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‘THREE WINS TO STAY UP’

PAUL LAMBERT has set Stoke a survival target of winning three of their last five games.

The Potters have slipped four points below the safety line with an inferior goal difference following a fourth straight defeat against Tottenham.

And Lambert (below), who has managed just one win in his 10 matches as Stoke boss, said: “I think we need to win three games. We’ve drawn a lot of matches and we’ve deserved to get more points than we have.

“But in terms of the performance and everything, I can’t ask for any more. “We’ve been excellent. We just need a wee rub of the green, like when Shaqiri hit the bar. You need those little things to go for you.”

Lambert even suggested that Mark Hughes would not have been sacked if Stoke had played like this earlier in the season.

He added: “If they had played like this at the start of the season then one, I would not be here, and two, the club would be in a healthy position.”

That was being over-generous and for all their endeavour, Stoke are as resolute in defence as a line of paper soldiers.

The Potters’ fans, conscious their 10-year stay in the Premier League is in great peril, applauded their whole-hearted display. And Lambert said: “There are not many times I’ve seen that reception after a game. It was just staggering.”