Stoke City’s Half-Term Report: Potters remain resilient despite injuries as they continue keep pace with the Playoff chase

The Potters sit eighth at the half-way point of this Championship season, despite several long-term injuries to key players, Michael O’Neill’s side is still in the playoff race with two games in hand on teams above.

Stoke have been tipped to finish in the top six by many in recent years since relegation in 2018, and many predicted the Potters to bounce straight back up to the Premier League. Same too as then-manager Nathan Jones introduced his ‘diamond’ system, which would’ve ended up in relegation to League One if not for O’Neill’s miracle workings.

Last season O’Neill’s side got off to a flying start, however, a season ending injury to Tyrese Campbell saw Stoke’s promotion hopes slowly dwindle by the game as they drifted further away from the top six.

The consensus in pre-season was that if the Potters can keep relatively injury free, and make some positive additions in the summer, then perhaps a top half finish could be possible.

Two-time promotion winner with Norwich City Mario Vrancic and Ben Wilmot, who was promoted with Watford last season, were the first through the door at Clayton Wood on permanent deals, followed by Sam Surridge and right-back Demeaco Duhaney.

City also took advantage of the loan market, which has often proved pivotal to previous promoted sides, by bringing in Leo Ostigard and Abdallah Sima from Brighton as well as Romaine Sawyers from West Bromwich Albion.

Three key games so far

Stoke City 1-0 West Brom

A 1-0 win against fellow promotion contenders West Brom saw Stoke assert their intent in this season’s Playoff picture.

High-pressing play from Tommy Smith won back possession for the Potters before a beautifully pinged ball was played to the feet of Nick Powell who gracefully dinked the ball over Sam Johnstone with 11 minutes left on the clock.

Shortly before Powell pounced, Surridge’s penalty was palmed away by the England shot-stopper but most importantly City’s heads didn’t drop as they clinched the winner moments later. Jacob Brown and Vrancic continued Stoke’s attacking barrage by rattling the woodwork.

The Potters felt hard done by after Darnell Furlong’s first half own goal was chalked off after an alleged foul committed by Vrancic in the build up.

At the other end, former Baggie James Chester kept a well deserved clean sheet after a series of brave blocks, along with Wilmot and Souttar.

Stoke City 2-0 Peterborough United

Three on the trot for City as they grinded out a 2-0 win against Peterborough. The first game after the November International break, O’Neill’s side followed up back-to-back away wins with a new-look defence after Souttar’s ligament injury – Danny Batth moved from the left-side of the three to the centre as Chester was reintroduced alongside Ostigard.

Vrancic was in the goals again as his sweetly struck long range effort put Stoke a goal to the good just three minutes in.

The Potters were down to 10 men in the dying embers as Surridge was dismissed by referee Geoff Eltringham after he retaliated to Josh Knight’s challenge.

It was the Bosnian who kick-started City’s final counterattack as Peterborough hunted for an equaliser. Vrancic made a strong and well timed challenge that perfectly fell to the feet of Campbell. In true fashion, the 22-year-old drove towards goal at a rate of knots before twisting inside and out of the Posh defence and lashed the ball into the back of the net, opening his account after almost a year out through injury.

Even when games got gritty and tough against teams further down the division, Stoke proved they could grind out results, a match that they’d have drawn or even lost in years gone by.

Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Stoke City

Following a run of shaky results, Stoke’s first win in the capital since 2015 came in early December against fellow Playoff hopefuls Queens Park Rangers.

Campbell opened the scoring after 14 minutes by neatly rolling his effort into the net after being played in behind by a stunning defence-splitting ball from Vrancic, before the Bosnian got a goal of his own to seal the three points, by caressing the ball into the far corner past Seny Dieng in the second half.

Adam Davies’ heroics between the sticks saw him make nine fine saves throughout the game, which involved a crucial stop to deny Charlie Austin from the spot. The Welshman’s penalty save was the first time in over 12 years that a City keeper has saved a penalty during a league win.

Star players

Mario Vrancic

Vrancic’s performances have been consistently excellent for Stoke with three goals and five assists as of late, the Bosnian has been key for the Potters going forwards this campaign.

Silky, elegant and graceful in possession, City’s number eight can get Stoke on the front foot almost instantly.

Vrancic’s goals have varied, from dancing the Hull City defence in September to driven and curling long range efforts against QPR and Peterborough.

Surprisingly Stoke haven’t capitalised on Vrancic’s pinpoint corners, perhaps because the towering Souttar has been tightly marked by several opposing players, however, a perfectly flighted away-swinging corner against Huddersfield in September met the head of the leaping Brown showing Stoke can convert from the Bosnian’s corners.

In Powell’s absence Vrancic has stepped up and kept City ticking in attack – something that Stoke had struggled to do in previous seasons when without the prolific playmaker.

Vrancic will be Stoke’s signing of the season if his form continues in the way it is, especially given he joined on a free transfer. A fantastic deal which could be a deciding factor in the Potters’ promotion dreams.

Jacob Brown

City’s joint top scorer and lead goal contributor, Brown has had a brilliant start this season with five goals and four assists to his name. His hard working, high-pressing play has seen Brown become a fan favourite at the bet365 Stadium.

A player who last season struggled with confidence in his play, has come back this term and really turned it up a gear. Signs were there in pre-season that Brown had a point to prove, and he has transferred that into league action.

Goals with both feet and his head earned the 23-year-old a call up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for qualifiers against Denmark and Moldova in World Cup Qualifiers.

It was like Deja Vu for Stoke fans who thought their season would fizzle out like years gone by when Souttar picked up his injury for Australia in November, however Danny Batth has stepped up to the plate and operated in the centre of the three in the previous set of fixtures and replaced one of the top young defenders in the division.

Promoted with Wolves and Championship experience a plenty, Batth knows what it takes to be promoted and since his reintroduction to the side in early November (alongside Souttar) there’s certainly been a difference in City’s defensive solidity, and for the better.

Strong, defensively aware and a dominant force in the air with an average of 3.8 areal duels won per 90 minutes, the 31-year-old has also been another experienced asset who has stepped up with an ally on the treatment table.

Although he hasn’t played too much, Batth deserves credit for his recent performances in defence which contributed to keeping five clean sheets in his seven league appearances since becoming a regular in O’Neill’s side.

Underperforming players

Sam Surridge’s start to life at Stoke City got off to a perfect start with goals in consecutive games against Reading and Fleetwood Town. Since then, the 23-year-old has only netted twice in all competitions.

A missed penalty against West Brom and being dismissed after coming on as a substitute against Peterborough has only added to Surridge’s struggles.

A lack of game time has played a factor in the City man’s poor run of form, however the upcoming busy schedule and an F.A. Cup tie against Leyton Orient could provide an opportunity for Surridge to get some minutes and goals.

Abdallah Sima’s loan spell from Brighton has been underwhelming. Bought in during the summer transfer window following a move to the Seagulls from Slavia Prague, the Senegalese attacker was predicted to be a key cog in Stoke’s promotion machine.

Goals against top sides in last season’s Europa League like Leicester City made many tout the 20-year-old to be the Potters’ version of former Aston Villa loanee Tammy Abraham – a player too good for the division?

Sadly, Sima’s loan deal looks to be being cut short in the coming weeks and returning to Brighton, without the chance to get a good run of games in a Stoke City shirt. The Senegalese striker showed pace, power and attacking threat in his cameos, however, due to a series of injury complications Sima has only made two league appearances for Stoke – with only one Championship start in the 2-1 defeat at Derby County.

What’s next?

In January, Stoke should look towards bringing in a left-sided centre back. Stoke have operated a 3-5-2 system this season, and with Ben Wilmot and Leo Ostigard being preferred on the right, this has left James Chester on the left. The experienced Welshman has been strong in games like the home triumphs against Hull and West Brom, however mistakes have cost the Potters points in the clashes against Bournemouth and Cardiff City.

A defensive midfielder would also be a position Stoke should be looking to strengthen in the upcoming transfer window. Sawyers, Joe Allen and Jordan Thompson have all shared holding-midfielder duties this season however this sometimes makes the midfield unbalanced.

Since Glenn Whelan’s departure in 2017, Stoke have struggled to find an out-and-out holding midfielder who can sit, sweep up, defend and start attacking moves.

In terms of form, the Potters now look ahead to back-to-back home ties against Derby County and Preston North End. Two wins with two games in hand against Coventry City and Barnsley puts O’Neill’s side in a nice position in the Playoff picture heading into the New Year.

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