Irish internationals who once pulled on the Stoke jersey are developing a habit criticising former teammates at the Britannia - and doing so on Match of the Day 2 Extra.
Late last year, Jonathan Walters spared no bullets when speaking about Marco Arnautovic. The Austrian international, believed Walters, was not the type you could rely on in a relegation scramble.
On Sunday, Shay Given had some thoughts regarding Xherdan Shaqiri's comments about his Stoke teammates. The Swiss international had taken advantage of the international break to let loose his tongue.
"The feeling that even a Ronaldinho could do little in this team is sobering," said Shaqiri.
I had to realise that it's a bit different when you have players like Ribéry and Thiago at Bayern or Icardi and Kovacic at Inter.
Here at Stoke I can not exert too much influence, simply because there is a lack of quality around me.
He added that it would take some remarkable work in the transfer market this summer to revive his motivation to play for the club.
"Shaqiri's comments this week were really out of order," Given said on the BBC.
He added that if he was still in the Stoke dressing room, Shaqiri would find himself in a headlock.
"They've got seven games to go; they're in a dogfight and he's saying the players around him aren't good enough.
"That, for me, would be nearly wanting to get him in a headlock in the changing room because you're supposed to be in it together and the last thing you need is players going off on international duty and saying these players aren't good enough."
Given, who was released by Stoke at the end of last season, said that despite no longer being employed by the club, he's still angry about Shaqiri's comments.
People like Ryan Shawcross, Charlie Adam, Geoff Cameron - all these experienced players - are still there. These players will be thinking - I can't really say it so explicitly on the TV - but they'll be very angry from those comments. I'm even angry and I'm not at the club anymore.
For a fellow player, in the same team, to come out with that sort of stuff - especially with 27 points and seven games to go. If he wants to come out and say that sort of stuff, maybe in the summer [it would be OK]. He's making himself out to be some sort of superstar in a poor team and that's not going to get you anywhere.
