Season Preview: Stoke City

This season is going to be a season of change for those at Stoke City. For the first time since 2005 they will be starting a season without Tony Pulis, and there is a great deal of uncertainty in the air at the Britannia.

I think that it’s only right that I am totally honest from the off here, you know those people who were critical of Stoke? Their style of play, and Tony Pulis? Yeah I was one of those people. Yes he got them into the Premier League and kept them there, but his tenure was also blighted by a lack of ambition and one of the worst styles of football to appear in the top fight for many a year. And by the end of last season they were frankly a poor team that had been poorly managed.

What the media normally failed to mention when talking about Stoke last season, was that there has been some serious money spent there over the last few years. Check this list out.

Crouch £10-12 million

Jones £8 million
Adam £4 million
Palacios £6 million

And although the likes of Woodgate, Owen and Upson were signed for free, there wages were quite substantial, and to add insult to injury especially with Owen he barely played.

So after all that they have a new manager in the shape of Mark Hughes and he is tasked with bringing some new life to what had become a pretty stale squad, and to improve the style of play. But I have to say that I have my doubts as to whether his appointment will have the desired effect. When Hughes did his best work at Blackburn he built the team on a solid foundation sprinkled with the odd bit of attacking talent on top in the form of Bellamy, Bentley and Pederson. But this time around I just don’t think that he has the players.

The only two signings that they will start the season with are Marc Muniesa and Erik Peters; both of which are defenders. The only other signing that they have made is a striker from the MLS called Juan Agudelo who is not arriving until January and is totally unproven at the top level.

This season Stoke really need to progress and try and move forward because they were almost dragged into the serious end of the relegation fight last season and without serious improvement they will be down there again. And with the signings that have been made coupled with a new manager who is trying to change the style of the club and quite a mediocre existing squad I can only see a season of struggle, and I’m not sure that Hughes will see out the season.

If he tries to change the style too quickly there will be a disaster, these things take time. The odd poor result during a transition is expected but poor results during transition could be a nightmare for Stoke. For example, for Everton transition will mean they could finish half way, poor results during transition for Stoke will see them relegated.

I’m sorry Stoke fans but I think it’s going to be a long hard season.  I don’t think your manager will be around by the time we get to May and I think there is a good chance you will get sucked into a relegation fight and lose it. If the Potters do stay up it will be close, but for me personally I believe the trap door beckons.

Verdict: 18^th, Hughes sacked by the end of February.