The team with the lowest transfer outlay this season rose unassumingly into eighth place on Wednesday night. Stoke City beat Everton, to nobody’s great surprise, and look on course for their best Premier League finish yet – a year after their last. Mark Hughes really should be in the running for those annual accolades saluting success amid all this. Manager of the Year? Quite possibly. Mark Hughes looks on with a smile as his Stoke City side cruise to a 2-0 win over Everton on Wednesday. He has signed with remarkable shrewdness, shaped his players into a cohesive style, and overcome the set-backs of regular injuries to key players to guide Stoke to 42 points after 28 games. His team registered 50 Premier League points in reaching ninth last term, two club records, but are currently in a rich vein of form and likely to go higher. Seven wins from 11 in the league have seen Stoke nudge past West Ham United and Swansea – both clubs with claims to good seasons. And all the while forking out less cash on recruits than Burnley. That is the bit to amaze. Hughes has committed £1.2million on bringing in new players this season: £800,000 on brilliant Bojan from Barcelona, and £400,000 on young centre-back Dionatan Teixeira from Slovakian side Dukla Banska Bystrica. Mame Biram Diouf, scorer against Everton to take his tally to seven Premier League goals? Free from Hannover. Jon Walters (centre) congratulates Mame Biram Diouf after he scored Stoke's second goal on Wednesday. Phil Bardsley, a regular at right-back with 22 Premier League games? Free from Sunderland. Steve Sidwell, who has been adept when called upon, also cost nothing after leaving Fulham. Victor Moses, whose uncommonly good header broke the deadlock at the Britannia on Wednesday, is on loan from Chelsea. Philipp Wollscheid, who has come into defence at a vital period to instant effect, is on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with view to permanent move this summer. By contrast Burnley, hardly the most lavish of spenders, have parted with around £8m on transfer fees. Michael Kightly was one of Sean Dyche’s purchases, at £1.5m, from Stoke. Stoke also sold Cameron Jerome to Norwich and Ryan Shotton to Derby County for a combined cost of £2m – so in all are around £2.3m up on net transfer spend. No wonder Hughes is being rewarded with a new three-year contract that he is expected to sign in the coming days. His connections, influence, and words of persuasion played a big part in producing such positive market returns. The acquisition of Bojan, once the rising star of Barcelona, was smoothed by Hughes’s association with the Catalan giants. The player’s glistening form before he suffered a cruel knee injury, after initial struggles, a testament to Hughes’s motivational skills. Bojan Krkic hit a rich vein of form before his season has ended by a knee ligament injury. Clearly the support network from chairman Peter Coates, a Stoke fan since a boy and generous benefactor, and chief executive Tony Scholes enables Hughes to work to his full potential. The foundations laid by Tony Pulis in getting Stoke up from the Championship seven years ago and stabilising the club as a Premier League presence will never be forgotten. But Hughes has built on that, altering the side’s style to please the eye while retaining the strength of conviction which made Pulis’s reign so successful. The four forwards in his 4-2-3-1 system are interchangeable, with Moses, Diouf, Bojan, Jon Walters, Marko Arnautovic, Stephen Ireland, Charlie Adam, and Peter Crouch forming various combinations throughout the campaign. No shining lights as such, they offer a mixture of pace, nimble dexterity, and brawn. Again the cost is worth noting. Arnautovic was £2m from Werder Bremen, Ireland a free from Aston Villa. Hughes’s other signings since taking charge have been Erik Pieters, £3m from PSV Eindhoven, Marc Muniesa, free from Barcelona, and Peter Odemwingie, a swap with Cardiff with Kenwyne Jones heading the other way. Chelsea loanee Victor Moses (right) celebrates scoring Stoke's opener against Everton. Hughes has spent £6.2m in four transfer windows and improved. In this climate that is phenomenal. Equivalent to one 10th of Angel Di Maria, let’s say. Stoke are not averse to opening the wallet. A £10m package for Xherdan Shaqiri was put together in January before the Swiss forward elected for Inter. But when Stoke have suffered injuries it has not provoked a sudden splurge. Bojan has been out since late January after rupturing his cruciate ligament and is not back until September. Odemwingie has been out the entire campaign with the same injury. Captain Ryan Shawcross has missed the last six weeks with a back injury and is not fit yet. Moses missed two months with a thigh problem, Glenn Whelan was sidelined for five weeks. Now Ireland is out with that gashed leg. Hughes has rebuilt his managerial reputation after a disastrous spell at QPR. There have been other knocks but these are important players absent for extended periods. Hughes has addressed each situation as arisen and found a formula to cope. When Muniesa and Marc Wilson were injured at the same time as Shawcross last month it looked foolhardy to have sent Robert Huth out on loan to Leicester. But Stoke adjusted and came through. After his disastrous spell at Queens Park Rangers, it appeared Hughes’s stock had fallen below Premier League level. Coates had faith and is being rewarded. Up next is a trip to face West Bromwich Albion and Pulis on March 14. Last year’ s Premier League manager of the year and former Stoke boss versus his successor in both respects? Victory for Hughes would only strengthen that argument.
What are the important parts of this article?
Stoke City beat Everton 2-0 to move up to eighth in the Premier League.
Stoke on course to better their highest ever Premier League finish (9th)
Stoke spent just £1.2m on players last summer, less than any other club.
Mark Hughes in contention to be named Manager of the Year.
CLICK HERE for all the latest Stoke City news.
Laget med den lägsta transferutlägget denna säsong steg oansenligt till åttonde plats på onsdag kväll. Stoke City slog Everton, till ingens stora överraskning, och titta på banan för deras bästa Premier League finish ännu - ett år efter deras sista. Mark Hughes borde verkligen vara med i tävlingen för de årliga lovorden som hyllar framgång mitt i allt detta. Årets chef? Det är möjligt. Mark Hughes ser på med ett leende som hans Stoke City sidokryssning till en 2-0 seger över Everton på onsdag. Han har skrivit på med anmärkningsvärd klokhet, format sina spelare till en sammanhållen stil, och övervinna de set-backs av regelbundna skador till nyckelspelare för att vägleda Stoke till 42 poäng efter 28 matcher. Hans lag registrerade 50 Premier League-poäng i att nå nionde sista terminen, två klubbrekord, men är för närvarande i en rik form och sannolikt kommer att gå högre. Sju segrar från 11 i ligan har sett Stoke nudge förbi West Ham United och Swansea – båda klubbarna med anspråk på bra säsonger. Och hela tiden förhala mindre pengar på rekryter än Burnley. Det är det som förvånar mig. Hughes har satsat 1,2 miljoner pund på att ta in nya spelare den här säsongen: 800.000 pund på lysande Bojan från Barcelona, och 400.000 pund på unga centerback Dionatan Teixeira från slovakiska sidan Dukla Banska Bystrica. Mame Biram Diouf, målskytt mot Everton för att ta sin poäng till sju Premier League mål? Fri från Hannover. Jon Walters (centrum) gratulerar Mame Biram Diouf efter att han gjort Stokes andra mål på onsdagen. Phil Bardsley, en vanlig på högerback med 22 Premier League matcher? Fri från Sunderland. Steve Sidwell, som blivit adept när han blivit kallad, kostade inte heller någonting efter att ha lämnat Fulham. Victor Moses, vars ovanligt bra huvud bröt dödläget på Britannia på onsdag, är utlånad från Chelsea. Philipp Wollscheid, som har kommit till försvar i en vital period för omedelbar effekt, är utlånad från Bayer Leverkusen med sikte på en permanent flytt i sommar. Burnley, som knappast är den mest påkostade av dem som spenderar pengar, har däremot delat sig med omkring 8 miljoner pund på överföringsavgifter. Michael Kightly var ett av Sean Dyches köp, på 1,5 miljoner pund, från Stoke. Stoke sålde även Cameron Jerome till Norwich och Ryan Shotton till Derby County för en sammanlagd kostnad på £2m – så i allt är runt £2,3m upp på nettoöverföring spendera. Inte undra på att Hughes belönas med ett nytt treårskontrakt som han förväntas skriva på under de kommande dagarna. Hans kontakter, inflytande och övertalningsord spelade en stor roll när det gällde att åstadkomma en sådan positiv avkastning på marknaden. Förvärvet av Bojan, en gång Barcelonas stigande stjärna, jämnades av Hughes förening med de katalanska jättarna. Spelarens glittrande form innan han drabbades av en grym knäskada, efter inledande strider, ett bevis på Hughes motivationsförmåga. Bojan Krkic slog en rik ven av form innan hans säsong har slutat med en knäligament skada. Uppenbarligen stödnätverket från ordförande Peter Coates, en Stoke fan sedan en pojke och generös välgörare, och verkställande direktör Tony Scholes gör Hughes att arbeta till sin fulla potential. Grunderna som lades av Tony Pulis i att få Stoke upp från Championship för sju år sedan och stabilisera klubben som en Premier League närvaro kommer aldrig att glömmas. Men Hughes har byggt vidare på det, och ändrat sidans stil för att behaga ögat samtidigt som han behåller styrkan i övertygelsen som gjorde Pulis regering så framgångsrik. De fyra framåt i hans 4-2-3-1 system är utbytbara, med Moses, Diouf, Bojan, Jon Walters, Marko Arnautovic, Stephen Irland, Charlie Adam, och Peter Crouch bildar olika kombinationer under hela kampanjen. Inga lysande ljus som sådan, de erbjuder en blandning av takt, smidig fingerfärdighet och muskler. Återigen är kostnaden värd att notera. Arnautovic var £2m från Werder Bremen, Irland en fri från Aston Villa. Hughes andra signeringar sedan han tog över har varit Erik Pieters, £3m från PSV Eindhoven, Marc Muniesa, fri från Barcelona, och Peter Odemwingie, ett byte med Cardiff med Kenwyne Jones på väg åt andra hållet. Chelsea-låntagaren Victor Moses (till höger) firar poängsättningen Stokes öppnare mot Everton. Hughes har spenderat 6,2 miljoner pund i fyra transferfönster och förbättrat. I detta klimat som är fenomenalt. Motsvarar en tiondel av Angel Di Maria, låt oss säga. Stoke är inte emot att öppna plånboken. Ett paket på 10 miljoner pund för Xherdan Shaqiri sattes ihop i januari innan schweizaren framåt valdes till Inter. Men när Stoke har drabbats av skador har det inte framkallat en plötslig utspridning. Bojan har varit ute sedan slutet av januari efter att ha brutit sitt korsband och är inte tillbaka förrän i september. Odemwingie har varit ute hela kampanjen med samma skada. Kapten Ryan Shawcross har missat de senaste sex veckorna med en ryggskada och är inte i form än. Moses missade två månader med ett lårproblem, Glenn Whelan var borta i fem veckor. Nu är Irland ute med det där gasade benet. Hughes har återuppbyggt sitt chefsrykte efter en katastrofal förtrollning på QPR. Det har förekommit andra knackningar men dessa är viktiga spelare frånvarande under längre perioder. Hughes har behandlat varje situation som uppstått och hittat en formel för att klara av. När Muniesa och Marc Wilson skadades samtidigt som Shawcross förra månaden såg det dumdristigt ut att ha skickat ut Robert Huth på lån till Leicester. Men Stoke anpassade sig och slog igenom. Efter hans katastrofala förtrollning vid Queens Park Rangers framkom det att Hughes bestånd hade sjunkit under Premier League-nivån. Coates hade tro och blir belönad. Nästa är en resa för att möta West Bromwich Albion och Pulis den 14 mars. Förra årets Premier League manager för året och tidigare Stoke boss kontra hans efterträdare i båda avseenden? Seger för Hughes skulle bara stärka det argumentet. Vilka är de viktiga delarna i den här artikeln?
The team with the lowest transfer outlay this season rose inconspicuously to eighth place on Wednesday night. Stoke City beat Everton, to nobody's big surprise, and watch the track for their best Premier League finish yet - a year after their last. Mark Hughes really should be in the competition for the annual praises that celebrate success amid all this. Chief of the year? It's possible. Mark Hughes watches on with a smile like his Stoke City side cruise to a 2-0 win over Everton on Wednesday. He has signed with remarkable wisdom, shaping his players into a cohesive style, and overcoming the set-backs of regular injuries to key players to guide Stoke to 42 points after 28 games. His teams registered 50 Premier League points in reaching the ninth final semester, two club records, but are currently in a rich form and likely to go higher. Seven wins from 11 in the league have seen Stoke nudge past West Ham United and Swansea – both clubs claiming good seasons. And all the time delaying less money on recruits than Burnley. That's what surprises me. Hughes has bet £1.2 million to bring in new players this season: £800,000 on brilliant Bojan from Barcelona, and £400,000 on young centerback Dionatan Teixeira from Slovak side Dukla Banska Bystrica. Mame Biram Diouf, scorer against Everton to take his score to seven Premier League goals? Free from Hanover. Jon Walters (centre) congratulates Mame Biram Diouf after he scored Stokes' second goal on Wednesday. Phil Bardsley, a regular on right-back with 22 Premier League games? Free from Sunderland. Steve Sidwell, who was adept when he was called, also cost nothing after leaving Fulham. Victor Moses, whose unusually good head broke the deadlock at Britannia on Wednesday, is loaned out from Chelsea. Philipp Wollscheid, who has come to defense in a vital period for immediate effect, is loaned out from Bayer Leverkusen with a view to a permanent move this summer. On the other hand, Burnley, hardly the most expensive of those who spend money, has shared about £8 million on transfer fees. Michael Kightly was one of Sean Dyche's purchases, at £1.5 million, from Stoke. Stoke also sold Cameron Jerome to Norwich and Ryan Shotton to Derby County for a combined cost of £2m – so in all, around £2.3m is up on net transfer spending. No wonder Hughes is rewarded with a new three-year contract that he is expected to sign over the next few days. His contacts, influence and persuasions played a major role in achieving such a positive return on the market. The acquisition of Bojan, once Barcelona's rising star, was levelled by Hughes' association with the Catalan giants. The player's glittering form before suffering a cruel knee injury, after initial fighting, a proof of Hughes' motivational ability. Bojan Krkic hit a rich vein of shape before his season has ended with a knee ligament injury. Apparently the support network from Chairman Peter Coates, a Stoke fan then a boy and generous benefactor, and Chief Executive Tony Scholes makes Hughes work to his full potential. The grounds laid by Tony Pulis in getting Stoke up from the Championship seven years ago and stabilizing the club as a Premier League attendance will never be forgotten. But Hughes has built on it, changing the style of the page to please the eye while retaining the strength of the conviction that made Puli's government so successful. The four forwards in his 4-2-3-1 system are interchangeable, with Moses, Diouf, Bojan, Jon Walters, Marko Arnautovic, Stephen Ireland, Charlie Adam, and Peter Crouch forming different combinations throughout the campaign. No brilliant lights as such, they offer a mixture of pace, smooth dexterity and muscles. Again, the cost is worth noting. Arnautovic was £2m from Werder Bremen, Ireland a free from Aston Villa. Hughes' other signings since taking over have been Erik Pieters, £3m from PSV Eindhoven, Marc Muniesa, free from Barcelona, and Peter Odemwingie, a trade with Cardiff with Kenwyne Jones heading the other way. Chelsea borrower Victor Moses (right) celebrates scoring Stokes' opener against Everton. Hughes has spent £6.2 million in four transfer windows and improved. In this climate that is phenomenal. Is equal to a tenth of Angel Di Maria, let's say. Stoke won't mind opening his wallet. A package of £10 million for Xherdan Shaqiri was put together in January before the Swiss forward was elected to Inter. But when Stoke has suffered damage, it has not provoked a sudden spread. The buoy has been out since late January after breaking its ligament and is not back until September. Odemwingie's been out the whole campaign with the same injury. Captain Ryan Shawcross has missed the last six weeks with a back injury and is not in shape yet. Moses missed two months with a thigh problem, Glenn Whelan was gone for five weeks. Now Ireland's out with that gassed leg. Hughes has rebuilt his chief reputation after a disastrous spell on QPR. There have been other knocks but these are important players absent for longer periods. Hughes has dealt with every situation that has arisen and found a formula to cope with. When Muniesa and Marc Wilson were injured while Shawcross last month, it looked foolish to have sent Robert Huth out on loan to Leicester. But Stoke adapted and broke through. Following his disastrous spell at Queens Park Rangers, it emerged that Hughes' stock had dropped below the Premier League level. Coates had faith and is rewarded. The next is a trip to meet West Bromwich Albion and Pulis on March 14. Last year's Premier League manager of the year and former Stoke boss versus his successor in both respects? Victory for Hughes would only strengthen that argument. What are the key elements of this article?
Stoke City slog Everton 2-0 för att flytta upp till åttonde plats i Premier League. Stoke på banan för att bättre deras högsta någonsin Premier League finish (9: e) Stoke spenderade bara £ 1,2m på spelare förra sommaren, mindre än någon annan klubb. Mark Hughes i strid om att bli utsedd till Årets chef. KLICKA HÄR för alla de senaste nyheterna från Stoke City.
Stoke City beat Everton 2-0 to move up to eighth place in the Premier League. Stoke on the track to better their highest ever Premier League finish (9th) Stoke spent just £1.2m on players last summer, less than any other club. Mark Hughes in battle to be named Chief of the Year. CLICK HERE for all the latest news from Stoke City.