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Report cards: Every Premier League team graded As we approach the turn of the year, it's time to take a look at how Stoke have fared so far in 2016-17. Is this the season Mark Hughes' men finally finish above their record ninth place? Here's how the season has gone so far. Grade: C+ Positives: An impressive run of form has seen the Potters make their way back up towards the top half of the table, a change of fortune inspired by the introduction of a new formation. It's an option that offers a genuine Plan B and thankfully doesn't involve Peter Crouch and countless punts forward in his general direction. Hughes has also been buoyed by the form of Xherdan Shaqiri who, having endured an indifferent maiden campaign, seems to have finally found his stride in the Premier League. It took him just two months of this season to match his goal total for the entirety of last season (three) and the Swiss international is relishing the freedom of a more central role in a narrower 3-4-3 formation. He has been ably assisted by another of the season's success stories in Joe Allen, who has excelled in the unlikely role of a No.10. and almost single-handedly pulled his side away from the foot of the table. His tally for the season stands at five, which is more than he has scored in the last four seasons combined; a statistic that goes some way to illustrate just how much he is enjoying life in the Potteries under Hughes. Negatives: While the side has managed to turn their season around, a number of questions persist over some of the manager's selections and his overall decision-making in general. Even at this stage of the season, it is not uncommon for there to be two or three changes in personnel from week-to-week, such is the apparent lack of clarity around what his best XI is. While he has made the best of a series of injuries in defence, he is seemingly no closer to deciding on who is best suited to the defensive midfield roles or to lead the line up front. Charlie Adam is enjoying his perennial half a dozen game run of form but £18 million record signing Giannelli Imbula is no closer to establishing himself as firmly as his price tag would encourage. Further up-field, the situation is not much clearer with none of the current pool of strikers impressing to the point that they can meaningfully be considered a certainty for that role; including Wilfried Bony who is currently warming the bench ahead of a possible early departure to China. Star man: It would be easy to plump for Allen but there's another player who has had just as big an impact but without the kind of headlines the Welshman is enjoying; goalkeeper Lee Grant. Having arrived on loan as a deputy to Shay Given, he has quickly made the No.1 spot his own following a string of impressive performances between the sticks. Despite having never played in the top flight before this season, he has gone from strength to strength and currently has the best save percentage in the Premier League at over 81 percent. He's also managed to achieve the best points-per-game average of any Stoke player that has started 10 games or more since promotion which makes the prospect of losing him all the more difficult to take. Flop: The term flop is perhaps unfair but one player who continues to frustrate is Crouch. That's not to suggest that he is in any way a poor footballer; more that he is an all-too-easy option for the manager to turn to when times get tough. Despite having younger, more dynamic players on the bench it is the 35-year-old who has got the nod more than most this season and when the side is chasing a goal, the prospect of a player coming on who hasn't scored in 19 months is not a very appealing one. Having never been blessed with pace there is no doubt that he still has plenty to offer but it feels like there are far better options sat around him for Stoke. He's just four goals away from joining the "100 club" and is more likely to achieve that feat by playing regular football which is not something that Hughes is able to guarantee. It's also important the manager gives ample opportunity to some of the talent currently coming through the youth ranks at the club and understands what message it sends when it is Crouch that is given a start in the cup competitions and not them. Predicted finish: Given the team's stuttering start and the recruitment that is still needed, a fourth successive 9th place finish is unlikely and a more realistic position would be just outside the top 10.
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