POTTERS LEAVE BOSS ISSUES TO
MICHAEL O’neill will be scratching his head when he reflects on Stoke City’s start to the season. The Potters are not in action this weekend because of the international break... and that will give Michael plenty of time to work out his next move.
It’s five points from the opening four matches for Stoke, but will O’neill be pleased with that? I don’t think he will be, overly.
Yes, we know the Championship is an unpredictable beast at the best of times, but there are different factors in play for Stoke.
They have enjoyed an excellent run in the Carabao Cup, knocking out Premier League sides Wolves and Aston Villa on their way to the quarter-finals.
But after those two ‘giantkillings’ they have failed to back up an impressive cup performance with significant results in the league.
After beating Wolves, they lost at home to Bristol City, and the Villa win was followed by Sunday’s 1-1 home draw with Birmingham.
Michael would have been well within his rights to believe that after watching those two cup successes that league points would be bagged in the next match.
However, the Potters are sat there with just one point from two matches at the bet365 Stadium.
It’s a real head scratcher. There have been team changes, but how can you go from knocking out Premier League sides to not beating a Championship side?
The fact both league matches were at home is also important. All managers look at home form to be strong if they want to be successful.
It’s not a worry yet, although Michael will be keen to get to the bottom of why they haven’t been able to back up their cup heroics.
There is also the question about expectation. After the impact the manager had last season, fans - and pundits - tipped the Potters for big things this season.
I’m not saying that they won’t achieve, but dealing with pressure is an art in itself.
We see year after year that the sides who drop down from the