QPR have a second meeting with shithouse specialist Alex Neil already this season following his defection from Sunderland to Stoke — we speak to dan from the Every Step Along The Way Podcast (prior to a big midweek win at Hull) about what he’s expecting.
How was last season?
A carbon copy of the previous season. We started really well, were third in November (just like 20/21), then lost our most influential player (just like 21/22) and struggled to create chances when Nick Powell was missing through injury (see most seasons). The season petered out quite quickly and we ended in our now familiar position of fourteenth.
Stoke’s league results so far…
Millwall 2-0 Stoke Cresswell 12, 65
Stoke 2-0 Blackpool Clarke 33, Brown 75
Huddersfield 3-1 Stoke Nakayama 40, Ward 77, Rhodes 86 — Baker 56
Stoke 2-2 Middlesbrough Brown 19, Wright-Phillips 90 — Watmore 38, Jagielka og 63
Stoke 0-1 Sunderland Stewart 45
Blackburn 0-1 Stoke Baker 27
Stoke 1-1 Swansea Campbell 90 — Piroe 6
Reading 2-1 Stoke Joao 2, pen 57 — Wilmot 40
Hull 0-3 Stoke Baker 25, 64, Wilmot 45
How's this season started?
Well losing the manager in the first month certainly tell its own story. Add in we’ve lost last year’s player of the season (from this podcast anyway) Josh Tymon for 8-10 weeks and our most creative player Nick Powell only made his first appearance last week and the injury jinx we’ve had for the last three years doesn’t appear to be budging. A first round cup defeat to Morecambe just about sums up where we’re at. In all seriousness though there are positives though: Tyrese Campbell is looking sharper and the one game where we had the majority of the first XI fit we looked very good versus Blackpool.
Michael O'Neill didn't last long, what are your opinions on that?
I was shocked at the time, not because we weren’t doing well but more the timing of it. I felt we would have given him at least until the World Cup, especially with Souttar not back until October time - there I go mentioning injuries again. I supported him until the end, long after many had turned, but was more feeling he had been unfortunate with circumstances around injuries (sorry) and finances.
Seemed a bit odd to give him the whole summer and most of the window and then sack him for stuff you already knew about from last season, no?
Yeah really strange. Why let him bring in ten players and then sack him six games in.
Thoughts on Alex Neil?
Well, I was underwhelmed when he was linked, and then appointed, but after doing a bit more research on him and how fans of his former clubs felt about him I’m feeling a lot more confident. I think we need a stern hand to push this young squad on and he seems to be that but also quite a fluid tactical mind to go with it which is quite rare in recent Stoke manager history, we’ve usually had manager who are stuck in their ways.
How did your window go?
Interesting! Brought in half a squad, released the last of the big earning ‘legacy’ contracts and ended up with a young side sprinkled with a few 32+ veterans. For the most part this season we’ve only had one player, Lewis Baker, available who is between 25 and 31 which I believe is a massive reason for our struggles at times but the fact remains with profit and sustainability (FFP) still hanging over us from the Rowett splurge of 2018 we simply can only afford to give youngsters experience or pick up the old uns happy for one last contract. That being said Dwight Gayle was a real highlight signing and the effect he’s already had on people like Jacob Brown’s movement is clear to see. Gayle himself has had four goals ruled out for offside (two very debatable ones) and one for a foul on the keeper (yes one of those fouls given) so has been really unlucky but signs are there that he’s still got goals aplenty in his locker.
Ins >>> Liam McCarron, 21, LB, Leeds, Undisclosed >>> Josh Laurent, 27, CM, Reading, Free >>> Aden Flint (I refuse to believe this guy hasn’t played for Stoke before), 32, CB, Cardiff, Free >>> Dwight Gayle, 32, CF, Newcastle, Free >>> Will Smallbone (stop it), 22, CM, Southampton, Loan >>> Gavin ‘Oh My God You’ Kilkenny, 22, CM, Bournemouth, Loan >>> Harry Clarke, 21, CB, Arsenal, Loan >>> Tariqe Fosu, 26, LW, Brentford, Loan >>> Liam Delap, 19, CF, Man City, Loan >>> Dujon Sterling, 22, RB, Chelsea, Loan
Outs >>> Benik Afobe, 29, CF, Millwall, Undisclosed >>> Alfie Doughty, 22, LW, Luton, Undisclosed >>> Demeaco Duhaney, 23, RB, Istanbulspor, Undisclosed >>> Joe Allen, 32, CM, Swansea, Free >>> Tom Ince, 30, RW, Reading, Free >>> James Chester, 33, CB, Derby, Free >>> Steven Fletcher, 35, CF, Dundee Utd, Free >>> Mario Vrancic, 33, AM, Rikeka (Croatia), Loan >>> Tommy Smith, 30, RB, Boro, Free >>> Tom Edwards, 23, RB, Barnsley, Loan >>> Peter Etebo, 26, CM, Aris Saloniki, Loan >>> Liam McCarron, 21, LB, Port Vale, Loan
Surely knocking on the FFP door soon with the last two sets of accounts?
We managed to beat the rule changes and sell the stadium to ourselves, Bet365 own us and they now own the ground, and they paid £70m+ for it which has hopefully seen us keep away from any points deductions. The main issue is the wage bill was huge when we got relegated due to handing out new contracts on PL money to half a dozen players and entrusting Gary Rowett with spending £50m+ on Championship players. The last of those have now gone with Joe Allen and his reported £57k a week wages off the books but the damage has been done and MoN had his hands tied financially since his walked through the door. Due to the timeframes of FFP and the stadium sale we should in fact start feeling more relief on it from next season.
Revised expectations for the season?
Well rather crazily all three of us here went with us finishing sixth. The fact we just sneaked into the play offs probably said all you need to know about how much was confidence in that outcome and how much was the heart speaking. Some are saying they will be happy to stay up. I think we’ll get our act together when this manager has settled and finish 8th-12th.
Links >>> Stoke City official website >>> Stoke Sentinel — Local press >>> The Oatcake — Message Board >>> The Wizards of Drivel — Podcast >>> Every Step Along The Way — Podcast
The Twitter @loftforwords, @everystepalong
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