Paul Lambert says Stoke lost their 'identity' after Tony Pulis exit
Sunday 22 April 2018 09:55, UK
Paul Lambert believes Stoke moved away from their "identity" in the Premier League after the departure of former boss Tony Pulis, with the club likely to be relegated.
Stoke, without a win in their last 10 fixtures, have four games left in the season to secure safety and Lambert has set the club a target of three wins from their run-in, starting with a home match against Burnley on Sunday.
Lambert, who replaced Mark Hughes in January, pin-pointed the club's culture of "sheer hard graft", specifically under Pulis, as being pivotal in Stoke's ability to remain in the top-flight since promotion in 2008.
"I think they went away from the identity I knew under Tony Pulis, when it was built on a lot of hard graft - 70 or 80 per cent that with a little sprinkle of gold dust," Lambert said.
"Mark did great here as well with the lads that he brought in and finished mid-table but I think sometimes a club should have an identity of sheer hard graft. That's got to be set in stone.
"There are certain football clubs where the team should mirror the supporters and this is one of them. The supporters are vital to it and if you go away too much from that structure you end up losing your way a bit.
"I love it here because it's not too dissimilar to Glasgow, where I was brought up and where I came from. It's a hard-working area and Dortmund is the same, it's a pure steel industry, pure hard work, and as long as they see you working your backside off that's fine."
Lambert, appointed on a two-and-a-half-year contract, has won only one match since his tenure began but appears undaunted by the likely prospect of having to lead Stoke to an immediate return to the Premier League if he is unable to save them from relegation.
"I love it. I really do. I know the fanbase is here to make it really successful," he said.
"I don't worry about contracts. The contract is there but they have never been my motivation and money has never been my motivation. The most important thing is the club and the supporters."
