"A concern" - Sky Sports pundit drops Stoke City, Narcis Pelach claim after Steven Schumacher "gamble" | OneFootball

Don Goodman has given his view on Narcis Pelach's current struggles at Stoke City.

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman admits that Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach needs to deliver results soon if he is to keep his job at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke made the controversial decision to sack Steven Schumacher in September just five games into the season, replacing him with Pelach, but it is fair to say the change has not worked out so far.

After the 2-2 draw at home against fellow strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday, the Potters are now without a win in their last seven games, and pressure is starting to build on Pelach, but the Spaniard insisted post-match that he can turn his side's fortunes around.

"I'm disappointed with the performance, I'm angry. I take responsibility for this, when it happens, it's my responsibility. It's down to me. I make the decisions, I'm the one taking training, I'm the one speaking to the team, I'm the one deciding everything. It's not frustration," Pelach told the Stoke Sentinel.

"I will work as much as I can, I'll do as much as I can and frustration is a big word. I believe I can turn this around, of course, I've been in worse positions in my life than this, it's not a problem."

Pelach has won just three of his 17 games in charge of Stoke so far, and with the club currently sitting 17th in the table, five points clear of the relegation zone, fears of another survival battle are increasing.

Don Goodman on Narcis Pelach's Stoke City future

Speaking via CoinPoker, Goodman admitted that Pelach's position could soon come under threat at Stoke, but he believes that the Potters board will give him more time, particularly as they took such a big risk in appointing him.

"Stoke City clearly saw something happening during Steven Schumacher's time at the club that they weren't happy with, so they made the decision to replace him with Narcis Pelach, which was a huge gamble," Goodman said.

"Regardless of the fact it was a gamble, the hierarchy would have expected better from Narcis Pelach. They have no wins from their last seven games and just three wins in 17 under him. However, this appointment and the decision to replace Schumacher is on the hierarchy and, based on that, you would expect them to remain patient with Pelach and maybe even back him in January.

"At the minute they have a five-point buffer over the relegation but if it gets much worse the hierarchy will have a huge decision to make. That's because this is a team which is conceding goals and conceding so many chances. It has to be a concern and you do feel like the pressure is building on Narcis Pelach.

"The backing of the supporters is important and I don't think it would take many more negative results for the atmosphere to become a little bit toxic at the Bet365 Stadium. But that was the risk the hierarchy took when appointing him and replacing Steven Schumacher.

"It's not quite working out how they would have hoped."

With the fan base becoming increasingly frustrated, there is no doubt that Pelach needs results quickly to save his job at Stoke.

The Potters would have known it was a gamble to appoint Pelach as he had no previous managerial experience, but as Goodman says, they would surely have expected more from the 36-year-old, and three wins in 17 games is an alarming record.

After the game at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, Stoke face three tough fixtures against promotion contenders Leeds United, Sunderland and Burnley, and further defeats in those matches could spell the end of Pelach's tenure.