Latest Stoke City news from StokeonTrentLive as we take stock of the Potters’ start to the new season and upheavals on touchline

Nine games into the new football season and the outcome is still impossible to call for Stoke City.

Any thoughts of building on a decent finish to last season under Steve Schumacher were blown out of the water when the head coach was suddenly dismissed last month and replaced by Narcis Pelach, a former coach at Norwich City.

In fact, the Potters are on a run of one win in five games straddling the end of Schumacher’s tenure and the start of the Pelach era. It is hardly a compelling guide to the direction of travel for the Potters as the club tries to turn the tide on a depressing run of bottom-half Championship finishes since relegation in 2018.

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There have been highs – both for Schumacher and Pelach – and mind-numbing lows as the Stoke season cries out for some consistency after a rollercoaster ride of results and staff upheavals. First there was that 5-0 Carabao Cup rout of Middlesbrough on their own turf, undoubtedly the swan-song high for Schumacher. Then a couple of worrying defeats to kick-off Pelach’s reign were bookmarked by a remarkable 6-1 demolition of Portsmouth.

Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach has said he ‘didn’t expect’ to be in the position he is currently in a couple of months ago.
Stoke City turned to the Spaniard last month after making the surprise decision to cut ties with Steven Schumacher.

stoke city, ‘Something that I didn’t expect’ – Narcis Pelach has say on landing Stoke City job
Image courtesy of: ED SYKES/REUTERS.
Pelach, 36, has since been adapting to life at the Bet365 Stadium and his side drew 0-0 away at Swansea City in their last outing before the international break.

He has said, as per a report by StokeOnTrentLive: “I’m very hungry. It is such a big opportunity for me to represent Stoke City. It is something that I didn’t expect two months ago so I’m very pleased and very grateful to John Coates and Jon Walters for taking the risk to appoint me.

“Now it’s time for me to show and win the confidence of everyone. I have to make the players feel that I am the right man for that and hopefully with time we can show it.”

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Stoke City spell so far
Pelach began life at Stoke City with a 3-1 home loss to Hull City. That was the Tigers’ first win of the campaign.

The Potters were then beaten 2-0 away at Middlesbrough so it wasn’t an easy start for the Girona-born man.

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stoke city, ‘Something that I didn’t expect’ – Narcis Pelach has say on landing Stoke City job
Image courtesy of: JASON CAIRNDUFF/REUTERS.
However, they have improved in their last two fixtures. They battered Portsmouth 6-1 before their stalemate at Swansea City.

Pelach moved over to England in 2020 to become Carlos Corberan’s number two at Huddersfield Town and he stayed with the Terriers for three years, a small portion of which he spent as their caretaker manager.

He then switched to Norwich City and worked under David Wagner in the last campaign.

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The Canaries made the play-offs last term but were beaten at the semi-finals stage over two legs by Leeds United.

Wagner was sacked but Pelach stayed put when Johaness Hoff Thorup was appointed.

He couldn’t turn down the chance to join Stoke City though.

What now?
The Potters are back in action against Norwich City at home on 19th October.