It was another game played under horrendous weather conditions but it was the decision to send off Huth that has dictated conversation after the event as fans from both sides argue the rights and wrongs of a game changing decision whilst the club conduct their own investigation to understand how a sniper found his way onto the roof of the Boothen End to take Meyler out.

It was a case of the script being written before a ball was kicked as the manager decided a game at home against a team well below us who haven't beaten us in years somehow equated to a right hand side comprising a useless Woodgate and a struggling Shotton.

Taking points away from home is starting to become a welcome habit for us of late, could it be that the manager has finally found a way of playing that will put a smile on the faces of our travelling contingent or is it just a case of fine margins?

Apologies to my regular readers for the radio silence, a mixture of family commitments and illness put a stop to any updates over the festive period but I’m back now and looking forward to an exciting second half of the season.

Stoke secured their fourth Premier League win in a row to set a new club record after another assured and professional performance which saw them come from behind against a Wolves side in danger of getting caught up in a battle at the foot of the table.

Stoke made it three wins on the bounce by putting an end to Spurs’ record breaking run of good form on an afternoon where despite riding our luck, deserved every one of the three points we got in a performance that typified the attitude and mentality that some had feared was gone.

Stoke built on their mini revival of late with a well earned win at Goodison Park on a day when both sets of fans bid farewell to an Everton legend.

Again, it wasn’t a great performance but there was some good play in there and it was more a case of most players being on top of their game as opposed to the other way round which had sadly been the trend for many weeks. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that our successive league wins had the central defensive partnership of Huth and Shawcross, the fact that we also kept a clean sheet was the icing on the cake for the many baying for this partnership to be reinstated.

Stoke overcame a nervous and scrappy start in a first half so rubbish the game was stopped to collect a number of bin liners off the pitch.

Whilst I am naturally annoyed and frustrated at my team's defence being so leaky it puts the Titanic to shame, I'm not about to jump ship anytime soon. In fact, despite the result, I saw quite a few positives from the weekend, enough to give me heart enough that we can turn this slump around.

It speaks volumes about Stoke's away form when our latest opponents had lost their last five home games before we arrived and by the time we left had chalked up their biggest ever Premier League win.