Source: Team_Talk
Shawcross seeks added consistency
Ryan Shawcross admits he is not satisfied with his form this season and feels the Stoke backline needs to start tightening up.[LNB] The Potters, who host Fulham in the third round of the Carling Cup on Tuesday, have made a mixed start to the 2010-11 campaign and are so far yet to keep a clean sheet.[LNB]Shawcross was involved in the failed attempt to clear a free-kick which led to West Ham's goal in the 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, and the 22-year-old insists it is time he and his defensive colleagues showed some improvement.[LNB]"I'm never happy - I want to be playing better every week," Shawcross said.[LNB]"At the moment, it is just about getting consistent and hopefully we can get a few more clean sheets.[LNB]"You could say we're not performing very well because we haven't got a clean sheet yet."[LNB]Shawcross' performances last season earned him a call-up to Fabio Capello's England squad, a standard he is striving to reach once more.[LNB]"I want to get back in the England squad and I think everyone knows it," Shawcross said.[LNB]"But I've got to show on the pitch that I'm good enough, so I need to start doing that."[LNB]Potters assistant manager Dave Kemp expressed his disappointment with the West Ham goal, which he likened to another the team had let in on the way to a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham last month.[LNB]"The goal we conceded against West Ham was very similar to the first one against Tottenham," said Kemp.[LNB]"We had the ball, we kicked it against someone and it ends up in the back of our net. That has happened twice now and that is not usual.[LNB]"We are disappointed with that. The defending wasn't good leading up to it but we got the ball back and still ended up conceding a goal, which was very disappointing."[LNB]A further source of frustration for Kemp - who has been handling media duties over the last few days since the death of manager Tony Pulis' mother - were the injury-enforced substitutions of Jermaine Pennant, Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters, all of whom could now miss the match against the Cottagers.[LNB]"We hoped to get through the game with everyone fresh and ready to go," Kemp said.[LNB]"But now we have picked the injuries up and we will have to have a rethink and see where we are at."[LNB]Stoke were knocked out in the fourth round of the Carling Cup last season and Shawcross is looking for a decent run this time out.[LNB]"It's a game that we are all looking forward to," he said.[LNB]"We want to do well in the cups this year - it is something the club needs to strive for. If the gaffer puts out a strong team, I'm sure we will be fine.[LNB]"Everyone wants to get to cup finals and we are no different. Hopefully we can get the win against Fulham and push on."
