Stoke City: Narcis Pelach has found surprise solution to issue that plagued Steven Schumacher – View

Stoke City: Narcis Pelach has found surprise solution to issue that plagued Steven Schumacher – View.

In their most recent match, Stoke City’s defensive seemed to have strengthened, and Narcis Pelach’s choice of players paid off in their

0-0 draw with Swansea City.

The Potters have not been recognised for their defensive consistency in recent years, especially under former manager Steven

Schumacher, who saw them lose by three goals or more four times in his nine months in charge.

Spainard Pelach has had to ensure that they are not as exposed at the back as a result. Although it has taken some time for his new

concepts to sink in, their goalless draw in South Wales demonstrated progress and confirmed that Pelach appears to have found a

solution in a position that has been troubling Schumacher this term.

Ben Wilmot started at right-back for the Potters against Swansea, helping them to record their first clean sheet in six games. The same

was true against Portsmouth, as they scored six goals while conceding just one due to a break-away goal.

Wilmot has been preferred to Junior Tchamadeu in those last two games, and has stepped up impressively ahead of the 20-year-old,

so should be the first-choice at right-back now for the foreseeable future as a result of his performances.

Ben Wilmot has impressed at right-back

Given his nearly instant willingness to put him out there in high-pressure situations, Pelach must have known that Wilmot is

accustomed to playing on the right of the back four for Stoke.

After playing right back in 16 of his 120 appearances for the club, the 24-year-old has been at Stoke for more than three years. It has

come as a bit of a surprise to see him back there, but Potters supporters won’t be upset after two excellent performances.

He was starting from the beginning against Portsmouth last week, where he faced off against Josh Murphy, a crafty left-winger.

Murphy nearly started the game with a long-range shot that struck the crossbar in the first minute. After that, he won 75% of his

ground duels, made five recoveries, and completed six passes into the final third.

The journey to Swansea was no different, as he lined up behind Lewis Koumas and beside Michael Rose at the Swansea.com Stadium.

He put on a very strong display, helping the Potters preserve a clean sheet while keeping the hosts’ left-wing danger threat Eom Ji-

sung mostly quiet.

The former England youth international has stated in his post-match interview exactly what he has been working on to play to his strengths at right-back. Going forward, he will undoubtedly be glad to play in any position under his new head coach.

In my opinion, it’s been incredibly enjoyable. I think everyone would agree that (Pelach) has been incredibly nice to me. We’ve had numerous meetings, and he works with great detail. I watch right-back tapes with some of the coaches during the week he said, as reported by Stoke-on-Trent Live on Radio Stoke.

It’s not my typical position, so I have to get used to it. If the manager wants me to play there, I’ll do it, give it my all, and make sure I’m as ready as I can be for the match.

“The manager wants me to help the player so I end up a little higher up the pitch, but he’s not asking me to go bursting forward and overlapping. My legs are taking some time to adjust to this position because it is physically different from center-half. For me, the international break has arrived at a convenient moment.However, I merely watch clips because I want to learn as much as I can and I want to perform my best.

Pelach had an issue to solve at right-back

Thanks to loanee Ki-Jana Hoever’s outstanding play, Stoke has not had any problems at right-back in the past few seasons. However, it appeared that they were shorthanded this season after going the summer without adding someone to the position.

As a result, Tchamadeu has been Pelach’s first choice at right-back this season. Lynden Gooch, who can also fill that job but is presently injured, and young Jaden Dixon, who is only 17 years old and unlikely to be trusted, are the team’s backups.

Though at just 20 years old, Tchamadeu’s form is bound to experience ups and downs. The convincing losses to Middlesbrough and Hull before he was benched for Wilmot were prime examples of this. Tchamadeu did start the season rather well under Schumacher.

But Wilmot has now given the former Colchester United player a different choice, and it appears that he has passed him in the competition for a starting position in the next games.

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