‘I’M A HUGE FAN OF OUR HE’LL TAKE US UP IF HE’S
STOKE City head into another summer on the back of a 14th place finish in the Championship but what have been the highlights and disappointments of the last few months? What could or should they have done differently and who will be key to making next term better?
It is time for our end of season Stoke City fans’ panel.
The pundits from the stands this time are Northern Ireland-bound RICHARD JAMES; PAUL RUANE, from Trentham; SUE BRYAN, from Meir Park; and SIMON MARSON, from Stone.
WHO OR WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHLIGHT
OF THE SEASON?
Rich James: Highlights have been few and far between again this season with excitement in limited supply.
I guess the single biggest highlight was our best performance of the season at home to West Brom where we played some great football, with real intensity and a sublime winner from Nick Powell.
Paul Ruane: I had hoped that it would be watching live games again, but the disappointing form that followed the home win against the Baggies soon took the shine off that!
My actual highlight was probably the emergence of young talent; Emre Tezgel and D’margio Wright-phillips for the Potters and Connor Taylor on loan at Bristol Rovers.
Sue Bryan: Our great start to the season with an impressive win at Swansea and later at West Brom were my highlights of the season.
Simon Marson: I would go for Jacob Brown. Brown epitomises everything us fans want to see, he gets it, he gives everything and he is improving game by game. A modern-day Jon Walters in my opinion.
The main highlight as a whole would be against West Brom at home. We were brilliant that night.
WHO OR WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT?
Rich James: Injuries, poor form, questionable tactics and confusing team selections vying for top spot.
For me though the worst of the lot (probably due collectively to the aforementioned reasons) was our inability to put a run of results together. No sooner had we started to think we might make some headway, we would more than often find a way to lose a game we shouldn’t.
Paul Ruane: The inability by the squad and management team to produce the kind of consistency required to mount any kind of serious promotion challenge.
Sue Bryan: The way we gradually lost our way and the way we threw games away with schoolboy defending.
Simon Marson: How our season has tailed off once again. I honestly believe though that if we had not lost Souttar we would have been in the top six.
He is a top defender but he also started all of our play. Powell’s injuries have also been a huge disappointment.
WHAT HAS MICHAEL O’NEILL GOT RIGHT OR WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? Rich James: The manager has without
any doubt steadied the ship at Stoke. His financial management of the squad has also been a plus point.
Where I think he has lost sight of what we need to do well at is his obsession with sticking to systems when they aren’t working and often wanting to keep possession of the ball in areas we don’t need to and play at a pedestrian pace. When he first arrived I recall him saying that he’d quickly learned that at this level you just have to find a way to win which eventually ensured we weren’t relegated. To me the theory works irrespective of which end of the table you’re at. Winning football is good football especially after four really poor seasons at this level.
Paul Ruane: Got right: The January transfer window looked like it should have addressed most of the teams’ needs to get us back on track. Done differently: Not stuck with three at the back when it wasn’t producing defensive solidity and attacking creativity from the wing-backs.
Sue Bryan: Michael O’neill gets on with the job quietly, but it’s disappointing that we don’t seem to have made any progress. He never seems to know his best team or formation, and some of his subs have been very strange. Some of the football has been dire but on the positive side we’ve had some great performances. I think next season will be make or break for Michael O’neill.
Simon Marson: I am a huge O’neill fan and I believe he will get us up with time. Slowly he is getting a squad he wants and his work in cutting the wage cost should not be underestimated. Baker has been a top signing and we can expect big things from him next season.
He should also be given a lot of credit for the progression of Josh Tymon and Jacob Brown as well as integrating the likes of Wright-phillips.
My major gripe with him is the goalkeeping situation. If I am honest I believe we sold our best keeper in Davies. I understand why we sold him from a financial point but it has cost us points.
I wished he would have stuck with Bursik as he is the better keeper but I am not convinced he is the answer long term.
WHO ARE YOU TIPPING AS PLAYER OF NEXT SEASON? Rich James: If we are to do well next season then we will need Harry Souttar, Nick Powell, Tyrese Campbell and Lewis Baker to all show the form we know they are capable of.
It looks like there will be plenty of comings and goings again this summer but I’m sure I won’t be alone in hoping we can finally recruit a striker who looks like they could get 20-plus league goals. Paul Ruane: I haven’t got a clue what the financial constraints will mean as