Gary Rowett has revealed last weekend’s defeat to Blackburn Rovers has caused a negative reaction amongst his squad.

Stoke City fell to a 3-2 defeat to Tony Mowbray’s side had been three goals down after 46 minutes before two goals in two minutes made it a nervy end' at the Bet 365 Stadium.

The Potters sit 18th in the Championship table after only winning two of their nine games since their relegation from the Premier League.

It has not been the start Rowett would have envisaged when he arrived at the club in the summer.

Stoke face Nottingham Forest in the League Cup tomorrow evening looking to take their minds off their poor start to the Championship campaign.

But the Potters' boss has enlightened fans on the mood in the camp after last weekend’s comprehensive defeat to Blackburn despite scoring two goals.

Rowett told the club’s official Twitter page: "Any manager will say that any defeat, given the manner that we lost, is hugely disappointing. 

“It has affected the mood a tiny bit, but players and staff are resilient, and we intend to bounce back quickly. 

“It is good to have this game so soon after Saturday.”

After their League Cup tie tomorrow, Stoke resume their Championship campaign with a trip to the New York Stadium to take on Rotherham United. 

The Verdict

That is a bold statement from Gary Rowett to openly admit the defeat has affected his side.

That will be ammunition for Forest to attack the visitors tomorrow night and go at them to shatter their already fragile confidence.

One can only think that the Stoke boss has said this to get a reaction out of his side and attempt to galvanise them ahead of tomorrow’s cup tie.

If that fails, then Saturday could be a rough ride against a Rotherham side who have fared well at home this season.