Championship expert Ali Maxwell is not getting carried away over Stoke City woes based on three defeats in a row, including a particularly heavy one to Leicester – but foresees a ‘very, very big few weeks’ for Steven Schumacher to try to steer his squad away from danger. “Three defeats in a row for Stoke,” said Maxwell, a host of the Not The Top 20 podcast. There have been a few mentions for Stoke being decent between both boxes in recent weeks but falling short where it mattered and this showed the impact of getting it right at each end. Maxwell said: “What really matters in football matches, as managers often tell us, is what happens in both boxes and that’s where Leicester have dominated. “In both boxes they have been absolutely dominant and that, for me, is a big factor between when a possession-based style is exciting and whether it looks a little bit blunt.”Where will Stoke finish?

Source: Express February 06, 2024 18:20 UTC