Hughes admits change is coming at Stoke

Mark Hughes is desperate to reinvigorate his struggling Stoke City side and invest in several new players this summer.

The Potters have lost any sense of forward momentum in a disappointing season, which has seen them limp over the line towards safety.

Hughes steered Stoke to three straight ninth-place finishes, with exciting new players and attacking football at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke City’s English defender Ryan Shawcross reacts as he leaves the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Arsenal at the Bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, central England on May 13, 2017.
Arsenal won the game 4-1. / AFP PHOTO / Lindsey PARNABY / R

But things have stalled badly in the last 18 months, leaving many fans calling for Hughes’ head.

Stoke’s ageing squad has gone stale, but Hughes is refusing to give in and is plotting a squad revamp this summer to turn their fortunes around.

“We need to look at the squad and make sure we are stronger going into next year,” he said.

“Clearly, we will have opportunities to go into the market and improve ourselves, which we will need to do because everyone else will be doing the same thing.

“This year has been a disappointment in terms of what we have been able to produce, but the last three years we’ve surpassed, I think, everybody’s expectations.

“Maybe this is just a plateauing of where we are, but it will give us the opportunity to kick on again.

“We will spend an amount, I’m sure, that will make us competitive. It’s about recognising where we are and making sure we are always competitive in this league, which we have been for the last four years.”