Stoke City will turn their season around after poor start, says Mark Bowen
Tuesday 20 September 2016 18:44, UK
Stoke City’s players and coaching staff are frustrated by their disastrous start to the season but remain confident they can turn their fortunes around quickly, according to assistant boss Mark Bowen.
The Potters are bottom of the Premier League table with just one point from their opening five fixtures of the campaign.
They have suffered four league losses in a row, with three of those seeing Mark Hughes' men concede four times.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's EFL Cup third-round clash with Hull City at the Bet365 Stadium, Bowen admitted: "Everybody is frustrated and disappointed.
"Certainly, there is a realisation that things aren't going for us at the moment. We are making silly mistakes and being heavily punished for it.
"But there is a feeling of togetherness and we still know we are a decent side. In the last three years we have had three top-10 finishes, and many of the players are still the same.
"It's just a situation at the moment we know we'll come through - we have too many good players and strong characters (not to). We've been there before and we'll have the same outcome again.
"The season is over 38 games and this time last year, we had the same sort of negative comments from outside the club that there's a real worry - and the people who were saying that were asking in March 'can you get Champions League football?'
"We know what we're about. We're definitely hurting, but the relationships in the dressing room - between players, and staff and players - are good.
"Everybody is together. We have to get ourselves out of this situation, and there's confidence we will."
Stoke chairman Peter Coates gave Hughes a public vote of confidence following Sunday's 4-1 loss at Crystal Palace.
Bowen hopes Hughes' achievements since becoming Stoke boss in 2013 - he has led the club to three consecutive ninth-place finishes in the Premier League - will buy him the time he needs to turn the situation around.
"The fans want the best for their club and they are frustrated - their expectations are way up there, the same as ours," Bowen said. "You'd like to think or hope we've earned some credit with them.
"They know what we can do and what we're good at. They know what we've produced and what the end product will be.
"We need to start winning matches, the sooner the better, and as soon as we do that it changes everything.
"We've got experienced players and they've got to do better."
