Stoke City and Tony Pulis appeared to be a marriage made in heaven. For almost seven years, the pair went together like oatcakes and bacon.
However, Pulis's shock divorce from the Potters was announced in May, with chairman Peter Coates wanting the club to go 'in a different direction'.
Coates eventually appointed Mark Hughes as Pulis's replacement and the former Manchester City manager has guided his new side to five wins from their first 19 Premier League games in the 2013-14 season.
Below, Sports Mole recaps the first four-and-a-half months of Hughes's maiden campaign at the Britannia Stadium.
August
© Getty Images
Stoke had added just two signings in June and July. One of those new arrivals was £3m former PSV left-back Erik Pieters, who made his debut on the opening day of the season as the Potters lost 1-0 at Liverpool.
The Staffordshire side responded brilliantly to their defeat at Anfield by winning all three of their other fixtures in August. A 2-1 success against Crystal Palace and a 1-0 victory at West Ham United in the league came either side of a 3-1 win over Walsall in the Capital One Cup.
Stoke ended the month fifth in the Premier League, with only Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal ahead of them. Despite their close proximity in the table, Liverpool allowed Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi to move to the Britannia Stadium on a season-long loan.
September
© Getty Images
Hughes bolstered his midfield options further on transfer deadline day, as Stephen Ireland arrived on loan from Aston Villa and Marko Arnautovic put pen to paper on a four-year contract after leaving Werder Bremen in a £2m deal. Both players came off the bench as Stoke held Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at the Britannia.
Stoke were unable to add any more points to their Premier League total during the rest of September. They lost 3-1 at Arsenal before going down 1-0 at home to Norwich City. There was a little cause for celebration in between those losses, as Ireland scored his first Potters goal in a 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers in the Capital One Cup.
October
© Getty Images
Darren Bent struck an 83rd-minute winner as Fulham beat Stoke 1-0 at Craven Cottage on October 5. The Potters battled to a scrappy 0-0 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion two weeks later.
Manchester United netted twice in the final 12 minutes to record a 3-2 win over Stoke, who had threatened to cause an almighty upset at Old Trafford. The Staffordshire side's habit of conceding late goals then continued in the Capital One Cup at Birmingham City, where, having led the 10-man Blues 3-1 with five minutes to play, the Potters were taken all the way to a penalty shootout, which eventually saw them scrape through 4-2.
Without a league win since August, Stoke ended October 17th in the table, with only goal difference keeping them above the relegation zone.
November
© Getty Images
November began with a bizarre goal by Stoke's Asmir Begovic, who became just the fifth goalkeeper to score in the Premier League when his wind-assisted clearance ended up in the back of Southampton's net in the opening minute of a 1-1 draw at the Britannia. Begovic's goal embarrassed Stoke's outfield players, as it made the Bosnian stopper the club's joint-top league goalscorer for the season. However, Charlie Adam overtook Begovic eight days later, netting his second top-flight goal of the campaign by converting a last-minute penalty in a 3-3 draw at Swansea City.
Adam was on the scoresheet again on November 23 when the Potters registered their third league win of the season by beating Sunderland 2-0 at home. However, Hughes's side were swiftly brought back down to Earth by a 4-0 hammering at Everton.
December
© Getty Images
Stoke were unbeaten in their first three games in December. A stunning 3-2 win over Chelsea was sandwiched in between goalless draws against Cardiff City and Hull City.
The Potters' Capital One Cup adventure was ended by a 2-0 home loss to Man United, but they bounced back in the Premier League by beating Aston Villa 2-1. That result boosted Hughes's men up to 10th in the table.
However, they ended 2013 in 12th after being on the end of two post-Christmas thumpings. They lost 5-1 at Newcastle United on Boxing Day, ending the match with just nine players after Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson had both been sent off just before half time. Three days later, they were put to the sword by Tottenham Hotspur, who recorded a 3-0 win at White Hart Lane.
Robert Summerscales
