The 2023–24 season was Stoke City's 107th season in the Football League, the 47th in the second tier and tenth in the Championship.

Stoke had a very busy summer transfer window bringing in 18 new players most of which were foreign players in a new recruitment strategy brought in by technical director Ricky Martin. Despite an opening day 4–1 win against Rotherham United it quickly became apparent that Stoke had assembled an unbalanced squad which struggled to score goals or keep clean sheets. Alex Neil was sacked in December after winning just six of the first 20 games and was replaced by Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher. Schumacher encountered discipline problems within the squad which resulted in Ricky Martin being sacked and after more poor results they ended February in the relegation zone. Six wins in the final 12 matches saw Stoke retain their Championship status, finishing in 17th position.

Pre-season

Stoke announced their retained list on 10 May 2023 with Sam Clucas, Demeaco Duhaney, Aden Flint, Morgan Fox, Phil Jagielka, Tashan Oakley-Boothe and Nick Powell departing the club following the end of their contracts whilst Gabriel Adebambo, Jacob Holland-Wilkinson, Tommy Jackson, George Lewis, Dan Malone, Luke Redfern, Josh Roney and Douglas James-Taylor departed from the under-21 team. Goalkeepers Jack Bonham, Frank Fielding and Blondy Nna Noukeu all signed one-year contract extensions. First-team coach John O'Shea left the club on 12 May 2023 to focus on his Republic of Ireland FA role. Under-21s manager Kevin Russell and under-18s manager Richard Walker both departed the club after working with the academy for over a decade. Crewe Alexandra assistant manager Alex Morris was appointed under-21 head coach. Ryan Shawcross returned to the club as academy coach and Jared Dublin was appointed Head of Recruitment. Former loanee Paul Gallagher joined the club from Preston as first-team coach.

Enda Stevens was the first signing of the summer on 5 July, joining after his release from Sheffield United. Ben Pearson returned on a permant four-year deal from AFC Bournemouth. Free agents Michael Rose and Daniel Johnson arrived on free transfers. Ki-Jana Hoever returned on loan from Wolves along with Portuguese winger Chiquinho. A second Porugese winger, André Vidigal arrived from Marítimo for an undisclosed fee. Goalkeeper Mark Travers joined on a season-long loan from AFC Bournemouth. On 28 July, two strikers signed, Brazilian Wesley from Aston Villa and Moroccan Ryan Mmaee from Hungarian side Ferencváros.

Stoke began their pre-season schedule with a trip to Notts County and came away with a comfortable 5–1 victory with Tyrese Campbell getting a first-half hat-trick. The squad then spent a week at a training camp in Benidorm, Spain ending with a 1–1 draw against Segunda División side Levante. Stoke lost 3–0 at Derby County on 22 July in what was a testimonial for Derby's Craig Forsyth. City beat Burton Albion 1–0 to win the Bass Charity Vase, Jacob Brown scoring the only goal. Stoke ended pre-season with a 1–0 home defeat against Everton, Amadou Onana scoring with the last kick of the match.

Championship

August

Stoke began the 2023–24 season at home to Rotherham United with Alex Neil giving starts to eight of his new signings. First-half goals from Ki-Jana Hoever and a brace from new winger André Vidigal saw Stoke 3–0 up at half time. Lee Peltier pulled one back for the Millers but their hopes of a comeback were ended when Cafú was sent-off for two bookable offences. Jacob Brown made it 4–1 in the 90th minute. Brown was then sold to newly-promoted Premier League side Luton Town. The first away match of the campaign ended in a 2–0 defeat against newly-promoted Ipswich Town. They then beat Watford 1–0 with Vidigal scoring in the 53rd minute with a half-volley. Stoke continued their foreign recruitment bringing in Algerian forward Mehdi Léris, Dutch midfielder Wouter Burger Serbian winger Nikola Jojić and South Korean midfielder Bae Jun-ho. Stoke lost 1–0 to Millwall on 26 August, Kevin Nisbet scoring the only goal.

September

On transfer deadline day Stoke brought in American defender Lynden Gooch from Sunderland, winger Sead Hakšabanović on loan from Celtic, and young prospect Junior Tchamadeu from Colchester United whilst Josh Tymon left for Swansea City. A tight game against Preston North End was settled by a Will Keane brace early in the second half with his first being a controversial penalty. Stoke were defeated for a third game in row following the international break, losing 1–0 at Norwich City. Stoke's poor start to the season continued with a 2–2 draw away at Huddersfield Town and a 3–1 loss at home to Hull City. Stoke looked to heading towards another defeat after going 2–0 down at Bristol City but fought back with goals from Léris and Hakšabanović before academy graduate Nathan Lowe scored a 90th-minute winner.

October

Stoke faced relegated sides Southampton and Leicester City at the beginning of October, losing both 1–0 and 2–0 respectively to leave the team just above the relegation zone before the international break. Alex Neil faced his former club Sunderland following on 21 October. Ryan Mmaee gave Stoke an early lead but Sunderland equalised soon after through former loanee Jack Clarke. Stoke regained the lead straight after half-time with Luke McNally scoring his first goal for the club, and City held on to claim the win. Against Leeds United, with the match goalless after 75 minutes Patrick Bamford missed a penalty and Stoke went on to win the game after Wesley's header hit the crossbar and went in off Whites defender, Pascal Struijk. Prior to the Middlesbrough match Stoke suffered a blow as Bournemouth had an exceptional circumstances recall request for Mark Travers approved by the Premier League. Jack Bonham returned in goal as Stoke won 2–0 with goals from Michael Rose and Mehdi Léris in what was only their second win at the Riverside Stadium.

November

Stoke made it five games unbeaten with back-to-back goalless draws against Cardiff City and Coventry City. After the final international break of the year Stoke were well beaten 3–0 at home by Blackburn. The team put in an ill-disciplined performance away at Queens Park Rangers picking up seven yellow cards with Enda Stevens being sent-off for two bookable offences, Stoke did lead 2–1 but went on to lose 4–2.

December

Stoke lost again conceding in the final moments against Plymouth Argyle to lose 2–1 which increased the pressure on Alex Neil. City suffered another late defeat this time against bottom of the table Sheffield Wednesday, which prompted an angry reaction from supporters. Alex Neil was sacked the following day along with his assistant Martin Canning. Paul Gallagher took caretaker charge of the team against Swansea City where a late header from Harry Darling cancelled out Daniel Johnson's penalty. Stoke gained a hard fought point away at promotion chasing West Bromwich Albion on 17 December. On 19 December Stoke appointed Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the team's new head coach along with Mark Hughes as his assistant, First Team Coach Peter Cavanagh and Goalkeeper Coach Darren Behcet. Schumacher's first game in charge saw Stoke play out a goalless draw with Millwall. He got his first win on boxing day at Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City, Gooch, Thompson Vidigal earning Stoke a 3–1 win and their first at St Andrew's since 1988. Stoke ended 2023 with a 1–1 draw away at Watford who were reduced to ten-men early in the second half after Vakoun Bayo was sent-off for lashing out at McNally.

January

Stoke began 2024 with another goalless home draw this time against promotion-chasing Ipswich Town this after Jordan Thompson was sent-off in the second half for dissent. City then earned a first victory at Rotherham United's New York Stadium with Lewis Baker scoring a long-range free-kick just before half-time. This was then followed by a 2–1 defeat against Birmingham City with a goal coming from Jordan Thompson and a 3–1 loss at Sunderland with an own goal coming from Jenson Seelt. In the January transfer window Stoke brought in goalkeeper Daniel Iversen, midfielder Luke Cundle and forwards Niall Ennis and Million Manhoef whilst Tommy Simkin, Emre Tezgel, D'Margio Wright-Phillips left on loans and Dwight Gayle had his contract terminated early.

February

Stoke were easily beaten at home by top of the table Leicester City 5–0. City lost a fourth match in a row, 3–1 at Blackburn Rovers prompting an angry reaction from the large travelling support shouting "Your not fit to wear the shirt!" The team managed to gain a vital 1–0 against relegation rivals Queens Park Rangers on 14 February with a goal from Wouter Burger, but lost 1–0 again three days later to Coventry City. Technical director Ricky Martin was sacked by John Coates and replaced by Jonathan Walters on an interim basis. Stoke dropped into the relegation zone for the first time this season with a 2–1 defeat at Cardiff City with a goal coming from Bae Jun-ho.

March

Walters issued a rallying call to supporters ahead of the final 12 games of the season. It had the desired effect as Stoke beat Middlesbrough 2–0 with goals from Bae Jun-ho and Lewis Baker, however results elsewhere meant Stoke remained in the bottom three. Three days later Stoke lost 1–0 at promotion chasing Leeds United and had Ben Pearson sent-off late on for two bookable offences. On 5 March Stoke announced plans to move the away section at the bet365 stadium and install safe standing. They then secured a late 2–1 victory against Preston North End to move up to 19th with an own goal coming from Andrew Hughes and a tap in by Luke Mcnally. They were easily beaten 3–0 by Norwich city a week later. After the international break Stoke beat Hull City 2–0 on Good Friday with goals from Josh Laurent and Ki-Jana Hoever to move five points clear of the relegation zone.

April

On Easter Monday Stoke drew 1–1 with relegation rivals Huddersfield Town, with Ki-Jana Hoever curling in a shot on 50 minutes, cancelling out Bojan Radulović's opener. Stoke then took on midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion on 7 April. The Baggies went 2–0 up through Mikey Johnston and Jed Wallace before Million Manhoef scored his first goal for the club and Vidigal fired in the rebound after his penalty was saved by Alex Palmer to earn Stoke a 2–2 draw. Stoke put in an abject performance away at Swansea, losing 3–0. The Potters then faced another relegation rival, Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Liam Palmer gave Wednesday the lead before Luke Cundle came off the bench to level the scores. Stoke secured a vital 3–0 win against Schumacher's former team Plymouth Argyle with goals from Burger, Hoever and Manhoef. The Potters secured their Championship status for the 2024–25 season with a 1–0 victory against play-off bound Southampton, Tyrese Campbell scoring the only goal.

May

Stoke ended the 2023–24 campaign with a comfortable 4–0 victory over Bristol City with goals from Campbell, Cundle and a brace from Manhoef.

Results

League table

Results by round

FA Cup

As a Championship side, Stoke entered the competition in the third round and were drawn at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

EFL Cup

Stoke were drawn at home to West Bromwich Albion in the first round, winning 2–1 after an own goal by Albion keeper, Josh Griffiths and a winning goal from André Vidigal just after Brandon Thomas-Asante had equalised. Stoke progressed past Rotherham United in the second round, winning 6–1 with Wouter Burger, Mehdi Léris and Ryan Mmaee scoring their first goals for the club. Stoke were eliminated by Premier League side Bournemouth in the third round.

Squad statistics

Transfers

In

Out

Loans in

Loans out

References