Arguably one of the most surprising transfers of deadline day was Eidur Gudjohnsen’s move to Stoke City. The former Chelsea forward has agreed a season long loan at the Britannia Stadium from Monaco, but will the Icelandic forward fit in with Stoke’s notorious physical game?
That will be the worry for Potters boss Tony Pulis who has been reluctant to change his approach to the challenge of taking Stoke to the next level. Fans have been crying out for the club to bring in a different type of player and to challenge the pre-perceived perception of a typical Stoke signing.
But Pulis attempted to do this last summer and the singing of Tuncay from Middlesbrough hasn’t really lived up to expectations. The Turkish forward has failed to fit in with Stoke’s style and it lead to constant rumours that he would seek a move away during this summer.
Gudjohnsen isn’t quite in the same situation as Tuncay though. The former Barcelona man hasn’t been used to the physical side of things during his time with Chelsea and Bolton and I expect him to have more success than Tuncay.
Some Stoke fans may be hoping that Pulis scraps his current style and attempts to play conventional Premier League football but they shouldn’t hold their breath. Despite three league defeats to start the season Pulis has been given the financial backing of his chairman today and the result is a signing which will no doubt have thrilled Stoke fans.
Personally I was surprised that Pulis would opt to sign a player like Gudjohnsen though, and I am even more surprised to see Tuncay remain a Stoke player. Gudjohnsen is a player who probably could adapt to the demands of playing in a Stoke shirt, but for Tuncay to have success this year you feel that Pulis would have to change his method.
Gudjohnsen though won’t find it easy to adapt to Stoke’s style however we have seen in the past that he has all the ability to be a real success in the Premier League, so given time expect him to hit a goal rush with Stoke and maybe take them to new heights.
