Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at ten-man Sheffield Wednesday means it’s now no win in eight matches for Stoke and boss Narcis Pelach.
“It’s a hard one to take. You expect to win when they are down to 10 men,” Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.
“We defended badly (on both goals) – we shot ourselves in the foot. We have to be much more aggressive because we have more numbers than them in the box, it cannot end in a goal, it’s unacceptable.
“In the first half I think we were more pragmatic, aggressive, won many more duels and second balls which is what I demand from the team. The first 45 minutes are good.
“There were some decisions which changed the game in big moments. Lewis Koumas was one v one with the keeper and was (given) offside when he was not and the two penalties (not awarded), Bannan and Lewis Koumas, this is unacceptable, but it is what it is at the moment.”