Breakdown, Preview and Predictions for Stoke City's 2012-13 Season

Stoke City left its supporters disappointed following their performances in the final months of their previous campaign and the team will look to drastically improve its form heading into the start 2012-13 English Premier League season.

The Potters were in eighth place in March, but come the middle of May, they had dropped all the way down to 14th.

A dismal attack and long-ball tactics were the main gripes for the club's fans, and the team must improve offensively this year. The team's struggles in front of goal and what they can do to improve will be a large part of my next EPL preview.

Here is Stoke City's 2012-13 season picked apart and analyzed.

Key Additions

Michael Kightly

Tony Pulis was able to poach Kightly from Wolverhampton after the team finished last in the Premiership. The outside midfielder notched three goals and an assist for Wolves.

He fits into Pulis' tactics well, as he crosses the ball well and constantly keeps his eyes up the field. The 26-year-old was a smart addition to the squad. 

Jamie Ness

The 21-year-old Scottish midfielder was one of Rangers' bright young talents and Stoke were able to get him on a free transfer.

He is primarily a central midfielder, but he is versatile enough to move around the pitch.

Ness will give Stoke an infusion of youth and a player who can possess the ball. Both of these qualities will make him a solid signing going forward.

Key Departures

Jonathan Woodgate

Woodgate provided depth for the Stoke defense last season and was employed at both center and right back. The journeyman defender is now headed back to Middlesborough on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old was not a first-choice player and Stoke are perfectly capable of moving on without a hitch. 

None of the other departed players made any significant impact for the Potters this past season, and the team will have a nearly identical squad to the one last year.

It was a tale of two teams for Stoke last season, and it will be up to Pulis and the players to decided whether the form that allowed them to hold on to eight place for much of the year, or the form that saw the side drop to 14th will characterize the campaign. 

The full Stoke City schedule can be found via the team's website. Here are the must-see matches.

vs. Arsenal, Sunday, August 26

For teams that traditionally finish in the middle of the table or lower, an early win over one of the Premiership's giants can drastically help going forward.

Stoke had the worst attack in the league this past season. Their best chance against one of the top teams will be against Arsenal, whose defensive play was average at best last season. 

If the Potters can get an early goal and fall back in their own half for the remainder of the match, they could grab important points in just their second match of the season. 

at West Bromwich Albion, Saturday, December 1

This West Midlands rivalry has intensified in recent seasons and the two teams split their league meetings last year. The supporters for each side will be clamoring for their team to take the advantage in the first half of the season.

West Brom's 2-1 victory last January was their first win over Stoke in nine years, as noted by the BBC's Chris McKenna, and the bitter defeat will not be forgotten by the Potters in this match.

With an excellent atmosphere provided by the die-hard fans, and two evenly matched teams, this should be an exciting match. 

at Newcastle, Saturday, March  9

This is the point in their campaign when Stoke started to flounder last season and a win in this match could prevent a similar drop in form.

The following outing will be against West Brom at home and there will be no shortage of motivation for the Potters in that game. If the team can upset Newcastle before making it two wins in a row against the Baggies, it will have plenty of momentum for the final stretch.

Stoke will need to make a stand somewhere in these two months to definitely prove that they will not tank in the same manner as last year. The matchup with Newcastle is the ideal place to do so. 

Robert Huth

Stoke City's success will come entirely from the defense, and Huth was the unquestioned leader of the back four last season. 

The massive 27-year-old German center back was the key to the team's defense—but actually made a significant offensive contribution as well, scoring three goals. Converting set pieces is a point of emphasis for Tony Pulis and Huth is often the target in these situations.

Huth will continue to be a central piece in the team's hard-nosed tactics.

Peter Crouch

The instantly recognizable center forward led the team with 10 goals last season and was one of the rare bright spots in the attack.

He scored one of the goals of the season on a remarkable volley against Manchester City, in a typical scoring strike for Stoke. Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic sent the ball the length of field, Crouch won the ball in the air before receiving the ball back for his spectacular shot.

Long balls up to Crouch are a fixture in Pulis' tactics and the center forward will need every inch of his 6'7" frames to continue to win these balls and help his side be successful.

Ryan Shawcross

Stoke's attack is woefully inept and both center backs must be superb throughout the season to help the team stay away from the bottom of the table. 

Shawcross played alongside Huth last season and did so adequately. He may have been overshadowed by his defensive partner, but he still played his role well.

The 24-year-old will need to work with Huth to form one of the better center-back tandems in the league in order to make up for the Potters' alarming lack of offensive firepower. 

Size

With the two starting centerbacks standing at 6'3"—and the center forward towering at 6'7"—it is difficult to blame Tony Pulis for putting such a large emphasis on set pieces.

This team has been constructed to be physically superior to its opponents and that is often the case. With Robert Huth, Peter Crouch and Ryan Shawcross in the box, it is difficult to defend Stoke City on free kicks.

The team's 16  goals from dead-ball situations tied them for fourth-most in the Premiership and was more than they put away in open play. Stoke also led the league with 15.3 balls won in the air each match.

The two hulking defenders also make it extremely hard to score on the Potters off a set piece. These players do what Pulis wants them to—and they do it well.

Conservative Play

Whether or not one agrees with Pulis' tactics, the Stoke players do execute them faithfully.

They constantly stay behind the ball and never hesitates to send the ball up the field instead of making a risky pass. The team's 68 long balls per match ties them for fourth-most in the league. 

The Potters are also extremely hesitant to move forward, and their 9.9 shots per game with just 2.5 on target ranks them last in the EPL in both categories.

These may seem like negative statistics, but Pulis will likely pay no mind to them. He wants his team to proceed up the pitch with caution and is not worried about creating chances in the flow of the match.

Note: all statistics courtesy of Whoscored.com.

Outdated Tactics

Tony Pulis' style is in direct contrast to modern ideas about how football should be played. 

Picture the tiki taka style that has led to so much success for Spain and Barcelona, then try and conceive the polar opposite of that strategy. This is somewhere along the lines of Pulis' tactics.

Stoke finished dead last the Premier League last season in both possession statistics (39.9 percent) and pass-completion percentage (69.5). The team's 229 short passes per game was the lowest total by a large margin. These numbers were actually an improvement on the previous two seasons.

Pulis directs his players to send the ball up the field regularly instead of maintaing possession. He has stubbornly refused to change his style and while he may be able to keep his team safe from relegation, they will never be more than a mid-table team playing like this.

Scoring

While this is mainly a result of Pulis' tactics, the Potters' scoring output is the most worrisome statistic for the team. 

Finishing with the lowest amount of goals scored in the league is a sure way to end up in contention for relegation. If the team refuses to put the ball on the ground and maintain possession, then it must be more efficient with its chances.

Pulis is a seasoned manager and will not be drastically changing his strategy, meaning the team will not be taking significantly more shots than they did last season.

The Stoke players will simply have to be better this season in front of goal in order score more often and win more matches.

Wins: 10

Draws: 15

Losses: 13

Points: 45

Place: 13th

For all the criticism of Tony Pulis' tactics, he has never allowed one of his teams to be relegated. 

His conservative style of play will not produce a dangerous team, but it will also keep his side from being awful.

This strategy will produce plenty of ties, but wins and losses will be relatively rare for Stoke compared to other teams.

The team is destined for another season with few goals, atrocious possession statistics and yet another mid-table finish.