Stoke City star predicts press will call players ‘pointless and useless’

 

Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic is not having the best of international breaks. Austria’s 1-0 loss at home to the Republic of Ireland has left the country’s World Cup Qualifying hopes teetering on the edge.

Austria are currently in fourth place in their Russia qualifying group, behind Ireland, Serbia and Wales. Media in the country aren’t happy and there’s naturally been criticism sent the way of players, and the manager Marcel Koller.

Arnautovic does’t sound too happy with the negatives, and quoted by SportNet in Austria, the Stoke City forward explained: “Tomorrow we can read again that it is over and that we are pointless and useless. My opinion is that we continue to work and look to collect points. Because I do not believe that Ireland will win everything, or Serbia or Wales.”

The positive outlook from Arnautovic doesn’t seem to be one that’s shared by many in Austria. The country’s next qualifier is a must-win match at home against Moldova, and then the Stoke player and his colleagues will travel for tough away games to Ireland and Wales.