Now in their 7th Premier League season, Stoke City have established themselves as a fixture of English top flight football. They now sit only seven points behind media darlings Southampton with ten games to go. But the negative attitude towards The Potters’ accomplishments go on, why?
It is of little doubt when Stoke were promoted, under former boss Tony Pulis, they played a style which suited their personnel. Physical and uncompromising, effective but at times, unpleasant to watch.
The mini climate at the Britannia Stadium has always been used as a measuring stick for any player. ‘Good, but could they do it on a wet and windy night in Stoke?’
The phrase is still tirelessly churned out to this day, even though the modern day Stoke City is an entirely different animal to the one that Pulis bought up and established in the top division.
Where once the powerful Mamady Sidibe, would flick on the trademark Rory Delap missiles. It is now Mame Biram Diouf, finishing off a through ball from the mercurial Bojan.
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Mark Hughes has transformed his side into one whom can play good, aesthetically pleasing football, but still mix it with the best as and when they need to.
With a run in, that on paper looks like one that could reap a lot of points, Stoke City have a very realistic chance of breaking their own points record. Hughes is in a period of serious progression for the Potters, but the old stereotypes still persist.
Even in the summer, something as simple as transfer fees were wildly over exaggerated. Figures were banded around that were nowhere near the actual facts. Stats to show how compared to the brilliant Southampton, they have thrown money around. Nothing of the sort.
Although, they haven’t reached the dazzling highs that Southampton did earlier in the season, they now seem poised to not only match the Saints, but to overtake them. However, few column inches have been filled with the rise of Stoke City, few column inches are filled with calls for Stoke players to be drafted into the England side.
Praising Stoke is still seen as an admission you like the ‘dark side’ of the game, but it is coming to a time when those old clichés involving them, hold fewer and fewer truths. Yes, they can still ‘mix it’, but what side doesn’t? It is almost impossible to expect any side, bar the real world class outfits to not play football to suit their players.
Mark Hughes has not only rebuilt his own reputation, following his disastrous spell at QPR, but is in the process of transforming the reputation of the Midlands club.
Come May, for all the plaudits and adulation of Ronald Koeman’s Southamton side, it may be Stoke City who finish top of the rest in this season’s top flight.
I’m sure the fans of The Potters, may be happy to go quietly under the radar.
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