It seems Stoke City are doing everything they can to wipe away the defensive traces left by Tony Pulis.
Pulis, their former gaffer, instilled defensive solidity above all else, a mentality that eventually staled his time at the Britannia Stadium. Mark Hughes, his successor, has brought with him considerable attacking zest, but has seen his side’s fortitude at the back waste away, particularly over the last 11 league fixtures; they have conceded four goals on an astonishing six occasions over that run. It is concerning in the extreme, and Hughes has said as much.
“Clearly we didn’t have a strong start last year and turned our season round,” said the former Wales manager. “The concern at the moment is we’re conceding too many goals. If we don’t improve that, we don’t have a chance of winning games. We have to be more solid and resolute.
4 – Stoke have conceded four goals in six of their last 11 Premier League games. Woeful.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 18 September 2016
“Once we start doing that we can kickstart our season. But we’ve got a decent dressing room and experienced players who know how to win games in the Premier League. At some point that will come to the fore.”
Crystal Palace were the latest team to hand the Potters a pasting, and with Pulis’s West Brom up next, fresh off punching four goals past West Ham on Saturday, there is a foreboding sense that things might get worse before they get better.
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