Stoke City warned of making 'silly mistake' as player exit confirmed | OneFootball

Stoke City's FLW fan pundit has shared their thoughts on the departure of Lewis Baker

Preparations for the next campaign at Stoke City are well underway, and the Potters have already made one big decision that may prove to bite them in the back if they are not careful.

Another year in the second tier is over for Stoke, who have begun to prepare for their ninth consecutive year in the Championship next season.

Since relegation to the Championship in 2018, they have yet to finish higher than 14th, and have gone a whole decade of failing to finish in the top half, with supporters well and truly exhausted from their side's demise and subsequent stagnation.

Despite starting strong this season, sitting in 3rd after ten games and challenging both Coventry City and Middlesbrough at the top of the table, the Potters slipped to 17th in the end, with only Sheffield Wednesday picking up fewer points in the final 30 games than them, as Football League World exclusively reported that the club was eyeing up potential replacements for under-pressure manager Mark Robins.

Injuries didn't help their case, with numerous key players suffering long-term absences across the campaign, hindering their form and results. One player's lack of availability hurt them more than most, on whom the club have just made a key contract decision that they may live to regret.

Lewis Baker joined Stoke in January 2022 on a permanent deal from Chelsea as one of Michael O'Neill's first signings at the club after Jordan Thompson, and his impact was immediate.

The midfielder had previously spent time out on loan on as many as eight separate spells with the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough, Vitesse, Leeds United, and Trabzonspor, and finally ended his nearly 20-year relationship with Chelsea by switching to the Potteries.

Baker, 31, would score eight and assist twice in 21 league games for the Potters in the second half of the 2021/22 season, and would continue to be a creative and goal threat from the middle of the park for the four years that followed at the bet365 Stadium.

One of Robins' first calls of action when taking the Stoke job was to recall Baker from his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, having been unfavoured by Steven Schumacher, and had injuries not disrupted his playing time, Stoke would have almost certainly finished much higher than what they did this year.

Football League World's Stoke fan pundit, Ryan, has shared their thoughts on the departure of Baker, whether it was the correct decision to allow him to depart, and if they can see the midfielder rock up at another second-tier side this summer and make a big impact.

Ryan said: "I said we shouldn't have got rid of Lewis Baker.

"We cried out for him all season. We should have offered him that one-year contract, and we didn't, and I think we might pay the price for that, because I really do think he could go to a mid-table Championship team and really do something for them.

"I mean, Blackburn loved him, loved their time. They're crying out for him now.

"I think it's a bit of a silly mistake, to be honest. And he is a bit of a character as well, and you'd always need that in a dressing room.

Mark Robins will have a tough task replacing Lewis Baker following Stoke City exit

Baker's injury following the 1-0 defeat to Coventry in early November seemed to begin the demise of the Potters' form, with his absence from the side proving to be irreplaceable.

The 31-year-old played 12 of the opening 15 league games, with Stoke victorious in eight of those. After his injury, the Potters would win just seven more league games all season, with Baker only returning for four more games before the end of the campaign.

Stoke's drop off in form, which cannot be solely blamed on Baker's absence, can be attributed to the midfielder's injury.

Each of Viktor Johansson, Divin Mubama, Ben Wilmot, Junior Tchamadeu, Bosun Lawal, Sam Gallagher, and Robert Bozenik are just one of several other notable names that spent prolonged periods out of action, as well as Baker, which of course didn't help their case.

With 30 goals and 11 assists in 130 games from midfield, Robins will find replacing his output from midfield especially difficult.

Whether a contract extension was indeed offered to Baker before his departure, or whether he was allowed to leave, remains unknown, but given his age and Stoke's lack of progression during his stay with the club, one could hardly begrudge him seeking greener pastures.