Stoke City icon Mike Pejic rules on Alex Neil’s exit.
A penny for Alex Neil’s thoughts this Christmas. He departed a recently promoted club where he enjoyed popularity and drew 40,000-strong crowds each week. He embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform another ambitious club.
At Stoke City, Neil enjoyed an unusual level of freedom rarely granted to managers. He had nearly a full season to assess and contemplate his choices, determining departures and acquisitions. Surprisingly, he overhauled the staff, including the youth level, and recruited his own players, coaches, and analysts tailored to his envisioned system. The Championship was his canvas to construct a team from the ground up. However, a mediocre August and a dismal September preceded a promising October – and that’s when the frustration began.
Partnerships were forming, with the two centre-backs McNally and Rose, as well as the full-backs Stevens and Hoever, forming a unit in front of Travers. We had a sitting midfielder in Pearson supporting the two center-backs, which freed up Burger and Johnson in the center, indicating the formation of an engine room. That’s a good foundation to build on.
Prior to that, when we were in command of matches, Johnson and Burger were collaborating with Mmaee, and relationships were growing with the wide players. Hoever and Stevens might push forward to assist the midfield and offensive third, as well as Leris and Vidigal – and Vidigal and Leris could also come infield to assist Mmaee.
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All of this took weeks and months to build. That was your team’s role and purpose, but it was never allowed to happen because Neil began to tamper.
He had 11 points out of 15 and lost to three clubs at the bottom of the division. That is the evidence. That was shown while he was in the dock, and the judge made his decision: guilty!
In the match against Swansea, we witnessed players putting in hard work for the caretaker manager, displaying the kind of dedication the crowd appreciates. They gave their all, playing not only for the interim manager but also for the club and the fans.
Stoke is in need of a leader who can effectively implement plans, as seen in the Swansea game. This requires someone who can perceive the game beyond the ball’s movement, offering accurate information for both attacking and defending scenarios. We require a manager who commands the players’ loyalty, possesses tactical acumen, and demonstrates precise awareness every second of the game. It goes beyond assembling a set of players with a system; it involves strategic planning for both defense and attack, understanding how to control the opposition, leverage strengths, and counter weaknesses – a comprehensive approach to the game. See it, say it, and execute it seamlessly.
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