Stoke City legend Mike Pejic runs the rule over Steven Schumacher’s first fortnight in office and what the Potters need in the January transfer window.
It was only just over a month ago when Steven Schumacher was doing his homework on Stoke City as an opposition manager. It will have given him a good idea of the strengths and the weaknesses he was walking into, a bit like when you read the reviews of a restaurant before you arrive for your reservation. Now he’s tucked into a few meals he will have had some of his thoughts confirmed and, perhaps, there’s been one or two things he’ll reconsider.
It’s been frantic but he’s made them very tight and said don’t get beat. You don’t want any gaps appearing where they shouldn’t so you need players to be switched on and disciplined about positioning; do your duties, mark space, mark players, know your distancing when your teammate is in possession so you can be ready to support or help stop their counter. You always have to think, “If this happens or if that happens, I’m ready.”
It is really important that players understand how the team is supposed to function. They have to be in tune with each other – and we have seen Stoke be so open at times this season when they’ve lost the ball, running back towards their own goal and chasing because they haven’t done their job early. I want to see the good work off the ball that normally goes unnoticed because people have been in the right place at the right time.
The one thing I’ve noticed under Schumacher is the support in possession and getting that function around the ball. That’s one of the areas that’s impressed me. It helps you build momentum in your advance along with forward passing, forward moving.
Leave a Reply