Jon Walters’ Stoke City impact explained and what Ryan Shawcross brings as coach
Alex Morris helped Stoke City to a sprint finish last season and he’s had an incredibly busy summer ahead of his first full term up with the first team
It has been a busy summer for Alex Morris, who managed to fit in a stag do, wedding and honeymoon into an off-season between two jobs. The lifelong Stoke City fan and Crewe Alexandra stalwart has stepped over from under-21s lead coach to become first team coach.
He had been a bridge between the first team and academy anyway, staying over more often to help Steven Schumacher when he first arrived and then focusing on the seniors again when it was all hands to the pump in the spring. He might try to play down the influence he had in that run after the final international break – eight games, four wins, three draws, 14 goals for, seven against – but Stoke clearly did something right and it seemed a no brainer to stick with it.
It means he has passed over responsibility for the 21s to Ryan Shawcross, who was his assistant last season, and Liam Lawrence, who brought their junior players to Ireland alongside Steven Schumacher’s group for a week-long training camp. That’s how and why 17-year-old Freddie Anderson was in position to play in a friendly against Cork on Wednesday, having caught Schumacher’s eye in a first team vs 21s training drill on Tuesday.
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Morris sounds certain the youngsters are in good hands, saying: “I think our under-21s group are exceptionally fortunate to have both of them. Of course their playing career at the club speaks for itself; Ryan spent 10 years as captain of this club in the Premier League, Liam played a huge part in helping us get promoted alongside Ryan and then sustaining the club in the Premier League in those first couple of years. Their playing background carries some sway and pull straight away but that’s never enough when you coach, you’ve got to be able to transmit those messages and experiences in a way that players understand. Both are excellent at that.
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