ROWETT: I HAD TO END THE ROWS
Shaqiri’s exit gives new Potters boss chance to unite his squad
GARY ROWETT admits his first priority after taking over at Stoke was to sort out rifts in the dressing room.
The Potters were relegated under Paul Lambert with Jese Rodriguez, Saido Berahino, Kevin Wimmer and Ibrahim Afellay all frozen out.
And midfielder Charlie Adam claimed Lambert put Xherdan Shaqiri on a pedestal, causing resentment as the rest of the team were made to feel like “water carriers”.
Shaqiri (right) left for Liverpool and Rowett has attempted a shake-up. Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Leeds, he said: “We were relegated and quite clearly the balance hasn’t been quite right.
“Certainly dropping down into the Championship that balance has to be readdressed anyway. You need a slightly more robust mentality to the group. “It’s about the team and synergy of the group. When a team hasn’t performed to the level you expect with some of the players you have, you have to look and see why. “That’s something we’re trying hard to address. We want Premier League players that can play in the Championship and have the mentality to get out of it.” Stoke are promotion favourites, but Rowett warned: “We have to attack the season with humility and earn everything we get.”