In the summer, The Bet365 Stadium exuded a cautious optimism as the team aimed to improve on its 16th place result from the previous season in Alex Neil’s first full season in command. An astounding 18 new players had joined the team.
After years of mid-table mediocrity, a 4-1 victory over Rotherham United on the opening day of the season gave supporters cause for celebration and many believed this would be the year the club were finally contending for promotion.
Stoke fans, meanwhile, would kill for mid-table, considering their current circumstances—the team is very close to being demoted to League One.
After Alex Neil left in December, Steven Schumacher took over, but under the former Plymouth manager, things have grown even worse.
Although it is unclear if Stoke would fire Schumacher, if he does depart, they will likely struggle to find a suitable replacement because of the club’s far more serious issues.
At first glance, the Stoke work ought to be among the finest in the Championship.
Thanks to the Coates family, who owns the club, the Potters are a well-established Premier League team with financial support. Recent transfer windows have demonstrated that the team is willing to spend money on improving its roster.
With a number of internationals and former Premier League players on their roster, many believed that the club would be promoted back to the Championship at their first try after being demoted in 2018.
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