Mark Hughes should be commended for the job he has undertaken at Stoke City, with the Potters played some excellent football in recent months and climbing up the table.
The Welshman was handed the task of reinventing the Britannia Stadium outfit upon his arrival, with Tony Pulis’ direct and physical approach giving the team a certain reputation and starving the club’s fans of silky football.
Hughes has taken time to change this ethos but the playing squad have now turned their attention to getting the ball down and playing rather than looking for a domineering striker to play it long to.
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Stoke’s recruitment has been key to the alteration in style, with the Potters now able to boast some international calibre attacking footballers full of technique and skill.
Offensive pair Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan Krkic most commonly are heralded as a reason for an upturn in the Potteries and hog the headlines given their feats of individualism.
There is no doubting the calibre of the duo, who have both been in scintillating form this season.
However, a third member of the Stoke attacking trident must also be recognised for a remarkable upturn in form, with Marko Arnautovic proving himself to be just as important as his more distinguished team-mates.
The Austria international’s unique blend of power and precision, coupled with a thunderbolt shot, has seen him become a favourite with the Stoke fans. Some of the side’s major achievements this season have had Arnautovic right at the core of them.
Stoke outplayed and defeated both Manchester sides at the Britannia Stadium, while also beating Premier League champions Chelsea on home soil.
On all three of these occasions the former Twente, Werder Bremen and Inter Milan attacker hit the back of the net and put in memorable performances.
Arnautovic is Stoke’s top scorer with seven goals this season and adds a clinical edge to the delicate interplay of Shaqiri and Bojan.
Against Everton in their last outing, it was the Austrian that made clever runs in front of and in behind the home side’s defence, bamboozling John Stones in the process. He also won and scored the decisive penalty to give the visitors a memorable 4-3 win.
Cutting in from the left wing, Arnautovic’s menace off the ball kept the Toffees’ back four honest and allowed Bojan to drop deep to pick up possession and turn.
The 26-year-old developed something of a bad-boy reputation at former clubs, with Jose Mourinho and Steve McClaren both speaking out about his questionable character and personality.
However, since joining Stoke Arnautovic has answered his critics on the pitch and is starting to look decidedly at home with Hughes’ men.
His air of entitlement, the way he carries himself and even his appearance are not dissimilar to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and it is clear to see that the Austrian can be a devastating attacking weapon when given the ball and full of confidence.
Stoke’s journey to the top eight looks set to reach destination this season, with a new footballing ethos delighting the club’s fans.
Although Bojan and Shaqiri are poster boys for the new-look Stoke, Arnautovic’s aggression and footballing intelligence should not be overlooked as a reason for their success.
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