Ben Pearson: Stoke City midfielder says international break is chance to ‘mentally refresh’
Stoke City midfielder Ben Pearson says they will use the international break as a chance to “mentally refresh” after a difficult start to the season.
The Potters’ new-look squad has been rebuilt with 18 signings made by boss Alex Neil since the end of last term.
Stoke are 21st in the Championship, two points clear of the bottom three, having won just three of their 11 league games.
“I think everyone’s frustrated,” Pearson, 28, told BBC Radio Stoke.
“The fans, the players and the staff – it’s frustrating when you’re not picking up results.
“But you’ve just got to keep plugging away, don’t give in, trust the process and we’ll be fine.”
Stoke’s 2-0 defeat by leaders Leicester City was their third Championship loss in four matches with their last win – a 3-2 victory at Bristol City at the end of September – their only one since beating Watford on 19 August.
Pearson, who was one of the large influx of players this summer, says the scale of the changes at the club are a significant mitigating factor in how they have fared so far.
“I’ve said it for a while now it’s going to take time to gel,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s helped the amount of games we’ve had and the lack of training so players can get used to the system. Obviously injuries haven’t helped.
“Sometimes we look a good side and sometimes we probably don’t – I think that’s what happens when you bring so many new players into the side.”
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With former Newcastle and Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark the latest to join the club, Pearson says being part of the squad refresh has its upsides.
“It’s a breath of fresh air sometimes when new lads come in,” he said.
“We’ve got a breather now – we’ve had a lot of games in the last month – so it’s time to mentally refresh.”
Stoke take on Sunderland at home in their next Championship game after the international break on Saturday, 21 October.
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