Ryan Shawcross: "Little old Stoke City never get any attention"

Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross has slammed the nation's media for what he perceives to be excessive unfair criticism towards his side.

The Potters currently sit ninth in the Premier League table, having followed up defeats at Liverpool and Chelsea with wins over Watford and Sunderland.

Shawcross believes that Stoke never get any credit from the national press, while teams around them in the standings allegedly get much more praise.

He told the Stoke Sentinel: "A lot has been made out in the media that we've been having a bad season.

"But we are around Southampton, who are the next big thing apparently, and we're two points behind West Bromwich Albion, who have apparently been doing brilliantly.

"It's same old, same old - little old Stoke never get any attention."

Up next for Stoke is a Premier League clash at home against Manchester United on Saturday.