On A Winger And A Prayer

Stoke City get their season going for the third time at home to Fulham tomorrow – and despite what on the face of it has been an excellent start to the campaign, nagging doubts remain.

The Potters have lost just two of 15 games in all competitions – are unbeaten at home, having played Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, have spent £22m in the transfer market and have recorded some impressive results in Europe. But still, there is a feeling that it might just be papering over the cracks.

If their away results have been patchy then their performances away from the Britannia have not – they have all been rather poor. Sluggish in the opening period against Norwich, before drawing the game late on, second best for much of the game at WBA before a fluke goal in the last minute won the match and almost non existent in the last two games, at Swansea and Sunderland, it is a familiar tale.

Stoke have won just 10 of their 61 Premier League away games, and as much as people have sought to explain the last two set backs as being a by-product of the European games that preceded them (and will the next four away matches) does that explain the previous 59 too?

As well as the issues away from home, goalscoring has been a concern, with the net being found just four times. Not really good enough for a team with the array of attacking talent that boss Tony Pulis has assembled.

A key – perhaps THE key – reason for this has been the form, or lack of it, of both wingers. Jermaine Pennant and Matt Etherington are, now Peter Crouch is in the side, ever more key to the Stoke method and the fact is both men have looked a shadow of themselves so far.

Both have, in fairness, struggled with injury too – indeed in Etherington’s case he hasn’t looked fit since the hamstring injury he picked up against Wolves last April – but that just serves to make Pulis’ inability to bring in a winger before the deadline passed, look ever more costly – and the decision not to name another winger in the 25 man squad for Premier League matches look like dreadful folly.

Most things in the Stoke garden are rosy. But a win, a couple of goals and perhaps more crucial, a couple of decent performers from their star wingers, wouldn’t half help things along.