Stoke manager Paul Lambert, speaking to Sky Sports: "It is a tough afternoon. I am feeling for everyone connected with the club.
"When teams don't get results you can be sleep-walking into positions you don't want to be in. We never had enough. Since I came in the lads have given everything, but we came short. It is a chance to rebuild.
"It is difficult to come in mid-January to try to assess the team and I had a chat with the players on what went wrong.
"No-one can point a finger at the effort of the players."
So,not his fault then