Planet Swans ArchivesStoke are now accepted as playing a more attractive form of football under Hughes compared to his predecessor Tony Pulis and it has paid dividends for them with the side achieving their joint best league finish last season with a record number of points for the club.
Stoke have set themselves as one of the established Premier League clubs and will come to the Liberty this evening looking for the win that will take them above the Swans with the Premier League turning into a very interesting season for clubs like us.
Monk was a team mate of Mark Hughes at Southampton at the front end of his career but he got one over on Hughes last season when the Swans finished one place above Stoke thanks to a win over them at the Liberty at the start of May,
The change in style at Stoke is something that has impressed Monk though “That change is probably the hardest thing you can do in management,” he said
“It takes a lot of work, detail and willingness from yourself, the staff and the players.
“You also need trust from above and the chairman, board and directors buying into what you’re doing and giving you the licence to recruit the players you want.
“You need all that to change vision and it takes time, but they’ve done that exceptionally well at Stoke.”
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