How far can ambitious Stoke City go this season?

Premier League Stoke City were one of the big movers of the transfer deadline day.

The Potters spent over £20million on deadline day and brought in some really good players.

England international striker Peter Crouch and Honduran international midfielder Wilson Palacios arrived from Tottenham for a fee in the region of £18million and striker Cameron Jerome arrived from Championship side Birmingham for a fee of £4million.

Experience

All three players have good experience of the Premier League and I don’t think they will need that much time to adjust to life at Stoke. Stoke are now an established Premier League club and looking to push on.

Ambition

Stoke City are ambitious, without living beyond their means. They know how much they can spend and don’t go beyond that in stupid attempts to move forward. Instead manager Tony Pulis has brought about steady progression.

The signing of the likes of Crouch and Palacios prove that the club is ambitious. It has to be seen as a signal of intent that the club wants to progress.

Partnership

You simply have to admire what Stoke Chairman Peter Coates and Tony Pulis have achieved at the club. The club is so well run and it’s down to the relationship between manager and chairman. They must enjoy a good relationship for the club to have come so far.

Boss

Potters manager Tony Pulis has to be regarded as one of the top bosses in English football. The Welshman has got Stoke to the promised land of the Premier League but more importantly he has kept them there.

He has slowly improved the squad of players at his disposal and it’s hard to imagine where the club would be without the experienced boss. He has always struck me as a no-nonsense sort of boss but he is also a superb man manager.

Pulis is almost a thrown back to the old fashioned British football club manager. A no thrills kind of guy, who doesn’t have time for big egos or messing about. Pulis is already being described by some as Stoke’s best ever manager.

Europe

Last season Stoke finished 13th in the Premier League table, but qualified for the Europa League courtesy of making it to the FA Cup final. It seems the team and the fans are already enjoying their European adventure.

And if the club continues their current progress then it could very well become a regular occurrence for Stoke City fans. The club is currently well equipped to challenge for the top half of the Premier League at least.

I even see them as outsiders for the Europa League spots. The only down side to the club already being in Europe could be it could prove a distraction, just like the FA Cup run proved last season. However if Stoke can avoid that then I can see them having a very good season.

Style

Stoke have been labeled a long ball team by many and the arrival of the lanky Crouch won’t help that label. However they are a team that can also play. In the last few years the team has moved on from hit and hope football.

They do have a good weapon in Rory Delap’s long throw but they are much than long ball merchants. Tony Pulis is now encouraging his side to play more football.

Fans

Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium is one of the hardest stadiums for opposition teams to visit in the Premier League. The Stoke fans are terrific, they make such a noise that the opposition must find it hard to ignore. Nobody relishes a trip to the Britannia, even the big guns.

Solid

If Stoke can stay clear of injuries to key players this season then I can see them doing really well. They have to start winning more games away from home though, as their away record hasn’t been as good as their home record in recent seasons.

The new players they have signed will no doubt improve their chances of achieving a top ten finish this season. Then maybe next season they could challenge for the Europa League spots. Stoke City have come a long way in a short time and they haven’t finished yet.

Where will Stoke City finish in the Premier League this season?