Stoke City handed transfer verdict as relegation fears rejected
Latest Stoke City news from StokeonTrentLive as survey of January transfer business at the bet365 Stadium throws up verdict on club’s relegation prospects and need for summer deals
Stoke City fans still smarting from Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers have delivered a damning verdict on the club’s January transfer business.
Head coach Steven Schumacher oversaw the arrivals of two goalkeepers in Daniel Iversen and Scott Morris, midfielder Luke Cundle and forwards Million Manhoef and Niall Ennis in a mixture of permanent and loan deals.
However, supporters do not believe Schumacher has been given a squad good enough to achieve his goals in the second half of the season. Polled about Stoke’s transfer window, a whopping 73 percent of respondents believed Schumacher had been left exposed by the club’s deals.
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The good news is that 68 percent believe the Potters will live to fight another season in the second-tier, although 22 percent do believe relegation is on the cards. But overall, 76 percent of supporters who took part in the poll described themselves as unhappy with Stoke’s transfer window business.
Particular areas of concern focused on the lack of defensive reinforcements recruited during January, an issue revisited after Stoke shipped three goals in 37 minutes at Ewood Park just a week after leaders Leicester had hit them for five at the bet365 Stadium.
Central defender Ben Wilmot admitted Stoke had conceded “easy goals” at Blackburn, adding: “It was not acceptable – the way we defended, the way we worked.”
