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Stoke City verdicts delivered on Narcis Pelach, midfield decision and 'expecting the Alamo'

Narcis Pelach, Manager of Stoke City
-Credit:Getty Images


Stoke City were left in no doubt about the frustration, disappointment and anger about the side’s form as they played out a home draw with struggling Cardiff.

Narcis Pelach’s team are winless in seven ahead of a trip to Sheffield Wednesday next weekend and a tough triple-header against promotion-chasing Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley. The head coach’s mood in his post-match interviews suggested he understood the urgency of the situation but supporters have been getting in touch with their own thoughts.

Stoke have been unable to escape the Championship bottom half since relegation in 2018 and currently sit 17th with 22 points from 21 games, five points above the bottom three and four points short of the top half. It is a big test of Pelach’s resolve under pressure in the here and now.

READ MORE: Manhoef, Gallagher, Stevens - Stoke City injury news ahead of Sheffield Wednesday trip

READ MORE: Stoke City top brass in need of thick skin as Narcis Pelach knows mitigation only stretches so far

What do you think? Click HERE to join the debate.

John Washington: He needs help. He needs someone with loads of experience in Championship winter football He needs to learn you have to have a plan B. And plan C. Sheffield Wednesday will throw up the same problems as Luton. Three big 6ft forwards with high balls raining into are pen area and they go big defenders who come up for corners. It will be the Alamo. Last season at their place it was the same.

Neil Kirkham: Coach the defence, learn to pass and play 4-4-2 would be a start.

Gary O’Sullivan: There is something wrong at our club, maybe something behind the scenes that us fans don't see. It's impossible to have eight managers since 2018 and they are all rubbish.

It seems there's no plan and if we do have a plan, we rip it up as soon as a manager loses and start again, new manager, new players, new system. I look at us and think, what is our identity these days? We don't have one

And the sad thing it's crept into the stands. The fans are so fed up, the atmosphere is horrendous now.

Darren Williams: Unfortunately most that are making the place are toxic are the ones that every season think we should be up there fighting for promotion! Every week whether we win or lose it’s, ‘We are now xx points away from top six!’

Obviously to them fans they need to open there eyes and see we ain’t a team or club that is good enough to go up, nor a team that's anywhere near good enough to think we only have to turn up to beat certain teams! And that's the one that really boils my guts.

Tim Jenks: If you play with two in midfield you will get overrun. It’s disappointing that he can’t see it when to 20,000 others it’s obvious.

Anthony Clutton: Well, few tough games now and can’t see any points coming our way.

Chris Jones: If Pelach is still in the job in Jan, he needs to stay to work his signings and prove he knows what he is doing. No point letting him bring players in then sacking him like we did with Schuey.

Avtar Devgon: Tough decision for the board.… do you stick with the current set-up and let him bring in his players, or do you change things now? SJW was the saviour last season, but he’s in the same firing line as Scholes when things went wrong at Stoke! We are in a position that most never expected this season.

Mark Gilbert: Listen, Stoke City have screwed up my weekends since 1972. The Cardiff game was Nathan Jones-esque and I fully get the frustration and unhappiness at this well below par performance. We can't keep this revolving door of managers going around it needs to stop. Is Narcis the man? Not too sure. The Jan window is upon us, my opinion is, we see who he brings in, releases and if he can improve results, wins however scrappy or lucky I do not care. In the meantime we, as Stoke City fans, need to fully get behind the team as one.

Mark Whitter: Marginally outplayed by a poor side on our own manor. Rescued a point, ostensibly because their keeper was crap. Not great, is it? Hopefully Lawal, Pearson and Gallagher will add just enough to avoid relegation (yet again). Thing is, most of the alternative available managers currently on the dole have already been employed by us and sacked before.

Here’s a sobering thought: from 1923 (Tom Mather) and 1977 (Waddo’s final game) Stoke made just THREE managerial appointments — that’s over 54 years. During the past six years we’ve had THIRTEEN (including caretakers), presumably soon to be fourteen. Groundhog season.