‘WE IGNORED RED FLAGS’

JOE ALLEN claims Stoke only have themselves to blame for missing all the warning signs as they face the drop.

The Potters need to win their last two games against Crystal Palace and Swansea, despite a creditable draw at Liverpool, to survive.

And midfielder Allen (above), 28, feels they took too long to realise they were in trouble.

“There were red flags and warning signs that we maybe took a while to see and wake up to,” he said. “That’s probably the biggest reason we’re in the position we’re in.

“We might not have picked up that many points in the last few months, but the performances have been 10 times better.

“Everyone believes if we had played like this all season, we’d be out of it by now. Whether it was lack of focus, complacency, I don’t know. We let ourselves down earlier in the season. Let’s hope it doesn’t end in the disaster of relegation.”