Paul Lambert makes flying start as Stoke win at last
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ByEurosport
Updated 20/01/2018 at 18:08 GMT
Paul Lambert enjoyed the perfect start to his career as Stoke City manager as his new side brushed aside Huddersfield Town 2-0 at a raucous bet365 stadium to move out of the Premier League relegation zone on Saturday.
Paul Lambert
Image credit: Getty Images
Joe Allen and Mame Diouf scored the goals in the second half as Stoke, who included four changes from the side who lost at Old Trafford on Monday, won for the first time in seven games in all competitions.
Lambert was cheered ahead of kickoff and ended up doing a jig on the touchline after Allen got on the end of Eric Choupo-Moting's cross in the 53rd minute and then Diouf rounded off an intricate move on 69 minutes.
Stoke's impressive Xherdan Shaqiri also had a goal ruled out for offside as Huddersfield, who gave a first league start to new signing Alex Pritchard, slumped to a third successive league defeat.
Afterwards, Lambert looked almost embarrassed when asked about his over-exuberant celebration of each Stoke goal.
"You wonder why you come back into it sometimes but that's the way I am," said Lambert, who had been out of football since leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers eight months ago.
"I was enjoying my life last weekend and then you come back into this. But I wouldn't change it for the world. The players were the main factor. Them and the supporters. I guess it is why I came back in."
The effusive Lambert has sometimes been accused of talking a better game than he has delivered as manager, but Stoke looked invigorated by his presence.
With a fit-again Ryan Shawcross restored to defence and Charlie Adam running midfield, Stoke had the energy, aggression and invention to provide the sort of football Hughes had been demanding in the weeks before his dismissal.
"I thought we were outstanding from the off," said Lambert. "The tempo, the atmosphere in the stadium...
"I thought the link-up play and cut back was excellent for the first goal and it was great inter-play with a brilliant finish for the second.
"There's a lot of quality. We shouldn't be in the position we're in. Mark Hughes did a fantastic job here for four years, Tony (Pulis) before him."
However, this result confined those names to history; Stoke supporters left the ground with real hope that their season has turned.
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