Since their induction to the Premier League in the 2008-09 season, Stoke City have made a name for themselves as one of those teams that are extremely hard to beat a home – but have they lost their Stoke-ness this season?
The Britannia Stadium is a place teams used to fear. Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, among others, all hated going to Stoke. They played a rough and ready, ready to pounce style that had not been seen in the Premier League.
Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth made up the heart of the defence, Asmir Begovic was between the sticks and there was a midfield consisting of some of the most persistent runners and hardest tacklers in the league in Glen Whelan, Matthew Etherrington and Dean Whitehead.
One should hardly need reminding of the weapon that Rory Delap was. The Irishman terrorised teams during Stoke’s early Premier League days, cannoning in throw-ins from the halfway line and bagging a few assists along the way. He was Stoke’s player of the season in 2009 despite not scoring a single goal.
In every Premier league season under Tony Pulis, Stoke City took points away from the majority of their home games, outscoring opposition sides in every season (except Pulis’ final season where they fell short, with 22 for and 23 against).
Under current manager Mark Hughes, Stoke City have finished ninth in each of the last two seasons, which is better than what Pulis (11th) could manage during his five-season stint. They have also enjoyed an increase in goals, enjoying a positive for/against for the first time in the Premier League last year.
But with that has come the abandonment of their ‘Stoke-ness’; the ‘grub’ style that made Stoke a household name over the past seven seasons.
In Hughes’ time in charge he has gradually moved the club away from the culture they brought into the Premier League. Traditionally, Stoke has had a more ‘British’ squad and style.
The signings Hughes has made combined with his team selection sees a far more ‘European’ style Stoke take the field these days. Players like Marko Arnautovic, Marco van Ginkel, Ibrahim Afellay, Bojan Krkic and star signing Xherdan Shaqiri have arrived from across the continent in recent times, transforming Stoke from one of those hard-to-break-down teams to a more conventional tika-taka side.
Such a rapid change in club culture could be the reason the Potters are currently struggling in the current campaign, sitting in a lowly 18th place, without a single win, at home or otherwise.
And the stats are reflective of this. They have three draws and three losses this season having scored half as many as they have conceded at home, a stark contrast to the usual fortress state of the Britannia Stadium.
In Stokes’ defence, they have not had the best run of fixtures, playing Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal and an in-form Leicester City all in the past six weeks. But nevertheless, their start to this year’s campaign has been quite out of character.
Stoke will be hoping to find some of that old Stoke-ness this weekend when they play host to Bournemouth at the Britannia. Bournemouth will not bow willingly and are a team that plays on their own terms and at their own tempo.
If Stoke are unable to wrestle three points away from Bournemouth, Potters fans could be in for one of those seasons where 30 odd weeks are spent with one eye on the relegation zone.
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