January transfer report is a concerning sign for Stoke City: View | OneFootball

A 5-0 thrashing at home to Leicester City on Saturday made it three successive defeats for Stoke City boss Steven Schumacher.

There have been some positive signs for the new Potters chief, notably the 3-1 win at Birmingham City on Boxing Day, but you get the feeling the past few weeks will have opened Schumacher’s eyes to just how big the task of turning Stoke around is going to be.

Stoke City’s January window

With his appointment confirmed on December 19, the ex-Plymouth boss didn’t have much time to assess the group, so it’s perhaps no surprise that major changes didn’t take place in the window. Plus, we know how difficult this January was for clubs across the country.

Yet, it appears the lack of activity wasn’t down to Schumacher, as reports emerged after the deadline suggesting that the club were happy to listen to offers for 80% of the playing squad.

On one hand, that’s news that many Stoke fans will like to hear. It’s fair to say that they aren’t exactly enamoured with the current group, who are underachieving, so the prospect of a huge clearout is one they would welcome.

But, this update is a concern for a few reasons.

Firstly, it’s very difficult to make such drastic changes in one or two windows, and now Schumacher is going to have to rely on these players to get Stoke out of relegation trouble.

Secondly, the Staffordshire outfit have been here before. Is it really the case that Stoke keep buying bad players? Obviously, their recruitment has been a problem for the past few years, and it needs to improve, but it’s hard to believe that the individuals they bring in all struggle.

Ryan Mmaee, who was reportedly told he could depart, had impressed with Ferencvaros in Europe and domestically, whilst he has also represented Morocco at international level.

Ben Pearson had established himself as a solid, dependable Championship player over the years, but he hasn’t replicated that form at the Bet365 Stadium.

In truth, we could go through the whole squad, as very few are hitting the heights they’ve shown at different points in their careers.

When that’s the case, you look at the manager, but it’s a similar theme.

Stoke City need a long-term plan

Schumacher is the fifth permanent boss since relegation in 2018, and despite doing well in different roles prior to joining Stoke, none of Gary Rowett, Nathan Jones, Michael O’Neill, or Alex Neil could do the job that was expected.

Therefore, you inevitably look at the top of the club, and whilst the Coates family clearly have the best intentions at heart, they will acknowledge they’ve made big mistakes over the past six years, and not created an environment that can produce success.

The fact they were willing to sanction sales of 80% of the squad indicates that Schumacher will be given full support, but that could prompt more questions.

If Schumacher doesn’t produce results, the next manager will inherit a squad that is full of his players. Is that the way to go? They already have a squad made up of players by four different managers, and it’s not working.

A part of the appeal of Schumacher was his coaching ability. Many players, including several youngsters, improved under his guidance with Plymouth, and he needs to replicate it with the Potters.

Of course, there needs to be a balance, and if he wants to bring in new players, the club should back the boss if the recruitment team are all on the same page. And, the additions of Luke Cundle and Niall Ennis, who Schumacher has worked with before, show they will do that.

Ultimately, though, Stoke are a club who are continuously underachieving, and respected figures from within the game, in different departments, haven’t changed that.

The hope is that Schumacher can rectify that, but there needs to be alignment between all at the club if they are to truly break this alarming cycle.

Stoke could be about to make the same mistake once again.