Klarer's f-IRE stoked by lacklustre opening

BLUES have spent this week stewing over another defeat after suffering back-to-back Championship losses for the first time under Chris Davies.

- By ALEX DICKEN

Stoke inflicted further pain on a Blues side still smarting from setbacks against Leicester and Port Vale before the international break.

After three successive defeats without scoring, their positive start to the season has been downgraded to an average one.

What Blues cannot do, according to captain Christoph Klarer, is repeat last Saturday's lacklustre start at the bet365 Stadium.

Blues were battered by Stoke in the opening 30 minutes and were fortunate to only trail to a Bosun Lawal header.

"We've got some new players but everyone else has done that so that can’t be an excuse," said Klarer. "We had a few days to prepare for it, we didn’t come out with the right mentality or intention, and that will cost us if we ever do that again. That's the number one thing we need to focus on."