Stoke City fell to their first defeat under Michael O'Neill as a Leandro Bacuna goal ensured Cardiff City picked up all three points against the Potters last night.

Whilst it was always going to be a tough game for the Staffordshire side, particularly as it was Neil Harris' first at home in charge of the Bluebirds, it's no coincidence that Stoke weren't at their best without James McClean.

The Irishman has been a divisive figure at many clubs over the years and it has been no different with the Potters.

In fairness, some of the criticism towards the player is justified. He is certainly wasteful too often when in possession and he doesn't get enough goals for a wide player.

However, he does do a lot of good and even though O'Neill has only been in charge a matter of weeks, most Stoke fans would agree that the performances he has got out of McClean are a major positive.

The ex-Sunderland man won a penalty in an impressive display at Barnsley before following it up with a man of the match showing against Wigan. It was against the Latics that he picked up his fifth booking of the campaign, causing him to miss the trip to Wales last night.

And, Stoke without McClean were very underwhelming without him.

Even if you can question the 30-year-old's ability on the ball, he brings other qualities that are perhaps under-appreciated and they were certainly missed last night.

Despite playing out wide, McClean can help set the tempo with his relentless work rate. Plus, his desire, combined with a fearless attitude when it comes to challenges, rubs off on the fans and his teammates. It can provide a spark or a lift when the team are struggling.

O'Neill's men didn't have that in his absence last night and they lacked his powerful, direct style that had troubled the two sides they had played leading into the Cardiff game.

The concerning display last night as only really increased the importance of McClean in this team and in a matter of weeks he has managed to go from a figure the fans didn't like to one they all want to see starting this weekend.

Of course, he deserves credit for that, but so does the new boss.

A win against Blackburn at the bet365 Stadium will bring the optimism and excitement flooding back to the club and potentially take them out of the bottom three - and McClean is going to be the first name on the teamsheet, something that was hard to imagine a short while ago.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.