Stoke City’s Championship season is more or less dead in the water.

With seven games to go, the Potters are more than safe in the division after relegation last season.

And they have very little hope of bothering the play-off race at this late stage of the campaign.

Their indifferent position in the league is summed up by their last four results.

All draws – all goalless.

Stoke have not let in a goal in five matches, however, but it is their lack of firepower that will be of concern to the supports.

They have scored four goals in their last 11 matches – and under Nathan Jones – that is an issue.

When the current boss was at Luton, the Hatters were scoring goals for fun – and that led the fans to envisage an attacking, free-scoring brand of football at the Championship club.

They have not been blessed with such riches, and the lack of goals leading to the four consecutive goalless draws will be of cause for concern heading in the summer.

It highlights a lack of legitimate firepower in attack.

At the back, Stoke have tightened things but the goals are not coming at the right end of the pitch.

Of course, it will be frustrating for the fans who want to see their team attack and score – and they have a manager who preaches that philosophy.

Jones will have to get the right players in the summer to avoid any type of this run of form next season.

It will be tolerated this term, with the manager still finding his feet, but it certainly will not be accepted come the start of the new campaign after a full pre-season has been undertaken with the new set up.