MX23RW : Tuesday, January 22 17:08:33
Jan 19, 2019 at 3pm UK at ​Bet365 Stadium (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
Attendance: 28,586
StokeStoke City
2-1
LeedsLeeds United
Clucas (49'), Allen (88')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Alioski (90')
Jansson (76')

Jones not worried by Bielsa antics as Stoke play host to Leeds

Jones not worried by Bielsa antics as Stoke play host to Leeds
© Reuters
Leeds boss Bielsa has been in the headlines this week over so-called 'Spygate'.

New Stoke boss Nathan Jones has insisted the Potters have "nothing to hide" as Marcelo Bielsa's Championship leaders Leeds prepare to visit the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

Bielsa launched an extraordinarily detailed response this week to criticism of so-called "spying" in the wake of his side's recent win over Derby.

And despite the Argentinian conceding he has watched "every one" of Jones' games at his former club Luton last season, the new Stoke boss remains unfazed.

Jones, who is still searching for his first win as Potters boss after leaving Kenilworth Road, told a press conference: "People will think it's wrong but people prepare in different ways.

"For me to sit here and say it's wrong, I don't think so. For me, the focus is doing the best for Stoke City. We haven't got a lot of secrets here. We are what we are."

Jones will bring back his regulars after making eight changes for the midweek FA Cup defeat to Shrewsbury, while the unorthodox Bielsa has already confirmed he will name an unchanged side for the tie.

Martin O'Neill has told Nottingham Forest to "stop living in the past" as he prepares to take charge of his former club for the first time against Bristol City.

Despite a glittering history during O'Neill's playing career at the City Ground, O'Neill, who replaced Aitor Karanka this week, knows they have no divine right to return to the top-flight.

O'Neill insisted: "We can't live in the past. That phenomenal success we had as a player will be there for ever more – but we want to try to carve some sort of niche now."

Eleven points better off than Forest, Chris Wilder's Sheffield United appear to stand a much better chance of promotion as they prepare to travel to Swansea.

Wilder's success has inevitably seen him linked with the vacant job at Huddersfield but he told a press conference this week: "I want to take Sheffield United to the Premier League."

Wilder will hope to name an unchanged team for the game, with striker David McGoldrick bidding to score for the fifth successive league game.

But the Blades must deal with the threat posed by Swansea's leading scorer Oli McBurnie, who is fit to return after missing his side's last two games due to illness.

With West Brom not playing until Monday, Tony Pulis and Middlesbrough could take advantage and move up to fourth place in the table with a win over struggling Millwall.

Pulis has no fresh injury concerns for the Riverside Stadium clash, while the Lions must cope without striker Tom Elliott, who has been ruled out for six weeks.

Derby boss Frank Lampard has vowed to make changes for his side's clash with Reading following the gruelling midweek FA Cup win over Southampton, with Andre Wisdom and Max Lowell among those set to return.

Resurgent Hull have Fraizer Campbell back in contention as they look to claim their seventh straight league win away to Aston Villa, who are reeling after last week's 3-0 loss at Wigan.

At the bottom, Ipswich boss Paul Lambert hopes an open letter he sent to the club's fans this week will boost their chances of a great escape as they prepare to travel to his former club Blackburn.

With second-bottom Bolton not playing until Monday, fellow strugglers Rotherham hope to take advantage at home to Brenfford, while QPR and Sheffield Wednesday face Preston and Wigan respectively.


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Nathan Jones in charge of Stoke City on January 12, 2019
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Stoke boss Nathan Jones has no issue with Marcelo Bielsa's 'spying' tactics
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds28166647301754
2Norwich CityNorwich28158552361653
3West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom28148657352250
4Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd28155846291750
5Middlesbrough281211531201147
6Derby CountyDerby2813784035546
7Bristol City2812883529644
8Hull City28117104135640
9Swansea CitySwansea28117103732540
10Blackburn RoversBlackburn28101083741-440
11Birmingham CityBirmingham2891274033739
12Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2891273932739
13Aston Villa2891275145639
14Queens Park RangersQPR28116113439-539
15Stoke CityStoke2891183335-238
16Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds2898113345-1235
17Brentford28810104339434
18Preston North EndPreston2889114345-233
19Millwall2878133444-1029
20Wigan AthleticWigan2885152841-1329
21Rotherham UnitedRotherham28510132746-1925
22Reading2858153143-1223
23Bolton WanderersBolton2857161842-2422
24Ipswich TownIpswich2839162248-2618

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