THE WAY I SEE IT

WE all want Stoke City to run their socks off in every game but energy isn't limitless and you have to be smart how you use it.

- By Mike Pejic

There were periods in the first-half against Luton Town on Tuesday night when we wasted energy by trying to play out from the back. The goalkeeper was trying to look like an outfield player, the centre-backs were trying to look like creative players and the whole saga, which we kept repeating, did nothing but build up nerves in the home stands.

I couldn't understand the insistence on playing risk football in that scenario. We've got a goalkeeper who can hit the attacking third, where we've now got Sam Gallagher with his height and aerial ability to put in serious challenges.

He won't win it all the time but it gets the ball into a place on the pitch where we can press and regain with support and compactness around the initial player.

We can get the game going from 60 yards closer to the goal we're trying to score in, as a home team pressing in the attacking half.

You can spend your energy there rather than putting yourselves under pressure in your defensive third, asking players who are in the team to defend and win the ball to try to play around athletic and willing forwards.

We've got a goalkeeper who is there to stop shots, defenders who are there to stop crosses and stop players dribbling in dangerous areas and stop players getting a sight at goal.

But they used up their reserves on antics playing short and when we needed them to stand up and be counted for their day jobs in the final 15 minutes they couldn't see it through.