A Problem with Stoke City’s Young Talent

There have now been several matches where we’ve seen Sol Sidibé not make the starting lineup for Stoke City in the EFL Championship. It appears that Narcís Pelach is not considering the young 17-year-old footballer, who has an exceptional future ahead of him.

Sidibé, a product of Stoke City’s academy, has shown remarkable talent throughout his budding career, establishing himself as an impressive midfielder with strong offensive and defensive capabilities. However, since Pelach’s arrival, Sidibé hasn’t seen substantial game time.

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A Promising Future, But Limited Game Time for Sidibé

To date, Sidibé has only appeared in two matches under Pelach’s management. One was against Middlesbrough, where he came off the bench to play 27 minutes in a 2-0 loss. His other appearance was in the Carabao Cup, where he started and played 77 minutes in a 3-2 defeat to Southampton.

In other matches, he has remained on the bench without being subbed in, including Stoke City’s 6-1 win over Portsmouth, where he spent the entire game on the bench. Most recently, in Stoke City’s 2-1 victory over Derby County, Sidibé again wasn’t called upon, despite potentially being a valuable option.

The decisions made by Narcís Pelach seem to be driven by performance in training, suggesting that Sidibé might not yet be fully prepared or possess the competitive mentality needed to secure a starting spot or even a significant role off the bench. This is an important point to consider, as it will be essential to monitor Sidibé’s development to see if he can become a true star for Stoke City.

The ideal outcome would be for Sidibé to provide thrilling moments for the club that has nurtured him and where he aims to spend many more years competing in the EFL Championship. Why not even help Stoke City achieve a long-awaited promotion to the Premier League? It would be a dream come true for Stoke City fans to see their club back in the top flight, potentially with Sidibé as a central figure.

At just 17 years old, he has already started making waves whenever he steps onto the field, and with his involvement in England’s youth teams, there’s hope that this young talent will flourish as a key player for Stoke City both now and in the years to come.