Stoke City

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach says the way they defend is the reason they are facing so many shots this season, but would also like to reduce the workload on goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

Only Plymouth Argyle (17.6) average more shots conceded than Stoke (15.8) in the Championship but Pelach has revealed it is partly down to the way they approach games.

"We defend the space rather than the man and when you do that you allow the opposition to have possession in front of you but theoretically it doesn't hurry you because you always have 11 men behind the ball," the Potters head coach told BBC Radio Stoke

"I prefer this because if you press all the time and go man for man they get more one v ones against your goalkeeper.

"In the way we defend, we concede more corners than other teams, more shots than others but you always give your goalkeeper a chance to save it."

As a result, Stoke goalkeeper Johannsson is one of the busiest in the Championship, leading the division for total saves with 67.

"Viktor is playing really well and that's why I employed (goalkeeping coach) Paul Clements because the way I coach outfield players relates very well to how he coaches the goalkeepers," Pelach added.

"Everything we do is connected - when the defensive line is doing one thing, Viktor is doing one thing in the goal. No one sees it but it's all connected.

"I expect a great season for Viktor and he will have to perform because we concede shots - I want to concede fewer but it takes time and it will go down step by step."

Stoke are at home to promotion chasing Burnley in the Championship on Saturday.

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City head coach, Narcis Pelach is demanding even more from his top scorer, Tom Cannon.

The on-loan Leicester forward has scored eight goals in all competitions this season, seven of them in the Championship including four in one game against Portsmouth.

"He struggled for the first four weeks [when I came in] because I think it was a shock for him to see what our strategy is," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"He took a lot of things on board but there are still things I want him to do better and we had a conversation after the QPR match about how we can move him to the next level."

Cannon will line-up on Tuesday against Preston - a team he spent time on loan with in 2023, scoring eight goals in 19 league starts.

"My expectations with Tom are high - he scored eight goals with Preston but for me this number isn't going to be anything until it gets much higher than seven so let's see if we can get him to the next level because it will be good for him and the team."

Image source, BBC Sport

Stoke City have lost just one of their last nine games (W3 D5) following a 1-1 draw at QPR on Saturday and are six points off the play-off spots ahead of Tuesday night's clash with Preston North End.

The Lilywhites drew 1-1 at Derby at the weekend and are winless in their last six (D4 L2). Paul Heckingbottom's side are also yet to win away from home this season.

• Stoke City are looking to win consecutive league games against Preston for the first time since a run of four between 1992 and 1998.

• The away team has won the last five league matches between Stoke and Preston and are unbeaten in the last nine meetings between the sides (W7 D2).

• Stoke are unbeaten in their last six league games on home soil (W2 D3); the Potters last enjoyed a longer run in October 2021 (6 games – W5 D1).

• Preston are winless in their last 12 league games on the road (D4 L8), conceding exactly three goals in seven of their last 10 such games.

• Preston's Brad Potts has scored in two of his four visits to the bet365 Stadium in the EFL, netting in January 2019 and January 2022.

Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach said he was satisfied to take a point following his side's 1-1 draw at Queens Park Rangers.

The Potters are now unbeaten in their last four matches, picking up eight points out of a possible 12, and the Spaniard is happy with the progress which has seen his side jump up into the top half of the Championship table.

"I’m pleased with the point because I know how difficult it is to compete in every single game in the Championship," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We went to play QPR away and it was about standing up and competing very well - we knew they were going to put pressure on us.

"They have a lot of need but I think we showed the same and this is something very important to me because I want my team to value every single moment, every single game, every single point, and I think we showed that togetherness.

"We take the point and we go into the next one."

Bae Jun-Ho thought he had scored the winning goal late on for the visitors but was adjudged to have handled the ball and Pelach remained tight-lipped on the incident after the match.

"I don't want to go into it because it teaches my players a culture I don't like," he added.

"I don't want to go into the excuses game, it is what it is."

Ahead of Saturday's trip to QPR the Stoke City head coach, Narcís Pèlach, has said he's ready to get back to Championship football.

The international break has meant that this weekend will be the first game in two weeks for some clubs.

In an interview with BBC Radio Stoke, Pèlach said he's looking forward to getting back to league action:

"It was good to be off and switch off a little bit, it was a good time for us to coach and review.

"It's been a very intensive week but I feel it's a good balance now. We've demanded more and more. I know the Championship and when Christmas comes it gets very busy, but we have to make sure we are healthy and full of energy for the things that are coming now"

Coverage of Stoke City away at QPR is on BBC Radio Stoke from 14:00 GMT

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach wants to see Ben Wilmot continue to develop despite the defender having made more than 100 appearances for the club.

Normally a centre-back, Wilmot has found himself utilised as a right-back this season and Pelach has been impressed with how he has adapted.

"He's 25 now and it's a moment where he can explode and I don't imagine Stoke City without him," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

Stoke head into Saturday's Championship match at QPR with just one defeat from their past eight league games.

"It's good to have players who can play different positions so now Ben has a feeling he can play right-back," Pelach added.

"Against Borja Sainz (Norwich) - the best winger in the league - he had no problem so after this he is ready to be a right-back in the Championship and I want him to be ambitious and make more steps."

Image source, BBC Sport

Bottom side QPR are on a run of 11 games without victory (D5 L6) and welcome a Stoke City team who have lost just one of their last eight (W3 D4) to Loftus Road on Saturday.

The Hoops have only won once so far this season and are five points adrift at the bottom, while the Potters are four points clear of the drop zone and six off the play-offs.

• QPR have won just two of their last six league games against Stoke City (D1 L3), failing to score in four of those matches.

• Stoke City have won just one of their last seven away league games against QPR (D4 L2), with both of their losses across that time coming via a 4-2 scoreline.

• QPR have spent just 5.2% of their Championship matches leading this season, 9% fewer than any other side (Plymouth second-fewest with 14.3%).

• Stoke City have lost just one of their last eight Championship matches (W3 D4), having lost five of their previous six games before this run.

• No player has more Championship assists this season than Stoke's Bae Jun-Ho (5), with three of those assists coming from corners, the joint most of any player along with Derby's Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City are back in training ready for Saturday's trip to QPR. Narcís Pèlach's side are looking to win back to back away league games for the first time this season.

Sporting Director Jon Walters has said the club is moving in the right direction and you've been letting us know how you feel about that:

Ann - Jonathan Walters knows the club the city and the supporters. He has been instrumental in changing the ethos at Stoke - which hasn’t been a positive one since relegation. He’s giving us back an identity.

Michael -John Walters is making big footballing decisions with no experience

Gary - The jury is still out! We need to get the ball forward quicker. Too many sideways backwards passes. Reminds me of Tony Mowbray when he was at WBA, 90% possession in his own half.

Mick - Not bad at the moment but we need to sign some of these loan players up permanently come January.

Dave - Super Jon was criticised when he sacked Steven Schumacher, but Narcís Pèlach is a much better coach and now the results are showing that. Walters helped bring in Victor Johansson, Tom Cannon, Andrew Moran and Lewis Koumas, all great signings that have got us excited.

Will - There have been so many "false dawns" over the last seven years so it is too early to judge. At least the current set up seems different to the "rinse and repeat" cycles we have seen with previous managerial appointments.

Andy - All sounds good hopefully going in the right direction only time will tell.

What do you think about the club's direction of travel? Let us know here., external

Stoke City's Sporting Director Jon Walters has been outlining his plans for the rest of the Championship season.

The former Potters forward returned to the club in February as interim Technical Director, but became full-time Sporting Director in April.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, Walters said he's feeling positive about the direction in which the club is heading:

"Every player is loving it, the staff are loving it, in my eyes we are heading in the right direction.

"Things are developing in the right way, we've lost one in the last eight, we've ran more than anyone in every metric across the pitch."

How good a job do you think Jon Walters has done? Let us know here., external

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City technical director Jon Walters is helping head coach Narcis Pelach lead a top to bottom reset of the club to pave the way for future progress.

Walters has been in post since April, five months before Pelach arrived from Norwich City, and he told BBC Radio Stoke they are trying to change the mindset after six and half seasons in the Championship.

The former Stoke, Bolton and Ipswich forward said of his job: "Every day just rolls into the next, it's literally 24 hours, non-stop, it's the challenge of something new every day, you're firefighting for a lot of it, dealing with problems, that's the role, trying to bring people together.

"The club's not finished above a certain level for a number of years, you see now the head coach has that drive and that mindset and that push.

"I'm here with him first thing in the morning and normally we're still here at half eight, nine o'clock at night, me and him just having a chat, he doesn't want to leave before me and I'm saying the same to him, how can we improve every part of the club, what are we doing, how can he help Ryan and the 21s, (and) because my son's in the academy, I go and watch them train and help those coaches get what we're doing with the first team.

"It's (about) surrounding yourself with good people and trying to lead it, not micro-manage it."

Stoke will start work on a new training complex next week and are open to bringing in new faces in January if the right players are available.

"You're always looking to add quality, you're always looking to improve, but it's got to be the right person for Stoke, the right person that fits into what we're doing, fits into the mentality we're trying to create here," Walters added.

"To have that shift from where the club's been over the past number of years, that's a difficult thing to do, and players you bring in have to match that."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Stoke City defender Mike Pejic believes the team is moving in the right direction under head coach Narcis Pelach.

The Potters are on a run of one defeat in their last eight league games, a sequence of results that has moved them to 13th in the Championship.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, Pejic said the Catalan coach has got players playing in the right positions.

"You have to have the right people in the right roles and if you get that and the right blend and right type of player, you are going to get results."

Pejic added that Tom Cannon, Andrew Moran, Lewis Koumas and Wouter Burger all have an important part to play if Stoke are to continue moving forward:

"We've got players who can split defences and stretch them, plus wide players who can dribble and cross. They can all bring out different elements of the game in their attacking play.

"At the moment the players are carrying out those roles effectively and with high performance levels you will get results."

Image source, Getty Images

It's been 57 days since Narcís Pèlach replaced Steven Schumacher as Stoke City head coach. The Catalan has won three, drawn four and lost four of his first 11 games in charge.

You've been telling us what you think about the job Pèlach is doing at the Bet365 Stadium:

Alan - I really feel we have started to turn a corner under the new Head Coach. There’s going to be bumps along the way but after eight years of stagnation most fans will settle for a gradual improvement. My biggest concern is that four of our most influential players, Cannon, Koumas, Phillips and Moran are owned by other clubs and will take a lot of replacing.

Chris - We are giving the ball away too easily at times particularly in midfield where Burger continues to be poor. Our set pieces are woeful especially corners currently being taken from the right. Yes, we have scored in two consecutive matches via left-side corners, but I still feel that we could get more from these situations. All in all an improvement.

Andrew - This team appears to be happy and united and going places, with a new spring in their step. After the dross of recent years, just a top half finish would cheer us all up no end.

Do you agree? Let us know here, external.

Image source, BBC Sport/Rex Features

There are six Stoke City players who have been called up for senior international duty this week:

• Andrew Moran and Tom Cannon for Republic of Ireland

• Viktor Johansson for Sweden

• Jordan Thompson for Northern Ireland

• Lewis Koumas for Wales

• Bae Junho for South Korea

You can keep up to date with how they are getting on using our scores and fixtures list as well as following Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland's matches live on the BBC Sport website and Radio 5 Live.