Mark Hughes is leading the Potters to another steady campaign, but is he slowly leading them backwards?
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes
Stoke City are in the middle of yet another decent season in the Premier League – arguably, the Potters are one of the most stable clubs in England’s top flight.
For that very reason, however, Stoke’s owners may have a tough decision to make come the summer. Currently, the Potters sit in 9th place with 36 points; last season, they had 7 more points at this stage, and also took 9th place.
While Mark Hughes has made a couple of decent signings in the past year – the acquisitions of Joe Allen and Bruno Martins Indi appear to be the most successful, and Saido Berahino is an exciting signing – the Stoke faithful may begin to wonder whether they can achieve more.
Additionally, the bulk of Stoke’s squad are ageing, with a few first team regulars in their 30’s. With the fear of stagnation in fan’s minds, it seems that an overhaul of players may be needed to refresh the mood at the Britannia Stadium.
Stoke made a really poor start to the season, and though the club have pushed on and secured what looks likely to be another mid-table finish, many will want further development, rather than another flat start.
The Potters may look at a club such as Southampton, who regularly change their manager and steadily improve and regenerate year on year. The difference, however, between Southampton and Stoke is that the Saints had already established stability years before, with their strong youth set-up and effective transfer policy.
Stoke are unlikely to remove Mark Hughes from the helm any time soon, but fans of the club will be expecting change and movement in the summer.
Stoke City’s Saido Berahino in action
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