Nathan Jones braced for tougher test in Leeds United against Stoke City part two

TESTING TIMES: For Stoke City boss Nathan Jones.TESTING TIMES: For Stoke City boss Nathan Jones.
TESTING TIMES: For Stoke City boss Nathan Jones.
STOKE CITY boss Nathan Jones is braced for an even tougher test against Leeds United in Tuesday night's Carabao Cup clash at Elland Road as the Whites and Potters lock horns for the second time in four days.

Stoke were blitzed 3-0 by leaders Leeds in Saturday's Championship clash at the bet365 Stadium which piled the pressure on Jones whose men are bottom of the table with just one point from their first five games.

The two teams now meet again just four days later looking for a place in the Carabao Cup last 32 and Jones is under illusions as to the size of the task ahead.

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The Potters boss turned on his players after the midweek 3-1 loss at Preston North End and made six changes for Saturday's visit of Leeds with England international Jack Butland, Wales international Joe Allen and Tom Ince among those dropped.

Goals from Stuart Dallas, Gjanni Alioski and Patrick Bamfiord saw Leeds to an easy victory and Jones could now be set to make further changes ahead of task that he says will be even harder than Saturday's league clash.

"We'll have to look," said the Potters boss.

"We'll dust them down and see how everyone is.

"Leeds at home is a difficult game, Leeds away is even more so but it's a big game.

"But we have got to stay strong and we cannot wilt.

"You see real character now in players, in staff, in everything and that character has to come through because we have to change things.

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"This team and the group of the players and the management and the staff at this point in time are underachieving and we have to find a reason for that and change it quickly because momentum is difficult to change if you keep letting the same things happen.

"We tried something different on Saturday and it was very difficult.

"If we had played a different side to Leeds then we might have got a different result, we might not have conceded but Leeds are a top side.

"But we have to make sure that we are ready for the next challenge and the challenge after that and hopefully then we can change the direction of where we go."

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