Stoke City have begun this season in the Championship in scintillating form and currently sit in 4th place, just 3 points behind 2nd.
The Potters have won 9, drawn 3 and lost 6, amassing 30 points along the way.
Before the weekend, the Potters were in second before a narrow 2-1 defeat to promotion rivals Hull City.
Joe Gelhardt scored the winning goal with one of the final kicks of the game to break hearts at the Bet365 Stadium.
Here we take a look at what could help and what could hinder the Potters in the Premier League:
The Management Team At Stoke City
Former Coventry City boss Mark Robins is at the helm and with an almost 1.5 points per game average, it could be argued that he will be more than capable of getting results in the greatest league in the world.
Robins is assisted by several people, including assistants Paul Niven, who has been assistant manager for England and Strasbourg before landing in Stoke.
Welshman James Rowberry is also a right hand man, he has managed at Newport County and has also been assistant to Craig Bellamy at Wales.
It’s no fluke that Robins has chosen these two to assist. Alongside the two previously mentioned, club legend Ryan Shawcross is also a first team coach.
The mix of both experience and sentiment means that Stoke wouldn’t struggle in this area.
The Players
Experienced heads Aaron Cresswell, Ben Pearson and Wales international Sorba Thomas compliment the younger heads at the club.
In Junior Tchamadeu, Ashley Phillips and Bosun Lawal, all under the age of 23, the Potters have one of the youngest back lines in the Championship, but with Cresswell’s experience at the back, the youngsters know the 35-year-old can support them.
Going forwards, young players such as Million Manhoef and Jun-Ho Bae are complimented by the likes of Thomas, Robert Bozenik and former Blackburn man Sam Gallagher.
The likes of Steven Nzonzi and Ben Wilmot can also provide experience from the bench.
What Could Stop Stoke City Reaching The Promised Land?
It could be argued that the Championship title has almost been sorted already, with Frank Lampard’s Coventry City having a 10 point lead over 2nd placed Middlesbrough and 12 points over Millwall in 3rd.
This is not an easy season in the second tier to try for promotion, teams such as Preston North End, Bristol City, Hull City and Ipswich Town are all hoping to have a say!
That’s without even mentioning teams such as Southampton, Leicester City and Sheffield United, all of whom can’t seem to get much consistency recently.
The Conclusion
Stoke City are well equipped in both the team and the management areas and a few small tweaks and a few signings and they would stand a real chance of staying up providing they gained promotion.
With the Bet365 Stadium having a capacity of just over 30,000, it would sell out most weeks, could a temporary stand be a possibility to increase the capacity?
