O’NEILL SEARCHES FOR ATTACKING ANSWERS
STOKE City boss Michael O’neill says his side have to be more creative in the final third - but that doesn’t necessarily mean a change in formation.
Stoke were frustrated in drawing 1-1 at home to Birmingham City on Sunday, giving the manager plenty to consider during the international break before his side return to Championship action, away to Luton a week on Saturday.
O’neill had been disappointed by the previous home league game - a 2-0 defeat to Bristol City - but kept the wing-back system which has been effective away from the bet365 Stadium.
He feels playing with a back three, and with two strikers, leaves plenty of attacking players on the pitch, but his side have to be better than they were against Birmingham.
The result, as City rescued a point thanks to Nick Powell’s 86thminute strike, was a disappointing end to the week three days after they won 1-0 at Aston Villa to reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
He said his team have to improve on their efforts against Birmingham having been pleased with the final ball into the area against Villa.
He said: “We just struggle a little bit to find solutions, the final ball hasn’t been good enough.
“There was a lot of onus on the front two players to link the game and they (Birmingham) made it difficult because they were so compact behind the ball.
“But we ended up essentially playing really like 2-4-4. You can’t really be any more attacking than that to be honest.
“You can’t have any more players in advanced positions. We just probably struggled a little bit how to break them down and create opportunities.”
He added: “Sometimes just individual quality is the difference in that situation, the individual player who can maybe open up the defence or a goal from outside the box.
“If a free-kick goes in so we are 1-0 ahead, then their mindset and tactics have to change. They can’t sit behind the ball at 1-0 down, they have to come out and play, and that would have given us the opportunity.
“It is margins like that which can be decisive in the game, unfortunately it didn’t go for us.”
Meanwhile, former Stoke City forward, Eric Maxim ChoupoMoting has wrapped up his move to Bayern Munich on a free transfer from Paris St Germain.
The European Champions confirmed the move with the player signing a 12-month deal.
It represents a remarkable turn in fortune for the striker who was part of the Stoke side that got relegated in 2017/18 only to then leave and secure a move to Paris St-germain.
And now the 31-year-old has hit the footballing transfer jackpot again.
“It’s a great feeling to come back to the Bundesliga - and then to the biggest club in Germany,” he said.
“Who wouldn’t want to play for FC Bayern? It’s an honour to play for this club. At FC Bayern, the aim is always to win everything, and I am highly motivated to achieve these goals.”
Munich’s Sports director Hasan Salihamidži added: “I am happy that we were able to sign Eric.
“He gives our squad a depth on the offensive, especially in the centre, which we will need.
“Eric gained international experience at PSG, he knows the Bundesliga. Eric is coming on a free transfer. It all fits together.”
Choupo-moting scored five goals in 26 Premier League starts for Stoke after arriving on a free transfer from German side Schalke.
Last season he helped PSG reach the final of the Champions League, but they were beaten by
Bayern Munich.