The big talking points from the Carabao Cup defeat at Southampton as Potters boss gets a good look at the depth of his squad
Stoke City rallied from 2-0 down at Southampton to have a chance saved off the line as they looked to go 3-2 up, but ultimately lost at the death.
A side with nine changes from the one that lost 2-0 at Sheffield United on Saturday appeared to be doomed when they trailed by two goals after just 35 minutes, but this team is nothing if not resilient, as evidenced by their comeback to give themselves a chance of making the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
A defensive work in progress.
Stoke were prepared to give Southampton a lot of the ball and territory, but not many good chances, because they were willing to defend in numbers and with discipline. Aside from the goals, Southampton’s only other notable moment came when Adam Armstrong surged in from the right and had a shot brilliantly saved at the near post by Jack Bonham.
They were unhappy to concede from a set-piece, despite Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ outstanding movement, and unlucky with the penalty, though Narcis Pelach focused on what Jaden Dixon could have done better rather than criticising a poor referee. They allowed James Bree too much space and time in the end to win.
Russell Martin expressed encouragement, saying, “(Stoke) defended so brilliantly and in large numbers. They were fighting, and they were extremely well-organized and instructed, as we expected. – but everyone who has followed Stoke over the last few years understands that doing everything correctly for 89 minutes means nothing if they let up a goal or two or three along the way.
A work in progress, and the challenges in the next three important Championship games will differ from those faced against Southampton.
Pelach stated, “We were doing it well.” Southampton had a lot of possession and a lot of patience. I’ve played against Russell a lot with Norwich and Huddersfield, so I know how he plays. I think he’s one of the top coaches in England. We called for a lot of resilience because we knew we wouldn’t have the ball for long periods of time, but we could always defend by putting another body in front of the ball. We defended the box well and limited their options, and most importantly, we did not lose any players along the road, as is common. When you don’t have the ball, you get fatigued, lose one guy along the way, and there is a gap. But we remained there.
“We did that well, so it’s unfortunate that we gave up a penalty and a set play, which I anticipated us to be stronger at. Jaden gave up the penalty, but he bounced back and was brilliant in the second half, which is impressive for a 17-year-old.”
A Stoke team capable of scoring
A significant difference between this Stoke team and others that have conceded key moments in previous years is that you always believe they have a chance to score, even if it comes from nowhere. Lewis Koumas, Andrew Moran, Million Manhoef, and Tom Cannon are all quick and dynamic players who can take risks. They are still playing games, even if they are behind.
Cannon had a terrible night and might have easily became frustrated. Sky Sports had just shown a map of his touches deep into the first half when he held the ball up perfectly to set up Ashley Phillips’ goal. When Junior Tchamadeu’s cross was deflected in the second half, he was in the perfect position to score himself.
Pelach stated: “It was a difficult assignment for him. He had been instructed not to press the centre-backs, to let the centre-back to come onto him, because as soon as he left, they would pass to the other and make him double-run. ‘Just stay in front, make close passes to the side, and wait for the opportunity to transition. We won’t have many, maybe two or three, so you’ll have to make do with what you’ve got.” And he did. He did an excellent job for 60 minutes, and I did not want to change him, but I had to because we had another game on Saturday.”
First look at Tatsuki Seko
Tatsuki Seko has had to be patient since joining in late August, and this was his first start after making a couple of appearances in the Championship in recent weeks.
He delivered an eye-catching performance, appearing like a competent footballer as he controlled the ball in any situation and used it wisely. He could turn cleanly and move the ball quickly, nipping it short to a centre-back or midfielder and being ready to take it back if they were able to complete a one-two, or knowing when to shift it wide or forward to a teammate in a good position.
He was always on his toes, and based on this evidence, it appears that Pelach has identified a new player to deploy on a regular basis, and we will be seeing more of him very soon.
Character, rustiness, and the need for a loan.
Pelach used this opportunity to assess his squad’s depth, and in addition to Seko’s complete debut, Jack Bonham and Andre Vidigal made their season debuts. Jaden Dixon was back in for the first time since the previous round, and Sol Sidibe had only made one substitute appearance since then.
Dixon demonstrated strong character after conceding the penalty, making him an excellent prospect in development. Vidigal, despite being rusty due to a change in the dugout, is eager to contribute to the game. While his shooting is off-target, he played a role in the build-up for both goals.
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