Luke Graham says Stoke City have not looked back after a tactical change sparked a dramatic turnaround in form, lifting the club to sixth in the Championship. The 22-year-old defender, who scored the winner at Derby last weekend, highlighted the squad's tight-knit unity as the foundation for a run of six wins from their last eight matches. This strong run, which includes four wins and one loss in the last five games, has left them on 19 points from 11 matches, a record of six wins, one draw and four losses.
Stoke began the campaign with three consecutive defeats, culminating in a 4-1 loss to Wolves at the end of August. Manager Mark Robins responded by switching to a system with three central defenders, a move that has since stabilised the team. Graham, a summer signing, has become an increasingly impressive figure in that new-look back three.
System change pays off
The tactical shift has yielded immediate results. Since the change, Stoke have beaten Norwich, Charlton, Watford, Sheffield United and Bolton, playing over half an hour with ten men in the latter victory. Their only defeat in that eight-game sequence was a narrow added-time loss to Middlesbrough. The team now sits sixth in the table with 19 points from 11 games, just four points behind leaders Swansea. Their season's tally of 18 goals scored and 16 conceded gives them a positive goal difference of two.
Graham told reporters the squad adapted instantly to the new approach and has not glanced over its shoulder since. He described the dressing room as a real tight group and a big family, with players loving the way they are playing and battling for each other in every game. The young centre-back added that he still has a long way to go in his own career but is thriving in the current setup.
His first goal for the club was a decisive one, a 49th-minute header from an Ethan Galbraith cross that sealed a 1-0 victory at Pride Park on Saturday 17 October. That result was part of a recent run of four wins in five matches, a sequence that includes the 2-1 victory over Sheffield United, the 2-1 win at Watford, the 2-1 success at Bolton and the 2-3 home defeat to Middlesbrough. The team has scored 18 goals this season while conceding 16.
With promotion back to the Premier League after a nine-year absence the clear target, momentum is building. The next test comes at home to Bristol City on Saturday 24 October, with the visitors currently sitting 16th in the table.
