Club guide: Stoke City

Title: 2,500-1 Relegation: 9-2 Sack Race: 25-1

Transfers

IN

K Jones (Sunderland, £8m), F Cuvelier (Portsmouth, undisclosed), C Nash (free)

total spent: £8m

OUT

J Beattie (Rangers, undisclosed) A Griffin (Reading, nominal), S Simonsen (Sheff Utd, free), A Faye (released), I Sonko (Portsmouth, loan)

total made: £0m

Player to watch

Kenwyne Jones. Tall and physical, just the sort of player Stoke want. Investing £8m in him from Sunderland shows good backing from the board – it should pay off.

Squad worries

Still short of goals, especially after James Beattie’s departure. Should be physical enough at the back and front to cover for lack of subtlety in midfield.

Manager speak

Tony Pulis knows what he wants and how to get it. Insults thrown at him about direct style will only convince him he is on the right track.

Story of the summer

After establishing themselves as a mid-table side, Pulis was linked with endless new arrivals over the summer, before finally securing the signing of Jones this week.

Last season 11th

Higher than previous season, rare for top-flight new boys.

This season 15th

Surely the rest of the League has worked them out by now.