{"id":662443,"date":"2025-12-30T12:28:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T12:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/662443\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T12:28:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T12:28:27","slug":"im-not-stupid-mark-robins-reaction-to-divin-mubama-booing-in-stoke-city-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/662443\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I&#8217;m not stupid&#8217; &#8211; Mark Robins&#8217; reaction to Divin Mubama booing in Stoke City defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Stoke City boss Mark Robins makes a plea to his own supporters after defeat to Sheffield United as Manchester City loan striker is barracked<\/p>\n<p>08:46, 30 Dec 2025Updated 09:11, 30 Dec 2025<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_6A8A9760.jpg\" alt=\"Divin Mubama in action for Stoke City against Sheffield United.\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Divin Mubama in action for Stoke City against Sheffield United.(Image: Zac Locke)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mark Robins has urged <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stokesentinel.co.uk\/all-about\/stoke-city-fc\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Stoke City<\/a> supporters not to boo their own players or substitutions after Divin Mubama was barracked during a defeat to Sheffield United.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">England under-21s striker Mubama started out up front alongside Sam Gallagher but was shifted to the right as he struggled to make an impact, then taken off <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stokesentinel.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/stoke-sheffield-united-live-stream-10728111\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">shortly after Sheff Utd scored two quickfire goals<\/a> at the start of the second half.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The 21-year-old has scored five times in 23 appearances <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stokesentinel.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/stoke-city-middlesbrough-divin-mubama-10536388\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">on loan from Manchester City<\/a> but none since a hat-trick against Bristol City on November 1 and supporters sounded frustrated at his work rate. There had previously been groans when he jogged rather than sprinted and challenged unconvincingly for aerial balls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Robins said: \u201cHe knows. What I would say is that he has to be better and understand what is required of him. Perceptions are everything really and you have to make sure that is right first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI understand, I\u2019m not stupid, but I would ask that doesn\u2019t happen because it doesn\u2019t help anybody. If I feel that someone is not performing or underperforming then it is down to me to make sure they do or they don\u2019t start. It\u2019s as simple as that. You have to earn the right to be in the team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cPlayers always pick the team. They always pick the team with their performances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI just ask them to be a little bit more forgiving and let me deal with the other stuff and not to boo. It\u2019s not really what we want to be about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mubama\u2019s withdrawal was in <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stokesentinel.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/stoke-sheffield-united-player-ratings-10728491\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">a quadruple substitution in the 58th minute<\/a> \u2013 but there were even impatient boos when Sam Gallagher was taken off first in that set.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The changes \u2013 Ben Pearson, Lamine Cisse, Bae Junho and Robert Bozenik \u2013 helped Stoke significantly and they got back to 2-1 and were looking for an equaliser before Pearson was sent off in the 88th minute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Robins said: \u201cWe should be together. I also don\u2019t want to have to start thinking about what player to bring off first, like when Gally came off, and when that substitution was booed. That\u2019s not what we\u2019re about, it\u2019s not what this club should be about. That\u2019s not ideal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI get it when things aren\u2019t going right and people aren\u2019t performing I\u2019ll make those changes. I get it if people are underworking because that\u2019s just a prerequisite here. It\u2019s a prerequisite at any club but particularly here. They have to work hard to earn that right to pull the shirt on and represent the people of Stoke, Stoke City supporters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI would also say that Gally cannot play longer than I gave him. Even at half-time, you\u2019re looking and asking, \u2018Can he go again? Can he do a little bit more?\u2019 and I got an hour out of him \u2013 and we conceded the goal and I had to make the changes and the second goal came really quickly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cKnowing we can make changes and improve \u2013 it\u2019s a lesson anyway. We know what our DNA is, what it\u2019s been, we know how we play. That was evident after the changes were made. We\u2019re also looking for solutions to not scoring enough goals or taking enough changes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cThe fact of the matter is that it is us at this minute in time. We need to double down and make sure we are clear (what we\u2019re asking for). Performances we have had have been really good. This one wasn\u2019t anywhere as coherent as the others. We need to perform as we have done and keep doing it and keep doing it until things click. That was evident tonight with how things turned around.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI thought Lamine Cisse did great when he came on, Tomas Rigo needs to play and get that rhythm, Robert Bozenik looked a real handful, a real threat when he came on. The cross that came in from Sorba (Thomas) he should have finished but I\u2019m hoping that over time those things go in for him because he looked aggressive, looked lively.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Your verdict on Mubama? <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stokesentinel.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/stoke-city-coventry-mark-robins-10628146#comments-wrapper\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Click HERE to join the debate<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n<p>This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stokesentinel.co.uk\/affiliates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755484668_801_0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\" alt=\"Content Image\" fetchpriority=\"auto\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a349<\/p>\n<p>\u00a335<\/p>\n<p>Sky<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"AffiliateContent_content-buy-btn__xWiVO buy-btn\" aria-label=\"Buy button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=11005&amp;awinaffid=213635&amp;campaign=&amp;clickref=Regionals-FootballLondon&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fdeals&amp;platform=pl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\">Get Sky Sports here<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky has slashed the price of its <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=11005&amp;awinaffid=213635&amp;campaign=&amp;clickref=Regionals-FootballLondon&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fdeals&amp;platform=pl\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Essential TV and Sky Sports<\/a> bundle for the 2025\/26 season, saving members \u00a3336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">While you&#8217;re here, we have launched a new WhatsApp group to deliver the latest Stoke news directly to your phone. <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/LKaSqZKU1n33fE1SlzOasB\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Click on this link,Link opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Click on this link,<\/a> select &#8216;Join Chat&#8217; and you&#8217;re in. If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking &#8216;Exit Group&#8217;, simple as that.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Every day, the StokeonTrentLive football desk strive to deliver news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Stoke City content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Our dedicated reporter Pete Smith &#8211; who you can follow on X by <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PeteSmith1983\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"[object Object] Link opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\">clicking here <\/a>&#8211; follows Stoke home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">With so much going on, we send out a daily free Stoke City newsletter which you can sign up for &#8211; and means you&#8217;ll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. 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