Stoke City must come out firing at Reading, says Ryan Shotton
RYAN Shotton says Stoke must hit the ground running from the first whistle of the new season.
The Potters travel to newly-promoted Reading in seven days' time – shades of 12 months earlier when they were the opposition for Norwich City when Premier League football returned to Carrow Road.
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Ryan Shotton celebrates his winner at West Brom last season.
A red card for the Canaries and a 94th-minute equaliser from Kenwyne Jones earned Stoke a point that day, and Shotton is hoping for similar resilience – and good fortune – at the Madejski Stadium to stifle Reading's own promotion celebrations.
"We've got to start strong," insisted the Fenton-born youngster. "We've got a tough start and we've got to see how we come off the back of October and then go from there.
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"We've got to go at it at Reading and slow them down because they will be raring to go against us after just winning promotion."
Shotton insists he is putting no immediate pressure on himself to build on last season's personal success when he broke into the first team far more consistently than many – including himself, perhaps – could possibly have anticipated.
From the moment he claimed the decisive goal in the Europa League at Hajduk Split this time last year, and followed soon after with a more legitimate claim to the Premier League winner at West Brom, Shotton rarely looked back after filling in at right-back, on the right flank ... and even as an emergency striker.
"With Europe last year I got a chance, and also fitted in sometimes in the Prem," he fondly recalled.
"From my debut at Everton, the rest followed and it was brilliant for me.
"I've just got to learn from everything. If I can maintain my consistency, that's what I'm looking for.
"You will improve as a player as you get older, so I'm just taking it bit by bit and enjoying it."
Being something of a fringe starter, however, he is bound to be looking anxiously over his shoulder at any increase in competition for places following this summer's transfer dealings.
The arrival of Scotsman Jamie Ness, American Geoff Cameron and English-born winger Michael Kightly is certain to impact on his chances and test manager Tony Pulis's faith in his versatility, energy and enthusiasm.
"There's competition all through the club," added Shotton, "and if he brings in more players it strengthens the club. If it's that I'm not in, then I will just have to work harder to get back in – and preferably at right-back because that's my strongest position."
Being a hometown boy – one of only two in the senior squad alongside Andy Wilkinson – he must feel a little like those leading British athletes under pressure to perform and win medals at a home Olympics.
But just like Jessica Ennis and Co (and that's the first and last time a Stoke City article features a mention of Britain's golden girl), Shotton insists he is inspired, not pressured, by the demands of being a local lad carrying a torch for the area.
"I've always said it doesn't get any better than playing for your home town, and I'm looking forward to pushing on again."
Not that he's seen a lot of his home town over the past few weeks of pre-season training following trips to the high altitude of Switzerland, the heat and humidity of America, the drizzle of the English Riviera and even a 36-hour jaunt to southern Germany.
But he is among the first to acknowledge the painful benefits of such a rigorous and time-consuming schedule ahead of Stoke's fifth campaign in the Premier League.
"You come back to England and the lungs feel a lot bigger and a lot stronger, so it was good to go there.
"It was a good three weeks, but Switzerland was a tough one. It was five days of really hard work.
"America was seeing different areas and was a good experience."
And the benefits of such exertions and excursions will, fingers crossed, become evident in just seven days from now.
Comments
by deadlyscfc
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 10:39PM
“We have a supporters club trust meeting with the club before the Man City game.If any one has any points or queries they would like me to put forward let me know and i will attempt to bring them up.Cheers.”
by boothernender
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 7:58AM
“What would we give for a young fit Hoekstra now ? Crowds at the Britt were half what they are now so I suppose some of those who rate our current wingers never saw him. No comparison, neither of them are in his class.”
by DJ_Stoke
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 6:32AM
“Soccerfoot is a mug -- This is how we do READING:
http://tinyurl.com/d272eap
Peter Hoekstra Hatrick... enough said...”
by DJ_Stoke
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 6:32AM
“Soccerfoot is a mug -- This is how we do READING:
http://tinyurl.com/d272eap
Peter Hoekstra Hatrick... enough said...”
by DJ_Stoke
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 6:19AM
“Fellas he is really not worth it, this is the ultimate bell end we are talking about here, nevermind knob. There is no way a new name can stop him from spouting the same garbage all season long, and although it's impossible to ignore him at times, we all must, just to somehow get through an article on this page without wanting to strangle this sad and lonely, lonely man.
I've never once in my life met a stoke city fan I couldn't get on with, but I don't even think I could stomach standing next to him, let alone conversing with such a pathetic waste of oxygen.”
by wheatear
Tuesday, August 14 2012, 8:10PM
“Climb of your pedastal soccerfoot, you are a liar and a cheat who cannot even own up to being who you are. Talking about what you hear down the pub who are you trying to kid? Stoke supporter who cannot find one good thing to say about the team or the players give it up you sad deluded little individual and I gladly freely insult you because you are not worth any other words.
How you have the gaul to call others is beyond me and many others who post on this site.
As others have said it is very difficult to ignore you when you are so repulsive.
So, lets get back to those age old questions that you never answer, why have you changed your name? why did you get banned from the Oatcake site? what have you EVER done to support this Club? which 'pub' did you hear these so called comments in?
Just for once lets see an answer from you, a FOOTBALL related one?”
by boothernender
Tuesday, August 14 2012, 7:08PM
“I thinkl your son got the best of the deal Hemheath, Dennis will be remembered by Stoke fans as long as we have a fooball club. Shotton was at best average last season and needs to up his game just to be worth a place. I met Dennis a few years ago, great bloke. I regret it now but I never got him to autograph my shirt. It never occoured to me because being in his company I never got the impression that he thought he was any more important than I was. If Shotton can up his game by 500% he may one day be fit to lace the great mans boots.”
by hemheath
Tuesday, August 14 2012, 1:43PM
“Never forget how you got where you are today.
I saw you down Newcastle on Saturday I was with my 12yr old son who asked for an autograph, you just looked at him and turned away. I could not believe my eyes. who do think you are I thought
We also saw Denis Smith that day and he had no problem giving an autograph out to a 12 year old
So to you Mr Shotton pull your neck in.”
by SCFC4EVA
Tuesday, August 14 2012, 1:31PM
“as usual, bootherneder never has anything football related to say as a counter opinion and he just continues his vulgar, verbal abuse to anyone who says something about Stoke City he does not like, while his sheep followers on the side line agree with him !do us all a favor , save all the abuse and ignore me and others, it will make this site a much nicer place.
I'll show you how it's done.
I think i won that bet !
deadly, my aunt, who lives in Wolstanton, I assume you know where that is, is one of the biggest Stoke supporters and fans i know of, she can't afford a seasons ticket and has a bad hip anyway, so can't go the matches. So, i'm not quite sure what those people you are rambling on about have to do with anything.
......bazza from Queensland !!”
by hemheath
Tuesday, August 14 2012, 11:32AM
“You need to look in the mirror Shotton or has some of call you "skocking" getting a bit to big for your boots. stop playing flash harrry out of football a bit to cockey.”