The first manager to do so at Stoke since Michael O’Neill in 2021/22 and only the second of the nine who have tried since 2017.
He said: “I’ve said loads of times, it’s an unbelievably good football club. I have a responsibility to the supporters, the players, the owner, Jon Walters. When we don’t do well, I feel that and I think that everyone feels it. We work incredibly closely together. There is no need to look anywhere else other than me in terms of results because it is on me.
“I have to make sure we are all on the same page. We all endeavour to do that. We speak regularly. I see Jon every day. I see John Coates nearly every day, he comes in to see us and spends time with myself and Jon and others. It is healthy. We like each other – that’s a big thing. We like each other, we get on and we all want the same thing.
“We haven’t always got things right. We all make mistakes. As long as we don’t keep making the same ones and we get most things right then things will improve.
“There are a lot of times that I’ve spoken about injuries but the circumstances around this season have just been a perfect storm in areas where you’ve got young players who aren’t quite the level, you’ve got too many in positions that I’ve had to move around – the supporters’ player of the season who I’ve played at right-back, right wing-back, all over the place apart from where he’s been the most dynamic on the back of injuries, not out of choice.
“There are times when I’ve had to make decisions based on players’ availability in terms of minutes in a game, when a game might be in the balance but I have to make the change, knowing it isn’t the right thing to do in that moment to get a result but I have to do it anyway. I’ve tried to leave it at times and tried to ride my luck and that puts players at a bit more risk. That’s not been pleasant.
“You have to get your squad in a position when you get injuries and illness which is normal – but the amount of injuries we’ve had because I’ve had to use players too early… Or they go away in the international break, for instance, and Bosun goes away with the Republic of Ireland. If he stays with us he works harder and gets himself into a better position but he plays half-an-hour and comes back then has to play on Good Friday and Easter Monday. All of a sudden now he’s really close to getting an injury and I’ve no choice. It’s those types of things.
“For him it’s rubbish. I don’t want to have to do that. That will change. We’ve got an understanding and we all know where we need to take it, where we need to go. Those are just some of those areas that need covering this summer.”