Former Stoke City player Liam Lawrence has launched an extraordinary rant at the current Stoke City squad, claiming he knows things that would make your eyes water.
The former Sunderland and Mansfield attacker played 125 times for the Potters, scoring 24 goals and he's claimed that there's issues that run deep in the current squad, issues that both Gary Rowett and Nathan Jones have inherited from their Premier League days.
He's also suggested if current Aston Villa player Glenn Whelan was still in the dressing room, some of it's current stars might not be around to cause any more problems!
Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel, Lawrence said: "If Glenn Whelan was still in this Stoke City dressing room there might have been a murder or two by now. I’m not kidding."
"Glenn is back with Aston Villa this weekend, for the first time since he left in 2017, and I’m not sure he’d recognise his old dressing room. Players turning up late for training, or not turning up at all, and players clearly showing the wrong attitude in training."
Referring to what current manager Nathan Jones has inherited, Lawrence claimed the players Stoke couldn't get rid of are part of the problem.
"If I could tell supporters just half of what I’ve heard about this Stoke squad - or certain members - their eyes would water. This is what Nathan Jones has inherited, and Gary Rowett before him, and unfortunately for our club we are stuck with players on long and lucrative contracts you just can’t get rid of."
He finished by giving a damning assessment of their remaining prospects this season, claiming they just have to get through the matches they have left without embarrassing themselves.
"It’s now got to the point where Stoke just have to see the season out without any more alarms, picking up enough points to make sure they don’t embarrass themselves, or us."
The Verdict
This is strong stuff from Lawrence, it seems he's seen a side to the Stoke dressing room that fans wouldn't appreciate.
It's been clear all season there are issues. I thought it might be Rowett, but Nathan Jones has picked up exactly the same problems. They need a clear out in pre-season and a fresh start in the summer.