Steven Schumacher claimed “it’s not done yet” despite a 3-0 victory against his former club Plymouth all-but securing Stoke’s Sky Bet Championship status.
The Potters boss enjoyed the bragging rights as goals from Dutch trio Ki-Jana Hoever, Million Manhoef and Wouter Burger secured a win which saw his side move up to 17th in the table – six points clear of the drop zone with two fixtures remaining.
“It was a big day; I had my eye on this game since I came here,” said Schumacher, who left Home Park in December having led Argyle to the League One title last season.
“I would have hoped both teams would have been safe by now, so there could have been a bit less pressure.
“It’s weird when you come up against people who you are friends with and you have a feeling in your belly all week that’s not nice.
“I’ve got a lot of affection for Argyle and always want them to do well, but today was about Stoke and trying to get three points that we needed.
“It was probably the best home performance from us; it was really good all-round.
“We knew how difficult the game would be and if our performance wasn’t right we would have got hurt by Argyle today.
“But credit to the players, they were brilliant from the first minute and, in the big moments, we showed some composure and quality.
“We stressed all week that there was going to be a bit of noise around the game and everybody understood how important it was.
“It’s not done yet; it’s important that we get in on Monday and have another good week and focus on Southampton.
“You never know in this league, and you have to keep going until it’s mathematically secure and at the moment it’s not.”
Plymouth’s three-match unbeaten start under interim boss Neil Dewsnip ended in disappointing style.
The Pilgrims could muster only one attempt on target as they slipped to four points above the relegation zone.
“We’re really disappointed to lose – we knew how important the game was for us,” said interim boss Dewsnip.
“Stoke were by far the better team on the day and credit to them.
“After the first 35 minutes, the crowd seemed to get really involved and Stoke got a big lift from that.
“We didn’t handle that emotion particularly well and I was disappointed with our performance in the last 10 minutes of the first half.
“We showed immaturity, which is something we’ll address and look to do better in the future.
“We’ll take the lessons; Millwall’s going to be a tough place to play and we need to be ready for that.
“We need to handle moments in the game much better.
“The commitment is definitely there (from us); sometimes in football you have to hold your hands up and say your opponents were better.
“Last Friday night, the same group of players gave everything physically and emotionally, and that might have taken it out of us more than we realised.
“Our goal is to stay in the Championship and we’re two games out from doing that.
“If you’d have given us that at the start of the season, we’d have grabbed that opportunity, so we’re in a positive mental state.”
Man Utd are reportedly targeting a recently relegated Premier League player to strengthen Ruben Amorim's midfield.Manchester United have held discussions over a shock swoop for Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi, according to reports. Ruben Amorim may view the recently-relegated star as a cut-price solution in his pursuit of midfield reinforcements this summer.United have focused their early...
Chelsea could reportedly hijack Tottenham's pursuit of a Premier League forward.Chelsea are reportedly looking to hijack Tottenham's pursuit of Mohammed Kudus Chelsea could reportedly hijack Tottenham's pursuit of Mohammed Kudus by negotiating a swap deal for the West Ham winger. The west Londoners have been among the Premier League's busiest clubs in the summer window, having already made a numbe...
Lionel Messi could consider leaving Inter Miami to play in a more competitive league ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. Messi and Co. faced humiliation in the Club World Cup round of 16 stage after suffering a 4-0 loss to Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine's current deal expires at the end of 2025 and he has reportedly put fresh contract talks on hold.Messi coul...
Chelsea not ruling out swoop for West Ham star KudusAccording to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are set to compete with their Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur to secure a transfer for West Ham star Mohammed Kudus. The Blues have already signed Liam Delap from Ipswich Town and are now closing in on signing Joao Pedro from Brighton and Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund. Earlier this month, the Ha...
Charly Musonda Chelsea Premier LeagueFormer Chelsea rising star Charly Musonda Jr has retired aged 28 after an injury-hit career for one of Belgium's former brightest prospects.Musonda retires aged 28WHAT HAPPENED?Musonda has now decided to put an end to a difficult career, announcing his decision himself on the Rising Ballers podcast as reported by Belgian outlet La DH Les Sports. Musonda had bee...
FBL-EUR-C1-REAL MADRID-PRESSERDani Carvajal is ready to play in any position under new Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso as the veteran Spanish full-back eyes a return to the Los Blancos squad after remaining sidelined with an ACL injury since last October. Carvajal rejoined Madrid training earlier this month and is now hopeful of getting game time under Alonso in the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.WHAT HAP...
Bryan MbeumoIt is still possible that Bryan Mbeumo remains at Brentford this summer, claims the club's director amidst strong Manchester United links.WHAT HAPPENED?Bees director of football Phil Giles has insisted the club are waiting for the right offer for their talisman and could keep him next season if this does not come in from United or Tottenham Hotspur - despite the fact that Mbeumo only h...
FBL-ESP-LIGA-REAL MADRID-ALONSOComplete guide to Los Blancos' pre-season preparations, including friendlies and training camps, ahead of the 2025-26 season.Elimination from the 2024-25 Champions League must have hit Real Madrid hard, but Los Blancos already have big events to look forward to ahead of the 2025-26 season.Under Carlo Ancelotti's most recent managerial spell at the club, Real suffered...
Luis-DiazBayern Munich are ready compete with Barcelona to secure a transfer for Liverpool winger Luis Diaz this summer. The Bundesliga giants are looking for a quality left-wing option and have put the Colombian in their shortlist. The German champions, though, are yet to initiate formal transfer talks with the Reds as they are still evaluating their options. WHAT HAPPENED?According to Sky Sports...
Bayer Leverkusen medical slated for Liverpool defender QuansahLiverpool defender Jarell Quansah will take his medical at Bayer Leverkusen on Monday.Quansah is leaving Liverpool for Bayer for a fee of 330m up front plus 35m in bonuses.As part of the agreement, Liverpool have included a buy-back option in the deal.TMW says Liverpool will be able to re-sign Quansah for a set fee of €80m.Quansah...
- 1 Raphinha happy to see Barcelona miss out on FIFA Club World Cup
- 2 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 3 Liverpool willing to make swap proposal to Palace for Guehi
- 4 Chelsea transfer at 'final stages'
- 5 Club World Cup 2025: Benfica v Chelsea predictions, best bets and odds
- 6 Man Utd close in on Bryan Mbeumo! Red Devils agree £60m+ fee with Brentford as Premier League rivals iron out final transfer details
- 7 Mystery blonde who had night out with Kieran Trippier
- 8 Man United close in on Bryan Mbeumo
- 9 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 10 Sporting CP president Varandas: Gyokeres knows price he can leave for