Yahoo Sport 
People warned me Stoke City was a hard place to be a coach but they were wrong
Narcis Pelach admits he was warned about the job he was taking on at Stoke City but, two-and-a-half months in, he’s pointing to a list of reasons why he’s still excited and enthusiastic to be the club’s head coach.
Pelach had been waiting for an opportunity to step up and be the boss after spells working alongside Carlos Corberan and David Wagner at Huddersfield and Norwich respectively. He replaced Steven Schumacher in the bet365 Stadium hot seat in September and lost his first couple of games ,but has then only been defeated once in the next 10. He’s not won as many as he’d like though – and it’s a tough game today at home against Burnley – but he’s been encouraged by a team adapting to a very different approach.
He was aware that he was the eighth manager since the start of 2018 to take on this challenge but rather than be daunted, he namechecks the fan base, the history and a united changing room as reasons to be positive.
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He said: “I came here as a rival to Stoke City over the last four years and when I came here it was always more or less the same chat, ‘Yes, they have a very good squad but depending on the moment you play against them they look very good or they look very bad.’ It didn’t seem to be anything in between. I remember coming with Huddersfield and thinking Stoke were flying because they were in a good moment but then when I came with Norwich last season we won easily.
“A lot of people talked to me about taking this job before I came. People were saying this was a hard place to coach.
“But then I am here and I don’t feel that. I feel excitement. Maybe it’s me and people feel differently to me, but I feel excited, I feel enthusiasm, I feel positive. I go to the stadium and I think it’s nice, 24 or 25,000 in the stadium against Burnley, we have support, it’s a club with history, a very good size and we have a dressing room here ready to fight.
“I don’t know how dressing rooms were here before I came but I can talk about the one that’s here now and it’s positive and healthy. Players are ready to fight, fans – when we play at home – if you give them a little bit they just give you things.
“Ok this weekend we have a tough game but the best teams come to your stadium in the Championship and we have been unbeaten at home for a little bit now, six matches, and it can start to be a difficult place for opponents. Opposition coaches are saying that because we play with energy and we are organised.
“So I feel positive, really positive.”
Pelach admits that he is only a few weeks into a long journey and although he is encouraged by steps taken so far, he knows there are many more ahead to make sure Stoke can pull up in the direction he wants.
But he said: “I’m enjoying it a lot. I would do it for free. It’s my job and I love to do it and then I was given this scenario, this place. I’m going to do everything I can to make it work.
“There are some things that are out of your hands but I will do everything I can and try to pass on a joy and enthusiasm every day to the players. Players are enjoying the process and are enjoying the days.
“It’s hard because we work a lot but we’re making something new I think for them as well. The way I work is different and different coaches bring different things to say things, different ideas. Maybe they needed that – or maybe not, it’s a question for them! – but what I feel is really positive.
“I really feel we can do things here. We will need a bit of luck at some point but it’s going well and the level of enthusiasm is very high and that’s the first step.”
