Tuesday 8 May 2018 17:41, UK
Stoke City owners Peter and John Coates have responded to the club's relegation from the Premier League, admitting to "significant errors" in the transfer market and promising a "major overhaul" in the summer.
After ten years in the top flight, Stoke were relegated on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at the Bet365 Stadium.
Some Stoke players have since expressed their unhappiness with goings-on at the club - Jack Butland described their recruitment as "farcical", while Charlie Adam said some of the squad had been "getting away with murder".
In a statement released on the club's website, the Coates' said: "The 2017/18 season has been a bitter disappointment to us all. Everybody at the club, including ourselves, are deeply hurt and frustrated at relegation.
"Hindsight is a wonderful vantage point, however, it is clear that significant errors were made in the transfer market.
"There was a desire from all of us at the club to improve the quality of the football we played, both in terms of entertainment and league position, and players were brought to the club that it was felt had the ability to help us achieve our collective aim.
"Unfortunately the squad became unbalanced and perhaps we lost some of the core values that have served us so well and are so crucial when you have a bad spell.
"It is absolutely clear that a major overhaul is required. We need to regain our identity and focus and the summer will be spent doing this."
As well as admitting to errors in player recruitment, the Coates' have also conceded they should have replaced Mark Hughes as manager sooner.
The Welshman was sacked in January following a defeat to fourth-tier Coventry in the FA Cup and poor results in the league which left the club facing a relegation battle.
The owners said: "It is right that supporters will question whether we should have made a managerial change sooner.
"As a family we are inherently loyal people and this loyalty has served us well in business. We will always give people that little bit longer than most to prove themselves and this will continue.
"However, this does not mean that we always make the correct call and again with hindsight, we perhaps should have made an earlier change."
Paul Lambert succeeded Hughes, but the statement makes no reference to his future at the club.
Sky Sports News understands the owners have been impressed with Lambert's ability to organise the side, but remain concerned about his record of just one win in 15 matches since taking charge.
