CM 2008 > Guides > Club League Guides > English Championship > Stoke City

First Team: Russell Hoult, Rory Delap, Liam Lawrence, Vincent Pericard

Reserve/Youth Team:

The Stoke board are desperate for you to avoid a relegation battle. With the squad at their disposal, this is a very realistic possibility. They have some good players, so a push further up the league may not be out of the question.

In goal, the ageing Hoult is still a quality keeper who should do well in the Championship, he is ably deputised for by Simonsen. Stoke have far too many players in their defensive unit, thirteen in total. It will be your job to weed out the weaker players, such as Dickinson and consider terminating the loans of some players in order to free up loan slots for players in other positions. Stoke have a strong defensive line, the likes of Broomes, Matteo and Delap are quality players. They could, however, do with an out and out left back.

The midfield department could pose some problems. Diao, Lawrence and Eustace are decent players, but Stoke could do with an attacking midfielder to bring a creative spark to the team.

They also look a little lightweight up front. Whilst Pericard is a good, quick forward, the likes of Parkin and Sidibe are not up to the rigours of Championship football. Their lack of attacking firepower could prove a major hindrance in trying to progress up the table, so I would advise spending a large chunk of the 425k transfer budget bringing in reinforcements in this department.

Stoke should have enough quality in their squad to steer clear of the relegation battle. With the right tactic, some quality signings and a bit of luck, they could prove to be the dark horses in the race for the play offs.