Stoke City defender Stephen Ward has admitted that the team are disappointed not to have picked up more points since Michael O'Neill took charge at the Bet365 Stadium.

The Potters made a poor start to the Championship season under Nathan Jones, but results have improved significantly since O'Neill was appointed last month.

Stoke had taken just eight points from their opening 15 league matches, but they have won three of their six games since O'Neill replaced Jones as manager - losing the other three.

They remain inside the relegation zone, but their 3-0 win over Luton Town on Tuesday night lifted to them to within three points of safety.

Stoke left-back Ward - who joined the club after leaving Burnley in the summer - has insisted that the players will not get carried away following their latest victory.

Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel, the 34-year-old offered some insight into what life under O'Neill is like and admitted that the team are disappointed that they've not been able to pick up more points under their new manager.

He said: “We won’t get carried away by winning this week, the manager isn’t the type to let us do that, and he’s told us he wants another good performance on Saturday.

“He wants us to play a certain way and isn’t afraid to tell us when we haven’t, but also tells us when we have. We enjoy working with him, it’s been a good few weeks, and we are disappointed not to have more points.

“It’s nine from the last six games and we have to build on that.”

Can you get 15 out of 15 on this Stoke City striker quiz? Have a go now!

The Verdict

Stoke have made a poor start to the season, but there's no doubt that their results have improved since O'Neill took charge of the club.

He's a good manager and he could have what it takes to turn things around at the Bet365 Stadium - there's still a long way to go, but he's made an encouraging start to life in charge of the club.

However, despite the recent upturn in results, the Stoke players cannot afford to get carried away and O'Neill must make sure that the squad are aware of the size of the task facing them. He must make sure they approach each game with the right mentality.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.