Stoke City boss fires no-nonsense message ahead of huge Portsmouth showdown as £10m man returns
Pompey face fourth-placed Stoke City at Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon.
Mark Robins is clear he is not focused on equalling a 79-year Stoke City record for Saturday’s huge showdown against Pompey.
And the head coach is not underestimating the challenges the in-form Blues possess as they look to extend their unbeaten run.
The Potters travel to Fratton Park this weekend off the back of an outstanding run in the Championship, which has seen them lose just one of their previous 11 matches.
This has seen Robins’ men climb the early-season standings and occupy fourth - four points above the Blues - ahead of Saturday’s mouth-watering encounter.
A win for Stoke would see them equal a 79-year club record of five consecutive away wins - something which hasn’t been achieved since 1947.
Stoke boss fires no-nonsense message ahead of huge Pompey showdown
But, the head coach is not focused on reaching that impressive landmark and is instead concentrating on edging past Pompey, who themselves are enjoying an outstanding run of one defeat in 10 matches.
When asked about equalling the club record, Robins told BBC Radio Stoke: ‘It doesn’t matter, it really doesn’t matter. You talk about it after the event rather than before it. You don’t talk about anything like that before.
‘I think we’ve just got to concentrate on what we’re doing and know it’s going to be a tough game because they’re real competitors.
‘They’re on a really good run themselves, I think they've lost one in 10 so it’s no easy game and it hasn’t been. It proved that at home last year when they beat us 3-1.
‘So from our perspective it’s going to be a tough away game and we’ve got to go and try and beat them.
‘It’s no different than any other game and stats are stats. They’re there to be spoken about after they’ve been achieved rather than before for me.’
£10m Stoke City man returns to face Pompey
A win for Pompey on Saturday would lift them into the play-offs and into sixth should results elsewhere also go their way.
Robins’ ranks, however, will be bolstered by the return of £10m summer signing Ethan Galbraith, who missed Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Blackburn Rovers through suspension.
The versatile midfielder has been a key performer for the Potters this term, scoring three goals and collecting four assists in 13 Championship appearances to date.
Stoke, though, will still be without Sam Gallagher, Aaron Cresswell, Eric Bocat, Lamine Cisse and Ato Ampah through injuries.
Speaking to The Sentinel, Robins added: ‘It's the same as previously. We've got players who are starting to emerge from the treatment room but it takes time.
‘Those players that have picked up nasty injuries are recovering, they're in the midst of their recoveries, and hopefully won't be too long after the international break has ended and the season has resumed.’