“Stoke City Shock! Narcis Pelach Unveils Astonishing Fix to Steven Schumacher’s Longstanding Nightmare”

Stoke City appear to have tightened up their defense in recent matches, with a key decision by Narcis Pelach paying off in their 0-0 draw against Swansea City.

The Potters have struggled with defensive stability in the past, especially under former manager Steven Schumacher, who oversaw four losses by three or more goals during his nine months in charge.

In response, Spanish coach Pelach has worked to solidify the defense, and while his new ideas took some time to settle, the goalless draw in South Wales showed clear improvement. It also highlighted that Pelach may have found a solution to a defensive problem that plagued Schumacher earlier in the season.

Ben Wilmot started at right-back against Swansea, helping Stoke achieve their first clean sheet in six games, just as he did in the previous match against Portsmouth, where Stoke only conceded one breakaway goal while scoring six.

Wilmot has been chosen over Junior Tchamadeu in the last two games and has performed impressively, making him the likely first-choice right-back moving forward.

Ben Wilmot has impressed at right-back

Wilmot is quite familiar with playing on the right side of Stoke’s defense, a fact that Pelach likely took into account when quickly slotting him into that position for high-pressure matches.

The 24-year-old has been with Stoke for over three years, with 16 of his 120 appearances coming at right-back. Though his return to this role might have been unexpected, Potters fans have appreciated his strong performances in recent games.

Wilmot started at right-back against Portsmouth, facing the tricky winger Josh Murphy, and nearly made an immediate impact with a long-range shot that struck the crossbar in the first minute. He also won 75% of his ground duels, made five recoveries, and completed six passes into the final third.

His trip to Swansea was similarly effective, as he lined up alongside Michael Rose and behind Lewis Koumas at the Swansea.com Stadium. Wilmot’s solid performance helped Stoke secure a clean sheet, with Swansea’s left-wing threat, Eom Ji-sung, kept largely under control throughout the match.

The former England youth international seems more than willing to adapt to any position his new head coach assigns him. In a post-match interview, he explained how he has been focusing on maximizing his strengths at right-back.

“I’ve really enjoyed it personally. Pelach has been great with me, and I think everyone would say the same. He’s very detail-oriented, and we’ve had plenty of meetings. I review clips of right-backs with the coaches every week,” he told Radio Stoke, as reported by *Stoke-on-Trent Live*.

“It’s not my usual position, so I’m learning as I go, but if the manager wants me there, I’ll give my best and make sure I’m well-prepared for each game.

“He’s not asking me to constantly bomb forward or overlap, but I’m expected to support the player and get a bit higher up the pitch. It’s a different physical demand compared to playing centre-back, so my legs are still adjusting. The international break has come at a good time for me.

“I just keep studying clips, learning as much as I can, and doing my best in whatever role the manager asks me to play.”

Pelach had an issue to solve at right-back

Tchamadeu began the season on a positive note under Schumacher, but as a 20-year-old, his form has naturally fluctuated. This was evident in the heavy defeats against Hull and Middlesbrough, which led to him being replaced by Wilmot.

Wilmot has since emerged as a strong alternative, stepping up impressively and now seemingly overtaking Tchamadeu in the race for the starting right-back spot in the upcoming games.

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