Steven Schumacher hopes that Stoke City players are starting to believe in themselves again as they try to finish the job of staying in the Championship.
Stoke head to Southampton tomorrow (3pm) knowing a win will guarantee their place in the division for another season – or that other results around the grounds, such as a defeat for either Birmingham or Sheffield Wednesday, would secure their status too.
He is keen to stress that they cannot lose focus on what has been the number one priority even before the squad slipped into the relegation zone back in late February with defeat at Cardiff, although that match did prove a turning point.
Stoke have collected 15 points from 10 matches since then with a results-first philosophy, knowing it was vital to cut back on the number of mistakes that were proving too costly.
“It’s been a slight tactical change,” said Schumacher. “Certainly, in the first couple of games after Cardiff, we didn’t play out from the back, if you can remember, too often. We limited that risk. I just sensed that confidence was down. When we first came in and the first seven or eight games, it felt like everyone’s confidence was up and it seemed free flowing, but when results go against you even when you play well – Birmingham, Sunderland, whatever – that can naturally affect your confidence.
“When your confidence goes and you’re down at the bottom end of the division it feels like any mistake you make can get punished. We had to limit that since the Cardiff game until we could get through that sticky spell. I feel like we’re just coming out of that. You can see that players are growing again and believing in their own ability.
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