STOKE WON’T BITE OVER ‘HAMMY HORROR’
Warnock pigsty jibes get the cold shoulder
STOKE are refusing to get into a row with angry Neil Warnock over his rant about ‘pigsty’ conditions at the ground.
Middlesbrough boss Warnock was furious with the state of the temporary Portakabin away dressing rooms.
Stoke view it as an attempt by Warnock to deflect from what happened on the pitch, with three Stoke players injured, and a poor performance by Boro.
The Potters will make no official comment but confirm there was a problem with fumes which was rectified.
They admit other clubs have made suggestions about the Por takabin accommodation and say the club have acted on it.
It is understood that Stoke will not engage in a war of words with Warnock.
“We got changed in a pigsty,” stormed Warnock after a game Boro lost to Nathan Collins’ goal in the first half.
“We give them everything at Middlesbrough – heat, it’s lovely. But here the pigs would have run away if they’d been in our dressing room. Our toilets didn’t work – they’re blocked.
“There were fumes coming g in, we had to get t security out, the e maintenance.
“That was a bloody disgrace, the e showers are leaking, , there’s water all over the floor.
“I didn’t want to say anything before the game because we didn’t want to make excuses.
“There’s no way they’ll get a dressing room when they come to our place.”
Warnock (right) said pictures were taken and he would hire a Portakabin for Stoke to change in when they arrive at the Riverside for the return in March.
The win in a terrible game took Stoke to fifth in the Championship with the chance to climb to second tomorrow night when it is in- form Cardiff ’ s turn to use the Portakabins.
Of Stoke’s walking wounded from Saturday, Sam Clucas will miss the game with Danny Batth and Nick Powel l possibly recovered.
Manager Michael O’Neill has nine players injured and one more, Harry Souttar, self-isolating.
It could mean Ryan Shawcross making g a shock start after coming on as a substitute against Boro.
He broke his leg in a pre- season friendly at Leicester b before the 2019-20 season and has only p played five times since.
A groin operation and calf problems h av e been additional setbacks.
But Shawcross, 3 33, is making a c comeback and h helped to keep the l lid on a fiery game.
O’Neill tried to play it all down as “competitive”.
He said: “Shawcross came through it OK. I think it’s probably too soon for Ryan to play a full 90 minutes, but we’ll see. We may have to make a decision on that regarding Tuesday with possibly so many players missing. It leaves us with huge problems.”
STOKE: Bursik 6, Collins 7, Chester 6, Batth 7 (Shawcross 67,6), Fox 7, Cousins 6, Clucas 2 (Tymon 8, 6), Campbell 7 Powell 8 (Okley-Boothe 75, 5), McClean 6, Brown 6
BORO: Bettinelli 6, Spence 6, Fry 6, McNair 6, Bola 6, Tavernier 6 (Coulson 90) Howson 6, Morsy 6 (Watmore 62, 5), Saville 6 (Wing 90), Johnson 5 (Roberts 62, 5), Akpom 5 (Assombalonga 62, 5)