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View photos Mark Hughes was sacked by Stoke City on Saturday following a poor run of games. More

Mark Hughes departed Stoke City after four and a half years at the club following a dismal run of games which saw him lose five games in seven.

Under Hughes, the Potters had the worst defensive record in the league, conceding 47 goals, seven more than the second-worst tally held by West Ham and Watford.

But Stoke’s players do still have some fantasy potential at both ends of the field, and with their upcoming fixtures, fantasy managers could profit from some shrewd purchases.

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Fixtures

Barring Gameweek 23’s game at Manchester United, Stoke do not play another ‘top-six’ side until mid-March.

Their run of games from Gameweek 24-28 is the third best on paper, with Chelsea and West Ham the only other teams not set to face a top-six side in this period.

And with only five points separating the relegation zone and the top-half, Stoke’s new manager could fire the Potters up the table with a string of good results.

Stoke’s next seven games:

January 15 Manchester United (A)

January 20 Huddersfield (H)

January 31 Watford (H)

February 3 Bournemouth (A)

February 20 Brighton (H)

February 24 Leicester (A)

March 3 Southampton (A)

March 10 Manchester City (H)

Stoke’s leaky defence

View photos Stoke City’s Jack Butland looks dejected during a 5-0 battering by Chelsea. More

The new manager will certainly have his work cut out for him. Stoke have conceded the most big chances in the league (60), 11 more than second-worst Watford.

Burnley top the charts for goal attempts conceded with 355, while Stoke sit in 13th on 311. However, they jump up to joint-19th in shot attempts conceded within the box- only Bournemouth have conceded more with 205 attempts. In a throw-back to the Tony Pulis days, Stoke actually have the ninth best defence in terms of headed goal attempts conceded with 45.

The sheer number of big chances and shots inside the box is worrying for Stoke fans as they are two of the best metrics for measuring goals conceded. In short, Stoke have not been unlucky, just bad at the back.

The Prospects

The Welsh manager may have left the Potters sitting in the relegation zone, but their squad is capable of fighting for the top-half if the new manager can get the team performing again.

In defence, Jack Butland has averaged five saves per game since his return from injury in Gameweek 15. Stoke have also failed to keep a clean sheet in that time and have kept just two all season, the worst record in the league.

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