The promotion places with a win against struggling Mansfield at the Alexander stadium 3 games to live on b.b.c. Radio star this is Nigel Johnson in the dressing room corridor where the Potters make an enforced change for this dam against Reading Danny Bart comes in to partner Liam Lindsey in the heart of the defense the dry unsure cross of his stone faced with these growing injuries one of the changes on the bench where Keep him Davies comes in for Adam Federici the royals under manager Mark Bowen will be hoping for 3 points the Potters Well they will be hoping to continue where they left off on Tuesday hopefully with another victory. At the wonderfully named People's pensions stadium where Paul made 3 changes to the team that started against last week Tom Conlon is the spend dead while Callum Evans and Wilkinson also miss out coming in a league Joyce respond and Scott Burgess Good afternoon for be granted but only called an example study of where the crew are you doing it all tell make 2 changes for Jews didn't f.a. Cup win Daniel Powell and then they closed all the window go to the punch bowl top scorer Chris Porter. Through injury on the way between now and kickoff at 3 we'll hear from Mark my colonial very shortly and we'll also from John ask you as well before kickoff all 3 games live on P.C.'s that will get reaction from the dressing room on the team news next. Cool away 101 c one and c and c time stadium on track both rains and start new message with the web stuff I'm getting on social media b.b.c. Radio sky. Yes Good afternoon welcome to sports on Saturday with me Matt Sandusky your commentary teams of the reporters are in place waiting to bring you live coverage of your football team just the week before Christmas and we'll be all hoping that there are Christmas presents all round for Stoke City and crew Alexander this afternoon and as I said stock against reading it here. On 94.6 Afghan. Crawly on digital radio and crude home to Mansfield on 1503 medium weight this afternoon and the usual with Graeme Peter Morse from the crew Chronicle today here at the top of the main stand at the back 365 standing joined by Mike Titanic and Crawley today will be joined by former Port Vale defender Ben Turkish says your commentary team on all 3 frequencies this afternoon we have live football on b.b.c. Radio Stoke keeping getting in touch with your match predictions already I'll read a few of those out for you shortly just to bring it up to date with some schools that have kicked off early in the Premier League Liverpool leading Watford by a goal to nil and in the Championship Birmingham City lead West Bromwich Albion by 2 goals swung around 70 minutes have been played in those matches in the early kick offs in the Premier League and in the championship this afternoon we'll keep you up to date with goals as they go in and score lines throughout the afternoon here the way leading up until praising will bring you the classified full time results and your thoughts as well on your team's performance today 0800 Want to 1880 is the number that in your phone beautiful blue skies around us but I can tell you it is very very cold here as you would expect in mid December in the Potteries Let's find out a little bit about the team news then it's not real surprises it will stop eating gluten in midweek and Ryan Shawcross having to leave the field early on and Danny coming in and doing such a good job that he's the one change bar in for sure Cross now let's find out a little bit more about it Nigel Johnson has been talking to assistant manager Billy McKinley Barry thank you very much for joining us one change one employs change today what's not. Changed. What is the situation with him because I think people have all the breath when he went down. What's wrong with him now. It's not going to be too bad. So done mostly. And hopefully we can get back for some part of the coming up so what's the team. Edwards part Lenzie Wald's cousins. McLean on the bench benches Davies call it Smith. Woods pro. On hold and. Probably is relieved man thank you last release made the bench I mean I think we've got 3 top notch goalkeepers for the best the best bunch of people in the vision I think and I'm just trying to that one to everybody. And I don't so upset was a thought process going to. Last Tuesday night after the 1st half hour they really came on song in the team and you deserve. Little bit the same this afternoon Absolutely I think you know again. They were put for the. You know probably just before half time for a good stretch of the 2nd half you know 25 famous is saying half was was what we hope to see when a more regular basis from the game. With a game you know if you stop was you love it tend to stop you know and that's something we spoke about you know on trying to be a chef if right from the off but once once we got a lot of call There's a lot of belief from some success in terms of the pressure isn't what I had with pitch and I think that the players took on board and I said for 3040 minutes I'll say the halftime. We've seen some stuff that we hope to see in a more regular basis giving them a spring in their step in training as a result of that victory absolutely I think you know everybody has a few good factor when you get some good results. And you don't. Get stronger. And you know hope for the city conversely get from from. One that is open to why they got results which is what the mind is always preaching to them you know. There's reasons behind the end result good or bad so emphasized that plenty to play into what to do but as I said we've seen some bits and pieces of game that if you were capable of and also like to see a lot more reading 5 points in front of you they're going to game in hand obviously you don't want to lose to them today with that gap getting bigger you want to bring it down to to watch them in ways that I am up to a watch and so she at that point we seem to see that every conversation we have a but the challenge is in that league in the in the difficulties so tough game willing to pay back it seems of course the above as. I may do that by buying him some consistency about as can some back about results hope to get today and as I said that you know always on many occasions as we get the points on the board then you know naturally teams will come back to. You in the manager now for you a little bit more comfortable in this league to see. I don't know but I think that the comfort come from a machine with able Oh but and getting some some consistent results we read after week when we know the league well enough the mind has watched it for a. Sec 7 years of we have it myself so we know it we know the we know that the challenge is human or that tough as. They call very well and. To continue. To small change of progress. Is coming back to his old stomping ground this afternoon I'm sure he'd love 3 points and I'm sure you would love to say No Off you go you know if you you know the very successful Pete it yet I was a film and I was and I was it was a film so I'm careful. Qualities in these capabilities and where if you needed any more vision. Then you should get up to the can back to one of your clubs and of course Charlie. You know Target clear for the club. Again here because I want to pick one over the over the usual coils and Jap Brooklyn machine Memphis now known as line and the penalty area. I'm sure Jack saw machine will be doing best going to bestiality is not only to stop them from having the game of the other one of the leading players go look this afternoon and once again many thanks for your time thank you Billy McKinley and Nigel Johnson characters. On social media as want to say as last season it was Paul Rainey Neil Neil I'm hoping for a 2 nil win for Stoke today John says I'm going for him an unimpressive to know when to stoke points more important performance at the moments. And also Gasol says Stoke carry on where they left off from Tuesday and quickly racing to a 3 no leader in the 1st top with goals from its with 2 include Martins in the then seeds red after he dropped kicks back into the Franklin stand reading take advantage and take a 53 lead but we need 65 mm That would be an interesting game wouldn't thank you very much for your much prediction start. Trouble 3 on the text you can tweet me as well on social media if you like let's find out a little bit more about the. Crawley Incidentally the team she is just dropped here at Stoke and Charlie Adam former Stoke City midfielder starts for reading today. Right Vale of my 3 changes. In common that gets in evidence at the site today let's find out more about it been chatting to coach Danny Danny 3 changes but needs no time common good news he's back in. A loser. But about what he brings to this. Season the choice. To get the ball moving. Around is back in as well. Earlier this month or. Early this month. I think we all know the abilities. Of the game now. You are the change. Maybe didn't start the season. Earlier this season but what he's. Really well. And. Here Does that make any difference when you coming in as a pain you. Know obviously it's a new game different players. From scratch. Danny and Lee plate when. The Crawley today on d.a.p. Digital radio Jeff Gilman scoring touch b.b.c. Radio and says. He says he splits his time for me 11 draw the road it blonde says thing a couple radio working so going to try and choose in hope it's a 21 win for the veil and Phil Phil saw says go for 2 no win for the mighty whites says Phil on social media b.b.c. Radio stuck want to get in touch goalkeepers are on the pitch warming up flood lights are on here the flags fluttering in the breeze that swirling around the 365 standing at the moment they are blowing in the direction of parent Cross or the wind coming from the sort of heat direction towards the heron Cross area that's the just the direction the wind right now doesn't mean to say that that's how it's going to change that it won't change over the course of the afternoon and let's head over to the Alexandra Stadium these flags pointing not too far away actually from that sort of position and Macquarie is covering crew time to months feel today we'll hear what the crew commentary team have to say about that much a little bit later on but let's find out about the team today because there are a couple of changes to Graham's been talking to assistant manager Kenny long commitments for tour to you quickly back in the importantly game made any changes here we made 2 changes. In Chima comes in for Chris poor both of them don't well another must of impact there when I saw him. Play reporter going out with. Ports be unfortunate he couldn't be today so comes on the bench near him. Ever so we'll since the season is. Where we should miss him a bit so they will hopefully. But I think we've got a really good squad and we've got a squad of players who are ready to play for Dunn your poll will be rare event. For the season isn't. Done you'll probably. Goals but we'd want to. Oh. The radio start right just. Because there has been changes especially in the championship. 3 with 8 minutes to go in that game. With 4 minutes remaining now it's just been over a month since Michael. In 3 wins and 3 defeats it's been a pretty. 7 dangerous. Gallagher and he put the ball into the back of the net 84 to make it Stoke City won. The. Whole very broad Also the 2 stroke so he wanted to. Use the every branch of the food and goals was. To say 3 points no. Manager Michael O'Neill and it's been up and down on the pitch how is it been for him behind the scenes. Spoke to him yesterday and found out it's been tactic he has been very busy you know trying to get to grips with Norm the squad's. Dealing with the numbers that we have in the Belden dealing with the games which is typically calm every every 23 days so that's that's been challenging but it's been very enjoyable as well I think over the peace to have you know 150 percent of the games is positive you know we've obviously won you know more than we did certainly in the early part of the season. We're not we're not deluding ourselves in any shape or form that we have all the solutions at this minute and tame to tell where the club lies but we're working extremely hard to make sure that both with the current squad of players and potentially with the January to make sure that we you know we improve the current squad and strengthen the current squad going forward it's the opportunity for the 1st time in a year to win back to back home league this is that going to be quite important hurdle for the team to overcome now particularly I wasn't aware of that to be honest I think you know you can do well to much in these things where we've approached us with the players as you know when the next game samples are. Off we can do that then hopefully odds a bit mental and then we can go forward to the next game will be away from home and try and win that but we're not looking too far ahead we're looking at the immediate challenge and the immediate challenge in front of us is reading from the team that you took over a month ago to the team you've got here now what was the big difference for you in that. For me to answer I suppose I should be asking you that question because you voice them in the early part of the season I didn't have the mentality that. I would hope that there's an improvement in the mentality of the players their mentality a improves with when in games and we want to improve the mentality the confidence within the group the desire as well the players recognize that they have a responsibility to improve the league position of the club as well and they do have that are so those are the types of conversations are there not difficult conversations to have or the players players are the happiest when their plan but also at the happiest when they're playing and playing well and that's the environment that obviously we're trying to create at the club. That's my clone eal talking to us on p.p.c. Radio Stoke and yeah it has been a mixed start for him 3 wins 3 defeats his is record at 50 percent at the moment Nigel Johnson. I think if it carries on that sort of form of formula then you would think should be safe Well fingers crossed I mean the important thing is that the games at home are must wins if you can keep the victories here getting 3 points every time you perform then if you can pick up the odd victory away or a drool then that will make life a lot easier but if you start losing games at home and stoke of being had a policy for that over the last months then you do make problems for yourself but you're absolutely right Mark 2 things carry on as they are you need to get more victories on trees belt which is an obvious statement if he does that then things will improve the table Today's a very important game because as we've said when we've been chatting to at the moment reading have a game in hand on stoke their 5 points in front of them a win today and make it 8 now that's causing gaps but if Stoke can win today we reduce $5.00 to $2.00 and that then makes it manageable although they are one game in their bag in their favor Stoke at least making sure that people above them are not that far away because there's a very busy period coming for the plotters as we well know with a difficult game Middlesborough to next Friday followed by Boxing Day Sheffield Wednesday here and then going to full on on a Sunday but Sunday the 29 they are doing well for them so those next 3 games beyond this 9 points Well you start to think to yourself how many of those 9 will scope get so today that makes it even more important that. Get it we've got fingers going go with one or 2 people they get 4 out of 9 Well if they get 4 out of 9 from those 3 games beyond Christmas Ok that might not be too bad but less than that another teams picking up points you go into the new year thinking to yourself wow we've got a gap to make up and it's going to be difficult. While the motivation surely for the Stoke players over the next 2 games for sure to Christmas is to get themselves out the relegation zone and they could do that today with a win and results going. In their favor because the goal difference is better than it is for Luton who are just above them in the table and he stuck faith with the team that beat Luton obviously Shawcross went off injured but the team that finished in the game 3 Nellie's kept the faith with that Charlie Adam starts for reading today and I was talking to you when we was walking in to the stadium thinking that's the bit I dread I think with Charlie Adam because I think if he if he plays he'll know what what it's all about and any knows the low in confidence perhaps if he goes and puts in a few of his Charlie Adam Knight tasty challenges the state would feel might go sort of kind of hide in a little bit and that's my worry today I think they've got to be you know this team now Stokes Michael O'Neill team have got to be up for the fight whatever reason whatever team is put in front of them or other opposition Charlie out of it but he's got some physical prowess in the midfield and he will certainly make its presence felt and I did see Mark Bowen Yes for a split 2nd or 2 he was having a chat with Ryan Shawcross. Who obviously is out today with the growing but he said he was it was feeling Ok but big smile on Mark Bowen space and I'm quite sure he's very confident. Belly McKinley. We mention Charlie Adam in the chat with him and he was saying that obviously we've got to watch English no doubt about that and I did say you we need to remain on the line not go one. Being on the edge of the penalty area otherwise it would be easy pickings for Charlie where every years around the center circle yes it's going to be interesting and I think you're absolutely right Matt Charlie has got something to prove and you go out there today and say you know stoke I got I've still got something to give you could've had it but reading you've now got it to stoke I've got to really switch on in that midfield and just make sure that he hasn't got any room to start playing those passes with that sweet left foot of his They've got to sit on him and sit on him hard and make sure that he's not got any opportunity to start scheming and scheming Charlie out of it sounds like an episode of Scooby Doo this does Nigel he would have got away with it as well if it wasn't for that pesky Nigel Johnson Nigel joining you for commentary this afternoon on b.b.c. Radio. Is at 3 o'clock so what are we about to 3037 minutes away from kick off at Liverpool have gone to nought but home to watch but not an awful lot of time left there think they're into added time elsewhere today Bernie against Newcastle Chelsea born with Leicester nor at Sheffield United villa at the 530 game see Southampton at home to West Ham in the championship today Lita looking to continue their good run of form as they host Cardiff Garry Rao which side takes mill will take on his former club Darby while the early game too in West Brom and Birmingham Well we saw the scoreline to warn Birmingham not too long ago now West Bromwich Albion have really turned things around and of beating Birmingham 32 and they're in the 89th minute in League One Wickham are looking to extend their lead at the top with a win over Burton in League 2 Paul Crawley today while crew are looking to move back into the top 3 as they host Mountfield elsewhere at latest Swindon post Oldham will be heading to Crawley in just a moment we'll hear from John asked the manager as well in a 2nd in non-league football today stuff a dream. Will be looking. Back to back wins as they go to action United they got their 1st win last weekend and elsewhere at home games town Newcastle town and united we had a tweet here from Sac who is a supporter and he thinks the Vale will win today at Crawley by 2 goals to nail we're g