"Big ask" - Pundit makes Stoke City, Steven Schumacher claim amid play-off question | OneFootball

The Potters will want to see a big improvement on what they managed to produce last term

Highlights

Last season was a relatively miserable one for Stoke City fans, one which came close to seeing them relegated to the third tier.

As the curtain was drawn on the 2023/24 campaign, the Potters sat just six points above the drop zone, which would have been far too close for comfort for many of their fans.

Manager Steven Schumacher was only appointed midway through last term, so fans will be eager to see what the Stoke boss can do with a full transfer window, pre-season and proper preparation time.

Former England international and pundit, Carlton Palmer, has declared how he sees it going for Stoke this time around.

Carlton Palmer predicts a strong Championship next season

Weighing up the chances for Schumacher's side, it comes down to the strength of the teams around them rather than Stoke's own talent for Palmer.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he said: "The Championship next season, 2024/25, is going to be a very, very good Championship.

"You saw it last season it was very, very competitive to way, way down, late into the season.

"You know, you’ve got the three teams who have been relegated from the Premier League. "The three teams relegated; Sheffield United, I think they’ve got a lot of work to do. They’re also starting the season on minus two, but that’s a long way to go, so you start that early on in the season. But Sheffield United, who came down, I think Chris Wilder’s got a lot of work to do to get them to be challenging at the top end of the table. "Luton Town, who’ve come down, I expect them to be - as long as Rob Edwards stays - they are one of my favourites to go up automatically. He’s a very, very good manager. They gave a fist of it right to the end of the season, so they are going to be very, very strong in the division. "You’ve got Leeds United, who just missed out last year, they’re going to be very strong. "I expect Coventry City to be very, very strong.

"You’ve got Middlesbrough. I think Middlesbrough will kick on next season. They just had a poor start to the season with Carrick, and then they had a really, really good second half of the season."

There's a strong list of heavyweight competitors in the second tier next season, but Palmer doesn't believe all is lost for Stoke.

He continued: "So, it’s going to be interesting. There’s going to be some big money spent from those clubs down there. So, when you’re looking at Stoke City and Schumacher, who did a magnificent job at Plymouth, he managed to keep Stoke City in the division.

"Can I see him guiding Stoke to the play-offs? I think it’s a big ask next season, for them to get in the play-offs, but you’ve seen it in the Championship. If you’re organised, if you’re disciplined, and you get them going, yes, you can be there or thereabouts.

"But, I think it’s a big order for them. I do fancy them to be in the top half of the table, but I do think it’s going to be a big ask for them to be pushing for the play-offs.

"So, we’ll have to see. Like I said, there are some big clubs in that Championship, it’s a very exciting Championship, and we’ll have to see how the season unfolds."

Stoke must walk before they can run next season

The Potters may be wise to take note of Palmer's assessment of the Championship next season and set their expectations accordingly.

Naturally, most fans in the Championship will want their team to be challenging for promotion, especially a team like Stoke who have spent a good portion of the last 20 years in the Premier League.

But what those at the bet365 Stadium must avoid is any knee-jerk decisions if the season doesn't get off to quite the start they would have dreamed of. As Palmer said, there are a lot of strong teams in the league that will have spent a lot of money by the time the first ball is kicked at the start of the next season.

They brought Schumacher in because they believed in his vision for the club, and he should be given sufficient time to put it in place. That may mean a couple of seasons building until the club is ready to mount a strong push for promotion.

A top-half finish is not too much to ask and would mark an improvement on their previous finishes since they arrived in the second tier, which has seen them come 14th at best.

The focus, as Palmer alludes to, should be on improvement rather than stretching resources in an attempt to rapidly improve their current position.

Stoke are right to want to see improvements for 2024/25, but patience could be the key. As Palmer says, the division looks extremely strong next term.