Former Stoke City striker Jonathan Walters believes the absence of defender Ryan Shawcross is one of main reasons behind the club's poor start to the season, with the Potters sitting at the bottom of the Championship table.

Nathan Jones' side have endured a torrid start to the campaign, having failed to win any of their opening ten league matches, which left them cut adrift at the bottom of the table, before a much-needed 2-1 win at Swansea City in the final game before the international break.

That win has somewhat for the moment lifted some of the mounting pressure on Jones, but the Potters are still in desperate need of improvements at both ends of the pitch, having conceded the joint most amount of goals in the division so far with 22 shipped, and also only scoring eleven times going forwards.

Shawcross has missed all eleven of Stoke's Championship games so far, having suffered a broken fibula during the last pre-season friendly, and the organisational skills of the defender have been a huge loss throughout the opening weeks of the season.

Walters, via the Stoke Sentinel, has suggested that Shawcross' absence is having an impact not just on the field, but also around the dressing room as well, saying "You’ve got to be honest with each other sometimes and take it on the chin.

"Speaking here as an ex-player, you go through players and 98 or 99 per cent of your teammates you don’t speak to once you stop playing. Things get said in the dressing room and people have to take it on the chin, not take things personally.

"You need leaders out there who are not afraid to say things how they see it and if there is criticism, take it in the right way.

"I’m sure there are players like that in there – but I think that’s where Ryan might be missed too. He’s not afraid to speak his mind and hasn’t been afraid to do that in all the years I’ve known him as a player."

The Verdict

Stoke have appeared at times to be lacking in any clear direction on the pitch, with the defence and midfield disconnected when opposing teams are launching counter-attacks, which points to a lack of leadership on the pitch in the vital periods in matchers when you need to soak up pressure.

That is something, that as Walters alludes to, Shawcross would provide with all of his experience and is a major loss to Stoke's defence so far this season, and the Potters will be needing the defender to make a return as soon as possible to help them recover from their poor start.

Walters' comments highlight the respect that Stoke's players have for Shawcross, and the importance he has around the dressing room in helping keep other players motivated and aware of their roles, which is something that the Potters have lacked in and around the dressing so far this term.