Stoke City Championship Odds: Potters set for improvement

Since relegation from the Premier League in 2017/18, Stoke City have finished between 14th and 17th in the Championship. It’s now been six consecutive seasons of misery, as different managers have come and gone, all of them failing to get the Potters back into the top half. 

Now Steven Schumacher is at the helm, and the club are making moves to strengthen in the transfer window. But where can it take them? I’ve taken a look at the Stoke City Championship Odds and predicted where they will finish in 2024/25.

Last Season: 17th

Top Scorer: Andre Vidigal (7)

Transfers In: Sam Gallagher – Blackburn (£1.5m), Eric-Junior Bocat – Sint Truiden (£1m), Viktor Johansson – Rotherham (£800k), Ben Gibson – Norwich (free).

Transfers Out: Tom Edwards – Salford (free), D’Margio Wright-Phillips – Beerschot VA (free), Blondy Nna Noukeu – Sunderland (free).

First Game: Coventry (H)

Prediction: 14th

Championship Odds

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Stoke have simply been a poor Championship side ever since their relegation from the Premier League. They failed to capitalise on their parachute payments and have been unable to put together the right combination of squad and manager, despite some decent signings coming in on paper. 

They’ve lurched from one method to another in the transfer window, signing a whopping 16 permanent players last summer. The issue is, Alex Neil, who was poached from Sunderland at great expense, was in charge back then, yet midway through the season, with the club in 19th, they sacked him and brought in Steven Schumacher from Plymouth Argyle. 

The lack of consistency is a worry, but it feels like there are finally shoots of hope in the Potteries. They’ve been quieter in the transfer market, which feels like a positive given what happened last summer. Also, some of those players are now up to speed with the second tier, with Andre Vidigal impressing in his first season, Ryan Mmaee a positive forward and young right-back Junior Tchamadeu another year older. 

They’ve also got Wouter Burger and Bae Jun-Ho, who are quality players – while Michael Rose, Ben Pearson, Lynden Gooch and Enda Stevens are all hugely experienced. There’s a lot to like about this squad, and Schumacher has added a sprinkle of incomings to the mix. 

Football Odds

Victor Johansson comes in from Rotherham United, and has by everybody’s reckoning, been one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship over the past two seasons. He was kept very busy last season and is sure to impress behind a more capable defence. Ben Gibson arrives on a free from Norwich and Sam Gallagher comes in from Blackburn Rovers, two players who are more than capable of performing for a team striving for the top half this term. 

Stoke certainly won’t be near the relegation mix this time around in my eyes. The squad is simply too experienced and talented to get involved in any of that drama this time around, but I don’t know how high they can climb. Jon Walters is now the Sporting Director and his passion for the club could pay dividends, but I’m still not sure Stoke are clear of their hire and fire policy. 

Aside from exciting left-back Eric-Junior Bocat, Stoke have signed proven Championship-level players. You can look at that in one of two ways. They won’t need to settle into English football and could flourish at a different club – or, they have found their level and aren’t of the required ability to carry Stoke into the top six. 

I’m leaning more towards the latter, and although I believe it will be an improved season for Stoke, the mid-table battle this year is going to be more competitive. I think they will rise to 14th, with progress the aim of the game in 2024/25.

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