Tom Cannon drops honest Stoke City claim as pressure builds | OneFootball

Stoke City striker Tom Cannon shared a message with supporters on social media after the 2-1 defeat at Luton Town on Tuesday night.

Stoke City striker Tom Cannon took to social media to share his frustration after his side's 2-1 defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.

Stoke made a positive start to the game as Cannon gave them the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by Million Manhoef, but Luton responded well to falling behind, and they deservedly equalised in the 24th minute when Carlton Morris headed home Jordan Clark's corner.

Despite the Hatters' dominance in the second half, it looked as though they were going to be forced to settle for a point, but Elijah Adebayo's 90th-minute winner sealed all three points for Rob Edwards' side and sent the Potters home empty-handed.

The loss was Stoke's third consecutive defeat, and they are now without a win in their last six games, increasing the pressure on head coach Narcis Pelach, who has struggled to make an impact since replacing Steven Schumacher in September.

Ahead of Wednesday night's games, the Potters are 17th in the table, 10 points from the play-off places and just four points clear of the relegation zone, and they are back in action when they host fellow strugglers Cardiff City at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

Tom Cannon sends Stoke City message after Luton Town defeat

Posting on social media on Wednesday morning, Cannon admitted that the defeat to Luton was a difficult one to take for Stoke, but he praised his team-mates for their effort at Kenilworth Road.

"Tough one to take last night after a great effort from the lads, onto Saturday," Cannon wrote on Instagram.

It was a positive night for Cannon on an individual level as he scored his ninth goal of what is proving to be an incredibly productive loan spell in the Potteries, but that will be little consolation for the 21-year-old after his side fell to another defeat.

Cannon's sentiments were echoed by head coach Pelach after the game, with the Spaniard revealing that his players were dejected in the dressing room, but he urged everyone to stick together as the poor run of form continues.

"The dressing room is disappointed," Pelach told Stoke-on-Trent Live.

"We had the feeling that we've put in a lot of effort, we've defended a lot, attacked better, we were more aggressive in our mid-block than previous games.

"It felt like a step in the right direction but we didn't get at least point that can make you feel good away from home and now we find ourselves on this bad run.

"We are not the only team like that. We are six without a win but lots of teams go into that. Sunderland had gone six without a win before Saturday. We are conscious of it but we have to stay calm, keep working.

"We are a young side with exciting players and I'm sure we will a good run."

Narcis Pelach facing crucial Stoke City period as fan unrest grows

Given that Stoke Sporting Director Jon Walters took a big personal risk by appointing Pelach, he is unlikely to admit he made a mistake just yet, but the 36-year-old's record does not compare favourably with Schumacher.

Schumacher won 13 of his 32 games in charge of the Potters, meaning that Pelach would need to win 10 of the next 16 games to match that record, and that seems highly unlikely on current evidence.

With fixtures against Leeds United, Sunderland and Burnley to come over the festive period, Pelach must pick up results from the next two games against Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday, or he could find himself under serious pressure.