Stoke City got the kickstart they need for their campaign.

 

Because the team experienced a totally different summer, there were different expectations going into this season for the Stoke players.

After Alex Neil’s first season as manager didn’t go as planned, the team chose to support him and give him complete control over the playing roster.

Many players were acquired from other teams, signed as free agents, or agreed to terms on loan. Although the team had a decent start, things quickly started to go south, and the Potters spent the majority of this season in the bottom half.

Stoke chose to fire Neil after 16 months in command following the team’s earlier this month loss to Sheffield Wednesday served as the last straw.

Stoke City appoint Steven Schumacher as manager

Despite being at the bottom of the table, many people will still find the hotseat to be appealing, as seen by the few names associated with it.

It was discovered that the club was eager to appoint Schumacher, of Plymouth Argyle, as their new manager.

Stoke then proved they had their man on Tuesday night when the 39-year-old signed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the Bet365 Stadium.

Schumacher hasn’t managed a team in a while because his first position was at Plymouth, where he assisted in leading the team to both promotion and a championship run.

Schumacher will face immediate pressure to improve the team’s performance since he joins a team that is fighting for both safety and victories.

This affords every Stoke player a new opportunity at the club, although it might be argued that Schumacher must maximize Andre Vidigal’s potential if the Potters are to move up the league.

Steven Schumacher needs to revitalise Andre Vidigal

As previously said, all of the existing Stoke players will view this management change as an opportunity to begin their careers at the football club anew.

However, some of these players will be aware that their performance under Neil wasn’t up to par, while others struggled to regain their form after losing it during the previous administration.

Vidigal is one player who may be classified as falling into the latter group because he had an incredible start to the season.

The winger netted two goals in the team’s opening-day victory over Rotherham United, and he scored three goals in the first four Championship games. However, after scoring his final goal in the Potters’ September loss to Hull City, Vidigal has found it difficult to contribute consistently.