ARE the Stoke players starting to read too much of the previews about their games? I ask because whenever we seem to be in a good position to do well away from home, they blow it.

Newcastle United were not playing well when we went there earlier in the season, but we stood and watched while they raced into a 2-0 lead, before fighting back to gain a point.

Blackburn were on a terrible run when we faced them in Allardyce’s first game away, but some comedy capers at the back had us 3-0 down with half an hour gone.

The same happened in the first half at Bolton and Stokies must have had a feeling of déjà vu as Spurs raced into a three-goal lead last night at White Hart Lane.

In between those calamities we have defended smartly at some other teams’ grounds and deserved better than our results in some of those games.

But the sad facts are these: we’ve played 12 away matches, lost nine of them and scored just eight times in those games. We have let in 27 goals in those games, so we should not be surprised that we have only three points out of a possible 36.

Is it a case that our players can raise themselves to play against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, but not against teams at the same end of the table?

It’s a conundrum that Tony Pulis is going to have to solve if Stoke are going to stay up this season.

Put it this way, to stay up without winning away, the Potters will need to win at least six games of our remaining eight at home.

Those games are against Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bolton, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham and Wigan.

On the face of it, none of these are world-beating teams, but Stoke have already been beaten by all of them apart from Newcastle and Wigan.

We always knew it was going to be tough and I would be lying if I said I was not worried that the task will be too great for our players.

Myself and my dad will head to the Manchester City game on Saturday hoping to see Stoke win and frankly I don’t care how we do it.

A Souleyman Oulare-style goal off the backside from an offside position unseen by the linesman will do me. An own goal will do me.

We need a win. Badly.