That's assuming they have someone in charge who is capable of making a couple of decent signings. Not sure Hughes is the right man, and even with the players mentioned I am not sure they are much of a team at the moment. Oatcake is a good example of fans fighting amongst themselves.... long may it continue.
I think Hughes did well in the earlier years at Stoke when he mixed a few of his own signings with the solid underbelly that Pulis left. Pulis left behind a machine which needed a bit of creativity. Players like Shawcross, Whelan and Walters acted as a great spine and are still regulars today, albeit they have now aged and some of the other players have since moved on.
Hughes did well to add players like Arnautovic and Shaqiri but I don't think he is capable of buying more defensive, less flashy signings. I suppose you could argue the opposite for Pulis. But I think the Hughes era has been declining for a while as the Pulis players either age or start to drop off, the balance isn't what it was and I imagine Berahino will be the tipping point.
