Stoke City, which was relegated from the Premier League in May 2018 and is looking for its fifth manager since becoming a Championship club, is in the grip of a deep malaise.
Alex Neil became the latest coach to leave the bet365 Stadium after poor results with 16 defeats in the last 30 matches.
Stoke manager Ricky Martin is working through the process for his next appointment but must also be subject to intense scrutiny after a notable 19 players were signed over the summer with little success.
The club’s former midfielder John Eustace is likely to emerge as a strong contender to replace Neil, whose decision to leave Sunderland in August last year looks like an increasingly bad decision.
Neil was hired as a manager with proven Championship experience and a promotion at Norwich on his CV. He was seen as a no-nonsense, streetwise operator who was tasked with such generous support over the summer to turn Stoke into a challenging team for promotion. But his record is appalling and defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday has left joint-chairman John Coates with no option but to make another change.
Coates was at Stoke’s Clayton Wood training ground on Sunday and will be sorely disappointed as he was so determined to make this appointment work.
Optimism about summer has completely disappeared.
In an open letter to supporters of operations chief Simon King and Martin on 11 May, they said: “We have a vision of what we want our team to look like and a clear plan for how we will get there. What we have ahead is the high-tempo, aggressive, front-foot football we believe you want to see.” “We have a big summer ahead where we will build a squad that can perform and make significant progress for our club.”
The truth is that Stoke are light years away from any of this.
Perhaps the seeds were sown during the disastrous pre-season training camp on the Costa Blanca. The training pitches were terrible and the facilities so poor that one member of staff allegedly injured himself using the weight machine in the gym while performing for the players.
What must the Coates family think of the club’s summer transfer business?
Stoke have worked hard to comply with the English Football League’s profit and sustainability rules by restricting spending over the last two seasons. There was a stage when Stoke were ready to take sanctions but the club’s determination to reduce their cost base was admirable.
The bet365 Stadium was even sold back to its owners before the EFL’s rules on ground sales were changed weeks later.
This focus on finance makes Martin’s disorganized transfer strategy over the summer even more inexplicable.
19 signings were made but Martin somehow managed to unbalance the squad and create a lack of options in key areas.
Despite the funding available, no leaders or quality centre-forwards and defenders have been signed.
Winger Chiquinho, on loan from Wolves, was quickly sent back after a clash with Neil.
Goalkeeper Mark Travers impressed after signing on loan from Bournemouth and was subsequently called up outside the window, leaving Stoke unable to sign a new player until January. While this was unfortunate, it was also a sign of poor planning.
When results went bad, the players were given a week off during the November international break and Neil allegedly went on holiday to Dubai. On their return Stoke lost three on the rebound and conceded nine goals.
Morale was low on the training ground. The departures of popular coaches Kevin Russell, Danny Pugh and Jimmy Hunter did not go down well with some people.
Stoke announced the departure of academy director and former player Gareth Owen, but after speaking to various candidates they wanted him to stay.
The discomfort appears to go deeper than administrators. Gary Rowett was sacked in January 2019 [his dismissal came after just three defeats in 17 league games] still finished eighth [twice] He finished ninth in three of his four seasons at Millwall.
Nathan Jones also impressed after leaving the Potteries, leading Luton to the play-offs for the 2020/21 season and winning the manager of the season award.
Stoke have just won six of their 20 games under Neil and sit just two points above the relegation zone. Relegation to the First League for the first time since 2002 was unthinkable.
No matter who comes, something needs to change.