Alex Neil has asserted that both Stoke and Coventry City exhibited a shared issue during their goalless draw at the CBS Arena over the weekend – a deficiency in front of goal.
Despite securing a point and extending Stoke’s unbeaten run to five Championship matches with a fourth consecutive clean sheet, Neil acknowledged the lack of quality in the attacking third for both teams.
Reflecting on the match, Neil expressed satisfaction with the defensive performance but highlighted a lack of offensive punch. Stoke managed only two shots on target from six attempts throughout the 90 minutes. Neil emphasized the need for better opportunities in the final third, pointing out that despite getting into promising areas and reaching the byline multiple times, the teams failed to create clear-cut chances.
Neil noted that Coventry City faced similar challenges, praising some good moments but observing a lack of decisive opportunities to secure a win. Emphasizing Stoke’s rare achievement of four consecutive clean sheets, Neil outlined the importance of maintaining aggression and quality in their gameplay.
While acknowledging a sufficient volume of attacking players, Neil pointed out the failure to choose the right options. In tight games like this, he stressed the significance of one player producing a moment of quality, which was lacking for both teams. Neil concluded that despite the teams’ efforts, they fell short of doing enough to secure a victory but managed to avoid a defeat.
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