Stoke City secured just their second away win of the season against Aston Villa this afternoon and are now all but safe in the Premier League just three points shy of the forty point mark with seven games to go.
The Potters are now playing catch up with Southampton for a place in the top ten, but given their form as of late – they could defy all the disbelievers and finish Mark Hughes’ maiden season at Stoke in the highest position in their short Premier League history.
When Tony Pulis left the club last May, Chairman Peter Coates said the new manager’s aim was to see Stoke to their highest ever Premier League finish, even though that might not happen overnight.
I will be the first to admit, I wasn’t happy when Hughes took over, his record at QPR worried me and without the record of never being relegated that Pulis possessed, I was worried that Coates had put the club in the hands of someone who would steer us in the wrong direction.
Now I sit eating a large amount of humble pie after I have just watched “the rugby team” of Stoke City create 15 passes before Steven N’Zonzi’s goal, as well as passing Villa off the pitch and scoring four goals from open play.
This is after Stoke secured wins over Manchester United for the first time in 40 years, Chelsea and Arsenal as well as holding title chasing Man City to a draw, all at The Britannia Stadium.
For me this has been one of the most exciting seasons to be a fan of the boys who wear the red and white. Yes Pulis gave us Premier League football, a Wembley final and a tour of Europe, but as much as it pains me to admit it, the Welshman couldn’t take us as far as Hughes has with his tactics.
We have shocked teams this season with our passing ability and the pace at which we approach the ball. The same way we shocked everyone with Rory Delap’s long throws back in 2008. This doesn’t mean we have forgotten what Pulis did for the club in his six years at the helm. It just means that Mark Hughes is finally gaining the plaudits he deserves.
Finally we are winning games that on paper we were never close contenders to, finally we are the team that people enjoy watching, and finally we could finish in the top ten of the Barclays Premier League.
For fans who have supported Stoke through the hard times as well as the recent triumphs, it’s hard for them to admit that they were wrong about Hughes’ but even the most optimistic of us all could not have foreseen what he has turned our team into.
Against the odds Mark Hughes could be steering one of the most stigmatised clubs in the history of The Premier League into the top half, and rightly so he has the roar of The Boothen End behind him.
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