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Gary Rowett is demanding an improvement from his players this weekend - against a team that could be a slight upgrade on Leeds United in certain departments.

Rowett certainly isn’t looking down his nose sniffily at Brentford, the kind of name that might have some ex Premier League players and fans counting the points beforehand.

The Bees, fresh from last week’s 5-1 drubbing of Rotherham at Griffin Park, finished just six points outside the play-offs in ninth spot last season.

And Rowett, despite his Derby beating them 3-0 at Pride Park last term, needs no crash course in the threat they pose to a Stoke side evidently needing time to acclimatise to the Championship judging by last week’s efforts at Leeds.

“I’m expecting a good side,” Rowett cautioned ahead of his home debut as manager. “If you think Leeds had good movement, Brentford have very good movement.

“They’ve got energy, they are always a young side, one that tries to play out from the back through the thirds, so we are going to have to be at our best.

(Image: PA)

“We are certainly going to have to start with a lot more energy and more determination to fight than we did on Sunday.”

Rowett lines up in front of his own fans for the first time at the bet365 and wants a performance and result that sets something of a template for the season ahead at HQ.

“It’s going to be a great experience for me in my first home game as Stoke City manager,” he reflected.

“You hope to hit the ground running straight away, but we’ve got a lot of players who’ve come back later (from the World Cup) and players who’ve not been fit and have been catching up, so there’s a lot of variables where you can understand why we weren’t at full tilt last Sunday.

“But we haven’t got time to think about it.”

Brentford, managed by their increasingly impressive former Walsall boss Dean Smith, can be regarded as hardened Championship material as they kick off their fifth campaign at this level having never failing to finish outside the top-10 in their previous four - ending in 5th, 9th, 10th and 9th places.

(Image: PA)

Which suggests Rowett is not simply scaremongering to trigger a reaction from his players, and forewarn expectant Stoke City supporters, when he says: “We have to be ready against a very good Brentford side that moves the ball fantastically well and quickly with lots of energy and we have to match that energy.

“If we do, we will cause Brentford lots of problems.

“We’re at home and it’s up to us to show the desire and drive that Leeds showed in their first home game.”