with the ball. 4.5

Sidibe: A big day as he made first league start at age of 17. Some switches of play showed potential but not helped by those around him. 6

Burger: Too anonymous at times and needed to accept burden for sorting out midfield in front of defence to prevent opening goal. Didn’t add enough going forward. 5

Junho: Things not automatically coming off for him. Can look dangerous but lost possession too. 5

Gooch: From the Geoff Cameron-as-a-pressing-number 10-against-Arsenal school of experiments which is unlikely to be seen again. Couldn’t press hard enough nor keep the ball. Injured in first half. 4

Manhoef: Often the most likely to make something happen and willing to run with the ball and try to cross and shoot. Missing final ball on this occasion. 6

Cannon: Starved of the ball, with only four touches in the first half. Showed willingness to dart behind defence if players can find him. Decent pull-back from by-line in second half but no one attacking. 5.5

Substitutes

Moran (for Gooch, 32): Far more suited to attacking midfield role and dynamic as well as a neat footballer. 6

Koumas (for Sidibe, 57): Some nice control but had a physical battle against Kioso and chances were hard to muster. 6

Tezgel (for Junho, 73): Willing to drop deep to get on the ball and try to make things happen. 6

Thompson (for Burger, 73): Tasked with adding some order into the Stoke midfield. 5.5

Ennis (for Cannon, 73): Struggled to give Stoke the extra impetus they needed in the attacking half. 5.5

Not used: Bonham, Seko, Phillips, Dixon.

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northants) 7

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