Narcis Pelach issued a payback warning as Aaron Ramsdale hopes to emulate Stoke City’s accomplishment.

As the new Stoke City management administration prepares for a weekend trip to Middlesbrough, we open our notebook to discuss the Potters’ next six games, Mark Hughes’ return to work, and the England goalkeeper looking to join an exclusive club.

As Narcis Pelach prepares for his second game as Stoke City manager, he has been told to expect payback.

Hull City’s new head coach led the team to a 3-1 victory at the bet365 Stadium on Friday night, only 48 hours after taking over from Steven Schumacher.

The Spaniard faces another difficult encounter when Stoke go to Middlesbrough on Saturday (3pm kick-off), and he has been warned that there may be more misery ahead at the Riverside.

Stoke City and Schumacher achieved a 5-0 Carabao Cup victory on Teesside, possibly their finest result this season. And a former Potter believes Boro manager Michael Carrick will want vengeance when he faces Stoke again.

He stated, “I believe it’s a tough run of games. Isn’t it the championship?

“The following match, away to Boro, where they had that huge result under Stephen Schumacher, stands out at me right immediately. What a fantastic result, winning the cup 5-0.

“But then you look at Portsmouth, Swansea, and Norwich – these are winnable games, and you believe those clubs will be in the middle of it as the season progresses. So many major games are coming ahead.

“But that next fixture, I think, is one that really stands out for me, because I’m sure that Michael Carrick will want to get one back over them.”

Stoke City’s next six Championship games

September 28: Middlesbrough away; October 2: Portsmouth home; October 5: Swansea away; October 19: Norwich home; October 22: Bristol City home; and October 26: Sheffield United away.

Order of the boot for Coach

Mark Hughes – no, not that one – has decided to put his boots back on after being axed with Steven Schumacher and the majority of his coaching staff at the bet365 Stadium last week.

Hughes, an Everton academy product like Schumacher, had played for Northampton, Walsall, Bury, and Accrington Stanley before becoming a coach.

He had worked with Schumacher at Plymouth Argyle before joining him at Stoke in December, but has recently joined non-league Clitheroe as a player.

According to the club’s official account on X, the 37-year-old centre-back has joined on a non-contract basis, subject to league permission. Clitheroe competes in Northern Premier League Division One West.

Ramsdale reveals aim.

Aaron Ramsdale may never have played for Stoke City, but the 26-year-old from Chesterton wants to emulate one of the Potters’ Premier League legends.

Ramsdale, a former Thomas Boughey Academy pupil, is already Stoke-on-Trent football royalty, having been the city’s fourth player to represent England at the World Cup in 2022. The others were Stanley Matthews, Bill McGarry, and Dennis Wilshaw, who were part of England’s World Cup squad in 1954.

However, he wants to achieve something that only Asmir Begovic and five other top-flight goalkeepers have done: score a goal.

Ramsdale, who spent three seasons at Arsenal before joining Southampton this summer, told talkSPORT: “I can’t say I’ve come close. I’ve been up for a couple corners and came close to a header but was nowhere near it when I checked the replay.

“But you fantasize about it all the time as a kid, and I still do. So perhaps I’ll acquire one before I retire. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to come up with one this season?”

If Ramsdale does reach the back of the net, he will join an elite group that includes former Stoke City goalkeeper Begovic, who scored after 13 seconds of Stoke’s home game against Southampton in November 2013, Peter Schmeichel, Brad Friedel, Paul Robinson, Tim Howard, and Alisson Becker.

Ramsdale was hailed as a name to remember in the Sentinel in 2014 after assisting Thomas Boughey in reaching the English Schools FA Cup semi-finals. Rather than play for the Potters, Ramsdale began his junior club career with Bolton Wanderers, having previously played for Marsh Town at Red Street Community Centre.

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