Stoke seem to be having the issue that I dreaded us having, in that a lot of their players seems to think they are still Premier league players and haven't been able to mentally adjust to playing in a league where everyone scraps for every point and there are very few weak teams. Being, virtually, every pundits pick for the title seems to have played into this ego trip as well.
It's interesting reading comments on the Oatcake about Rowett. Most are unhappy with him from a tactics/team selection/recruitment angle whereas a smaller number are pointing the finger firmly at the players. Some fans are saying that they should have kept Lambert, some want Allardyce, some Pulis and even Moyes....all this while berating Rowett for being a dinosaur or a poor mans Pulis!