Nathan Jones has given a few interviews over the last couple of years talking about the value of what he learned during his difficult time at Stoke City. So has Gary Rowett and so inevitably will Alex Neil.
But what about the club they left behind? What lessons can be learned from the last six seasons that can be used for Stoke’s own benefit, rather than just the development of their ex-managers, heading into another important summer transfer window, hopefully in the Championship?
The best and most convincing argument I have heard from previous regimes has come from Michael O’Neill and Andy Cousins, who took on a major economisation of the squad to stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play rules with a view to a comprehensive rebuild, which was ultimately overseen by Neil in the summer of 2022.
The biggest thing they took away from their time at Stoke was the importance of having the budget on the pitch. There was a time early in O’Neill’s reign, for example, when the players out of the match day squad doing a pre-game fitness drill were taking home a combined £200,000-a-week, which wouldn’t be far off the total weekly wage bill at Ipswich Town this term.
This season, following that almighty recruitment drive, Stoke have given league minutes to 35 different players but only one, Michael Rose, has started more than 30 of the 40 league games. Only seven have started more than half the games, so 28 players who have started fewer than half and senior figures such as Wesley, Daniel Johnson and Ciaran Clark are not making the match day squad at the moment.
A couple might have been unlucky with injuries at points but that is too big a chunk of the budget going on players who cannot hold down a shirt. Neil and Ricky Martin signed eight wingers for a combined £9 million but were priced out of a move for Jaden Philogene, who went to Hull for £5m instead – and they could already sell him for a lot more now.
It’s a familiar story. Stoke have made 41 permanent summer signings over the last six years trying to find a way of winning in the Championship but only one so far, Sam Clucas, has gone on to start more than 100 league games for the club – although there are two or three who are still in the changing room and should have a century in their sights at some point down the line.
Only two, Nick Powell and Jacob Brown, have scored more than 20 league goals for Stoke – coming at a strike rate of a goal every 4.1 appearances for Powell and one every 4.8 for Brown.
They haven’t been able to find enough players to hang a hat on down the spine of the team and it has felt like a continuous search for a number one goalkeeper, dominant centre-half, reliable left-back, a game-changing winger and goal-scoring striker.
It feels like the focus has to be on trying to resolve those issues in the starting XI this year. Concentrate on the first team.
Better to sign five or six players who are serious Championship players rather than a dozen who might be a little better than what’s currently in Steven Schumacher’s squad but won’t significantly change the dial.
That’s not to say that five or six signings will turn Stoke into a force in this division but it is a fool’s errand to try to do everything in one window – and if Stoke haven’t learned that by now, they never will.
Stoke City summer business since relegation
2018
Permanent/loans to permanent: Peter Etebo (37 starts, 8 sub appearances, 2 goals), Adam Federici (8-0-0), James McClean (82-20-12), Tom Ince (73-21-12), Sam Clucas (106-25-18), Benik Afobe (33-13-8), Ryan Woods (34-1-0)
Loans: Ashley Williams (27-6-1), Cuco Martina (17-0-0)
2019
Permanent: Jordan Cousins (23-16-0), Adam Davies (33-0-0), Lee Gregory (25-21-7), Liam Lindsay (17-3-1), Nick Powell (83-28-27), Stephen Ward (15-0-0), Tommy Smith (91-6-3)
Loans: Scott Hogan (4-9-3), Cameron Carter-Vickers (12-0-0), Mark Duffy (1-5-0)
2020
Permanent: Morgan Fox (64-6-0), James Chester (48-1-0), Steven Fletcher (46-26-12), John Obi Mikel (35-4-0), Jacob Brown (96-29-26)
Loans: Angus Gunn (14-1-0)
2021
Permanent: Ben Wilmot (89-6-5), Jack Bonham (52-1-0), Mario Vrancic (24-6-3), Sam Surridge (6-14-2), Demeaco Duhaney (3-0-0)
Loans: Leo Ostigard (12-1-1), Romaine Sawyers (19-6-2), Abdallah Sima (1-1-0)
2022
Permanent: Aden Flint (9-0-0), Josh Laurent (53-10-5), Dwight Gayle (35-10-3), Liam McCarron (0-0-0)
Loans: Harry Clarke (9-9-2), Gavin Kilkenny (1-2-0), Will Smallbone (35-5-3), Tariqe Fosu (13-7-0), Liam Delap (14-8-3), Dujon Sterling (24-2-0)
2023
Permanent: Enda Stevens (13-2-0), Ben Pearson (22-7-0), Michael Rose (32-2-1), Daniel Johnson (19-7-2), Andre Vidigal (17-9-5), Wesley (5-15-0), Ryan Mmaee (16-7-3), Nikola Jojic (0-1-0), Mehdi Leris (17-8-2), Wouter Burger (29-4-2), Bae Junho (20-12-2), Lynden Gooch (19-10-2), Junior Tchamadeu (9-4-0)
Loans: Ki-Jana Hoever (30-5-3), Chiquinho (1-2-0, Mark Travers (13-0-0), Luke McNally (30-2-2), Sead Haksabanovic (9-8-1)
Skeleton Stoke City squad for next season
GK: Jack Bonham, Scott Morris, Tommy Simkin
RB: Junior Tchamadeu
LB: Liam McCarron
CB: Michael Rose, Ben Wilmot, David Okagbue, Matty Baker, Jaden Dixon
CM: Wouter Burger, Josh Laurent, Lewis Baker, Daniel Johnson, Ben Pearson, Sol Sidibe
RW: Million Manhoef, Lynden Gooch, Mehdi Leris
LW: Bae Junho, Andre Vidigal, Nikola Jojic
CF: Ryan Mmaee, Niall Ennis, Nathan Lowe, Emre Tezgel
Out of contract/loan players
Daniel Iversen, Enda Stevens, Ki-Jana Hoever, Luke McNally, Ciaran Clark, Jordan Thompson, Luke Cundle, Sead Haksabanovic, Wesley, Tyrese Campbell, Frank Fielding, Tom Edwards, D’Margio Wright-Phillips, Blondy Nna Noukeu
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