Stoke City winger opens up on confidence, goosebumps and the Dutch connection
Stoke City might not be 100 per cent safe but it is a big thing to have increasing confidence and their fate in their own hands, says Million Manhoef.
Last weekend’s win over Plymouth, which Manhoef helped seal, has put Stoke four points ahead of the bottom three going into the last two games. One more win would guarantee safety regardless of other results in a congested bottom half but two, one or none might be enough as well – to the point where the bookies have stretched Stoke’s odds on going down to 100/1.
It was certainly a key result to get in the bag ahead of the final two games, away at Southampton on Saturday and then back at the bet365 Stadium against Bristol City a week later.
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Manhoef said: “The feeling was good (to beat Plymouth). Of course we’re not 100 per cent safe and that’s also what the gaffer said but we all know we have it in our hands. We have to keep going. But of course there was a bit of happiness and relief and how we played also gives confidence. We will take that to Southampton to make as many points as we can in the last two games.”
Manhoef took heart in the performance as well as result against Plymouth, when he scored the second goal.
He said: “I think this is how we want to play, we played good football, scored good goals. That’s how the gaffer wants to play.
“Of course when you play in a relegation battle it can be even harder because the pressure is high and you can see in some games, like against Sheffield Wednesday or QPR, it’s not the most fluent attacks, but when you play like we did against Plymouth it makes you excited about the next two against Southampton or Bristol so we can show the qualities we have as a team.”
It was a rare day for Stoke in that all scorers were Netherlands under-21s players – and watching on from the stands was another, Manhoef’s mate Mo Sankoh, the former Stoke youth striker, now aged 20 and on loan at Heracles from Stuttgart.
The Low Countries connection – with Ki-Jana Hoever on loan from Wolves and Wouter Burger joining from Basel last summer – has helped Manhoef find his feet at his new club.
“Wouter and Ki-Jana have been very important to me settling in here,” he said. “Wouter before I even came here was texting me to say if I needed anything he’d always be there and Ki, I know from the under-16s and under-17s, so it was all very natural. They’ve helped me with everything so it’s good that you have some guys you can speak to also in your own language. But everybody has helped and that makes it much easier of course.
“I still need some furniture and a few things but I’m getting much better now with a home and a car and my family is coming over so it’s fine. Only the food, I need to learn how to cook a little better.”
He added: “All my friends who I played with at Vitesse had come to watch the game last weekend and they were so proud of me. It’s so different than in Holland with all the fans and everybody cheering and the noise, the stadium. They will see how good it is and you get goosebumps because of the noise. It’s a great atmosphere and I love playing especially at home but the away fans also get us through lots. It’s nice to be here and show myself to the fans.”