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Stoke City: Three hopes, one fear

By Sean Maslin

MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Stoke City fans welcome their team to the Riverside Stadium during the Premier League match between Middlesbrough and Stoke City at Riverside Stadium on August 13, 2016 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Stoke City fans welcome their team to the Riverside Stadium during the Premier League match between Middlesbrough and Stoke City at Riverside Stadium on August 13, 2016 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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Stoke City's Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (L) runs ahead of Sunderland's Dutch defender Patrick van Aanholt (R) during the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, central England on April 30, 2016. / AFP / LINDSEY PARNABY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP/Getty Images)
Stoke City’s Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (L) runs ahead of Sunderland’s Dutch defender Patrick van Aanholt (R) during the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, central England on April 30, 2016. / AFP / LINDSEY PARNABY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP/Getty Images) /

Hope #1: That Xherdan Shaqiri can live up to his salary.

Last season, Shaqiri made one of the big surprise moves leaving Inter Milan for Stoke. But despite coming into the club with high expectations and a high salary Shaqiri underperformed and the Potters finished in ninth place.

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The good news for Potters fans this season is that Shaqiri has already scored half as many goals in three matches as he did last season. All joking aside, Mark Hughes’ side need the Swiss international to help set up scoring opportunities. Shaqiri will never factor into any Golden Boot conversations but he is very good at delivering quality chances into strikers.

Looking at his best work with Bayern Munich Shaqiri showed that he has the ability to free up strikers angling his passes into open space for attackers in ways that give them the advantage over their  defenders. Stoke might not have a Claudio Pizarro or a Mario Mandzukic, but they do have Wilfried Bony and Mame Diouf two very capable strikers.

What will be interesting to see is how Joe Allen can help Shaqiri realize his potential. With a true defensive midfielder on their roster Shaqiri can move more into a center-mid position and not have to worry as much about his defensive responsibilities.

Next: Hope #2: That their back four can avoid father time

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