Carl Court/AFP/Getty ImagesStoke fans would like to see more aggression out of Tony Pulis' attack when they are away from the Brittania.

Last week Tony Pulis identified Manchester City's riches as the reason Stoke were so far away from them on the day. Today the difference was about 80-90 million pounds against our South London opponents -- but in our favour -- and yet the Potters were unable to make any meaningful chances all afternoon, and are perhaps fortunate to bring the tie back to the Britannia.

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Pulis' comments in respect to wealth and playing the 'minnows' card doesn't really sit well given that the players at his disposal are more than willing, and indeed able, to beat anyone at home. Labelling last week's match as a 'bonus game' was tantamount to waving the white flag before a ball was kicked and to expect that negativity and indifference not to translate to the players is incredibly naive.

Today showed once more that it's not a case of relative riches; it is one of approach and attitude as Stoke continue to struggle away from the home comforts of the Britannia and cringe worthy rhetoric isn't going to mask that fact. So why does Stoke find it so hard to impose themselves on the road? In the early days of their Premier League journey you could justifiably point the finger of blame at Stoke's compact pitch, making it difficult to play on larger ones every other week; that isn't the case anymore though as the club now find themselves having to adhere to standardised dimensions.

To be fair to Pulis, he has made the side more difficult to beat away from home, but the majority of the points gained are from shutting out the opposition instead of putting them to the sword as so often is the case at home. So what is the answer? A lot of it is down to needing pace up front. Away from home, the side will naturally be defending more, so any lone striker is even more stranded than usual; in that respect, bringing Kenwyne Jones in has improved things immeasurably (though the static Peter Crouch started today). The most important consideration though is attitude, and the manager's negativity in approach naturally seeps through to his team. Rather than do all he can to protect the point he came with, he should instead be seeking to take all three where reasonably practicable, as he does at home.

This isn't always possible of course, but I'm sure the players and fans alike would thrive on the opportunity to take the game to the opposition, as indeed they did at Manchester United in a rare glimpse of what is possible. Imagine that positivity and movement against their immediate peers in the league: the side would certainly fare better and would most likely see the return of the many fans who have voted with their feet in opposition to the predictability of attitude and outcome.

It's about having something to shout about, and with the fans fully behind the manager, he might see and hear more of the support that has made the Britannia the fortress it is which in turn would translate to the players. Positivity from the manager and fans is all it needs. The two go hand in hand and if he can take just half of that energy up and down the M6, then anything can happen!

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