Joe Allen expects Stoke City to build momentum by Christmas

Joe Allen was confident that the club would build consistency before the end of the year. (Source: Reuters)

Stoke City have the experience and capability to arrest their slide and climb up the Premier League table, midfielder Joe Allen has said ahead of Saturday’s trip to Watford.

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Stoke are currently 17th in the table, one place above the relegation zone on goal difference, after four losses in their last five league games, including last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by 19th-placed Bournemouth.

“We’re confident that, with the ability we do have, collectively, over a period of time, it’s going to be enough to get ourselves back up the table, in a position that’s more fitting of this club,” Allen was quoted as saying by the Stoke Sentinel.

“We’ve got so much experience in that dressing room. We’ve been here before, we know what to expect and that’s going to help us of course it is.

“We haven’t got lads in here that will be affected by bad results and lose confidence. In that sense it’s only a matter of time before we get the ball rolling and get a run of games together where we pick up a lot more points.”

Mark Hughes’ side have won two of their nine league games and crashed out of the League Cup last month but Allen was confident that the club would build consistency before the end of the year.

“We need to build momentum,” Allen added. “To get nothing out of the game against Bournemouth is below the standards we set ourselves. We want to make sure we bounce back with a result that sends the supporters home happy and we start building momentum between now and Christmas.”

Stoke won both league fixtures against Watford, who are sixth in the league, last season but are yet to register an away win this campaign.