Face the facts.. Sparky could walk away if Stoke figures don’t add up
STOKE chairman Peter Coates has had a pop, saying I know nothing about football finance – and he may be right.
But I do know that when you hear a clap of thunder, it often means a downpour is coming – and in my opinion, there may be storm clouds on the horizon in the Potteries.
I fear Stoke could be in the bottom three after the transfer window shuts because, on paper, their first six games look very difficult.
Although I predicted them to be safe this season, I’m not sure the supporters will hold their nerve.
Last year, Mark Hughes turned things around after a poor start, but I’m not sure Stoke’s transfer business to date this summer has left them strong enough to keep the wolves at bay again.
The arrival of Jese Rodriguez on loan from Paris Saint-Germain is a step forward, but they still look short of firepower. Apart from Saido Berahino or 36-year-old Peter Crouch, who else is going to score the goals?
Hughes says he is happy with the transfer business because most of the players who left were not certain to make the starting XI. But have they brought in enough? I’m not 100 per cent sure. Look, I’ve no desire to pick a fight with Peter Coates or Stoke fans.
This is their 10th season as a Premier League club since Tony Pulis brought them up in 2008 and Coates has done a fantastic job to establish them in the top flight.
I love going to the bet365 Stadium because it is one of the most atmospheric grounds in the country and you can feel the passion for the club.
So I was a bit surprised when Coates said: “The media, managers, coaches and players know nothing about football finance. You should start from that premise before you get the likes of Robbie Savage talking rubbish. I can assure you we spend plenty. Too much.”
Like I said, I don’t know much about football finance – and nor do most of us as clubs keep completing transfers for “undisclosed fees” which pull the wool over supporters’ eyes about the real cost of signing players. But I do know this: If Stoke are in the bottom three next month – and their next five games include Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and a reunion with Pulis at West Brom – there will be fans calling me on 606 to demand Hughes’ sacking, which would be totally unfair.
If that happens, I wouldn’t blame him for wondering if he has taken Stoke as far as he can. Before the Itold-you-so brigade wade in on social media, let’s be clear – there’s a huge difference between being sacked because of poor results and leaving a job of your own volition because some fans will never be satisfied. Cards on the table: Sparky was my idol when I was a kid and, yes, I count him as a mate now. But I don’t believe he deserves to be in the line of fire when Brighton broke their transfer record three times in a month, Watford’s net spend this summer is £40million, and Newcastle, Bournemouth and Huddersfield all spent more than Stoke. FACT: In the past four seasons under Hughes, Stoke finished ninth, ninth, ninth and 13th. In the last five seasons of Pulis’s reign the best they did was 11th – and played less attractive football. FACT: The Potters banked a club record £107m last season. This summer, they got nearly £30m from sales and spent £7m, with compensation for one signing still to be set. By my calculation Hughes is handsomely in profit, but if fans turn on him I would not blame him for walking away. That would not affect my job as a pundit nor increase my knowledge of football finance – but I know it would cost Stoke an awful lot if they let him go and went down.
WHETHER you think Man Utd were scintillating or West Ham were awful, one thing we learned from last Sunday at Old Trafford was written on the tin in capital letters. Romelu Lukaku is going to score a lot of goals for United. That’s why they paid £75m for him.