This post is a part of Football League World’s “Terrace Talk” series, in which our FLW Fan Pundits provide their personal thoughts on the newest breaking news, teams, players, managers, possible additions, and more.
Under Steven Schumacher, Stoke City has struggled this season as they fight to stay in the Championship.
Stoke City set for huge end to the season
The Potters’ current situation cannot be entirely attributed to the former Plymouth manager, as he only joined the team in December. The issues at the Bet365 Stadium have been known about for many years.
| Championship Table (As it stands March 12th) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 17 | Plymouth Argyle | 37 | -7 | 41 |
| 18 | Blackburn Rovers | 37 | -13 | 41 |
| 19 | Stoke City | 37 | -15 | 41 |
| 20 | QPR | 37 | -14 | 39 |
| 21 | Birmingham City | 36 | -15 | 39 |
| 22 | Huddersfield Town | 37 | -19 | 38 |
| 23 | Sheffield Wednesday | 37 | -25 | 38 |
| 24 | Rotherham United | 37 | -47 | 19 |
Once more, a fantastic summer is ahead of us, but Stoke’s top objective is to make sure they make it through this season. Beyond that, though, Schumacher will undoubtedly want to alter the group when the window opens.
However, the clear problem is that Stoke already has a sizable roster, so even though there will be an emphasis on signing new players, a large number of players will inevitably be leaving.
Daniel Johnson’s struggles at Stoke City
Daniel Johnson is another player who will undoubtedly be free to leave because, under Schumacher, he hasn’t had many opportunities and hasn’t been included in the matchday squad in recent times.
The 31-year-old had shown promise for Preston over the years, so Stoke’s acquisition of him appeared like a coup. Moreover, he would meet up with Neil again, who had overseen him at Deepdale.
However, he is no longer involved, and Stoke supporter Ben acknowledged that the midfielder’s time in Staffordshire hasn’t gone as planned. As a result, it would seem that a summer departure would be prudent for both sides.
Daniel Johnson, in my opinion, was largely an Alex Neil signing. There were rumors that he would arrive well in advance of the summer transfer market, and it was obvious that he wanted to have one last pay day at Stoke and return to his greatest form under Neil in his later years of the profession.
He didn’t perform well under Neil, and he hasn’t been seen at all under Schumacher, so it hasn’t really worked out for him. He most likely got along well with the previous manager, but it’s possible that his best days are behind him at this point. That’s unfortunate because Preston supporters adored him.
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