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GARY Rowett has applauded the sell-out following of Stoke fans heading to Villa Park for this weekend’s game.
He says it’s a measure of their backing for a team they can see is progressing along the right lines after eight games unbeaten.
“There’s not many Championship clubs that will be going away this weekend with something close to 3,000 fans travelling with the team,” said Rowett.
“I think that’s massively important for us.
“All the fans have supported the team this season. There have been some games when they haven’t liked everything they’ve seen and we would all feel the same way, but they’ve seen a team put in a lot of effort and try to do the right things and go in the right direction.
“Certainly away from home you always hear those fans a little bit more. We will need them to get right behind us again and we will try to repay their faith and support by trying to get a result.
“I really appreciate the fact they are travelling in those numbers at such a difficult period of the year.”
Rowett says he has tinkered with training this week after some players appeared leggy against Ipswich last weekend, explaining: “We did one session last week when some of the players were complaining that their hamstrings felt tight, their quads felt tired.
“I think when you see so many perform with a slight lack of energy or sharpness you probably realise there is a reason behind it.
“I don’t think Joe Allen, Sam Clucas and Ryan Woods were poor, but they weren’t quite as vibrant as they usually are. When you see quite a few players doing that you realise there’s a reason.”
The players returned to training after a weekend in Dublin for their Christmas party.
“I’m never too sure about it,” Rowett confessed, “but it builds camaraderie and it’s one night of the year.
“They didn’t train on Monday, but they trained very, very hard on Tuesday and Wednesday and Tom Ince came through that fine.
“He has been a little bit sore, but when you have an injury of that nature I was actually amazed that he got through three games in a week – then to get through the last one fine as well and he’s in good scoring form, there’s certainly no injury worry with Tom now.”
Rowett was also anxious to praise those experienced players on the fringes for not kicking up a fuss about a lack of game time.
“One big thing that probably doesn’t get mentioned is the conduct of the players who haven’t been in the side regularly has been exemplary.
“The likes of Crouchy (Peter Crouch), Darren Fletcher, Bojan, Mame Diouf, Charlie Adam have conducted themselves brilliantly, they’ve been superb around the group.
“That’s also what you need. You are going to have players who are unhappy because they’re not playing at this time of the year, you’re 20 games into the season, not three or four, you’ve got the January window coming up… but they’re all training really well and they’ve been ready.
“In some ways that’s as important as results because it’s not just about the 11 on the pitch or the 14, 15 that are playing regularly, it’s about everyone.”
As for possible January interest in them, he added: “There will be five or six of those players as we speak, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to give to the cause of Stoke City.
“What it means is that I haven’t picked them that regularly and some of those will be getting a little bit edgy. That’s understandable.”