Stoke City: Three hopes, one fear
By Sean Maslin
The big fear: That this might be the year that they are relegated.
For years Stoke have relied on their tireless work ethic and dogged persistence on defense to keep them afloat in the Premier League. But after years of failing to figure out an attacking system that works it appears that time might be running out for The Potters.
Not addressing their depth issues in defense may be the final nail in Mark Hughes’ tenure with the club and edge them closer towards relegation.
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Now this is certainly the worst case scenario for the club. In all likelihood their veteran corps will pull together another strong run in the winter months to keep their heads from swimming too close to the bottom. Much of it will depend upon the health of Butland, who is expected to miss the next few weeks while continuing to rehab his injured ankle. Given might not be a bad replacement in the interim but is certainly not the solution for an entire campaign.
Although Stoke will likely finish near tenth place this season the club will have to start looking at their options for some of their older players. While it might not be an emergency situation it is something that they will have to look into during the January transfer window.