After a very busy summer, Stoke City were pre-season favourites for the Championship title before a ball was kicked.

However, things have not gone well for the Potters since, with Gary Rowett's men struggling in the bottom half of the table.

They seem unable to string consecutive wins together and it will be frustrating for everyone connected to the club.

Another worrying aspect has been the performances of certain individuals, with many big-name players not living up to expectations.

One of those is summer recruit Peter Etebo. The Nigerian enjoyed a good World Cup in Russia and there was real excitement at his arrival.

However, it hasn't gone to plan so far and here we look at three reasons why fans will be worried...

We've seen time and time again that players can struggle when coming into a new league and a new country.

Unfortunately for Etebo, he has suffered and although he has time to improve, the early signs aren't great.

Etebo was signed for around £6.5m - a fairly hefty fee for any Championship side.

Given that, you would expect him to establish himself as a key player in the team but that's not the case.

This is arguably Rowett's first job where he has serious cash to spend and he will be judged by those signings.

Another worrying aspect is that the midfielder has signed a long-term contract with the Staffordshire club.

Again, it's far too soon to dismiss him as a certain failure, but this is clearly a risk if things don't work out.

We know how parachute payments are reduced the longer you stay in the second-tier and having big earners, which Etebo will be, on a long deal is a concern.