#4 Stoke can take heart from the loss. However, certain players need to pull up their socks
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While the consecutive losses at the hands of Liverpool and Chelsea might have pegged them back by a few positions in the League table, Mark Hughes’ men must take heart from the losses endured over the recent times. The side put up a fight, at least momentarily against sides which have been in hot form and could have done little when the eventual quality of the opposition came to the forefront.
Prior to the festive period, the side had drawn consecutive games against Southampton and Leicester City. However, with the kind of performances they have put in, where they looked to be taking the game away from the opposition, we believe, Stoke could better position in the League table.
While we cannot appreciate their tenacity, we do believe that certain Stoke players, most notably, Swiss super Xherdan Shaqiri and captain Ryan Shawcross need to better their performances to ensure that the campaign remains healthy. The two were unable to enforce Stoke’s control in the game, in the midfield as well as in defence and given their importance to the side, the duo needs to ensure that they remain consistently effective.
