Stoke City almost finished the 2011-12 Premier League as high as the previous campaign, dropping one place from 13th to 14th.

However, their overall goal total of 36 was down by ten. Probably, it was this dearth of goals that eventually cost Tony Pulis’s side a better placing.

Queens Park Rangers, having arrived from the Championship as title winners, left it very late to retain their status.

On the last day of the season, QPR lost to Manchester City (3-2) in a nailbiting match that was marred by Joey Barton’s antics. QPR stayed in the Premier League as Bolton could not go beyond a drawn result at Stoke.

The Londoners had also changed coaches – Mark Hughes came in for the sacked Neil Warnock in January.

Back in the Premier League after a lapse of 15 years, QPR lost 4-0 to Bolton in their opening match at Loftus Road. The cynics started to sharpen their pencils and gave the Rs no chance of survival.

Yet, football is a strange game and at the end, the winners of that first fixture, Bolton, went down in May and QPR survived.

During Warnock’s tenure as QPR manager, he was told that there was no money available to strengthen the squad. He was forced to reshape the team relying on largely uninspiring free transfers and out-of-contract players.

Yet, after a few weeks, new owner Tony Fernandes took over and provided funds for transfers, first to Warnock and then Hughes.

Hughes took his time to bring in reinforcements and, at first, the fans thought that the writing was on the wall and that there was nothing the club could do to sidestep relegation.

Yet, a run of five home victories – against the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham – saw them stage a bold fightback to keep their place among the big boys.

Stoke struggled for goals but the spirit and character of the players saved the season. Pulis has never been relegated in his career and he ensured that his record was not blemished.

The Europa League has hindered many a manager on the domestic front.

Yet, last season Stoke reached a milestone after progressing from the group phase for the first time in their history.

After that, the Potters were eliminated by Valencia. The Spaniards beat Stoke at home and away.

In domestic cup competitions, Stoke had to surrender twice to Liverpool – 2-1 at home in the fourth round of the League Cup, and 2-1 away in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

With QPR more focused on their fight against the drop, they lost 2-0 at home to Rochdale in the second round of the League Cup.

In the FA Cup, the Londoners beat MK Dons 1-0 at home in the third round after a replay, but Chelsea proved a stumbling block at Loftus Road in the round that followed, going down 0-1 to the eventual winners.

Premier League 2011-12

Queens Park Rangers

August
Home vs Bolton 0-4.
Away vs Everton 1-0 (Smith).
Away vs Wigan 0-2.
September
Home vs Newcastle 0-0.
Away vs Wolves 3-0 (Barton, Faurlin, Campbell).
Home vs Aston Villa 1-1 (Dunne og).
October
Away vs Fulham 0-6.
Home vs Blackburn 1-1 (Helguson).
Home vs Chelsea 1-0 (Helguson pen).
Away vs Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 (Bothroyd).
November
Home vs Manchester City 2-3 (Bothroyd, Helguson).
Away vs Stoke 3-2 (Helguson 2, Young).
Away vs Norwich 1-2 (Young)
December
Home vs West Bromwich Albion 1-1 (Helguson).
Away vs Liverpool 0-1.
Home vs Manchester United 0-2.
Home vs Sunderland 2-3 (Helguson, Mackie).
Away vs Swansea 1-1 (Mackie).
Away vs Arsenal 0-1.
January
Home vs Norwich 1-2 (Barton).
Away vs Newcastle 0-1.
Home vs Wigan 3-1 (Helguson, Buzsaky, Smith).
February
Away vs Aston Villa 2-2 (Cisse, Warnock og).
Home vs Wolves 1-2 (Zamora).
Away vs Blackburn 2-3 (Mackie).
Home vs Fulham 0-1.
March
Home vs Everton 1-1 (Zamora).
Away vs Bolton 1-2 (Cisse).
Home vs Liverpool 3-2 (Derry, Cisse, Mackie).
Away vs Sunderland 0-3.
April
Home vs Arsenal 2-1 (Taarabt, Diakite).
Away vs Manchester United 0-2.
Home vs Swansea 3-0 (Mackay, Burton, Buzsaky).
Away vs West Brom 0-1.
Home vs Tottenham 1-0 (Taarabt).
Away vs Chelsea 1-6 (Cisse).
May
Home vs Stoke 1-0 (Cisse).
Away vs Manchester City 2-3 (Cisse, Mackie).

Stoke City

August
Home vs Chelsea 0-0.
Away vs Norwich 1-1 (Jones).
Away vs West Brom 1-0 (Shotton).
September
Home vs Liverpool 1-0 (Walters pen).
Away vs Sunderland 0-4.
Home vs Manchester United 1-1 (Crouch).
October
Away vs Swansea 0-2.
Home vs Fulham 2-0 (Walters, Delap).
Away vs Arsenal 1-3 (Crouch).
Home vs Newcastle 1-3 (Walters pen).
November
Away vs Bolton 0-5.
Home vs QPR 2-3 (Walters, Shawcross).
Home vs Blackburn 3-1 (Delap, Whelan, Crouch).
December
Away vs Everton 1-0 (Huth).
Home vs Tottenham 2-1 (Etherington 2).
Away vs Wolves 2-1 (Doyle og, Crouch).
Away vs Manchester City 0-3.
Home vs Aston Villa 0-0.
Home vs Wigan 2-2 (Walters pen, Jerome).
January
Away vs Blackburn 2-1 (Crouch 2).
Away vs Liverpool 0-0.
Home vs West Brom 1-2 (Jerome).
Away vs Manchester United 0-2.
February
Home vs Sunderland 0-1.
Away vs Fulham 1-2 (Shawcross).
Home vs Swansea 2-0 (Upson, Crouch).
March
Home vs Norwich City 1-0 (Etherington).
Away vs Chelsea 0-1.
Away vs Tottenham 1-1 (Jerome).
Home vs Manchester City 1-1 (Crouch).
April
Away vs Wigan 0-2.
Home vs Wolves 2-1 (Huth, Crouch).
Away vs Aston Villa 1-1 (Huth).
Away vs Newcastle 0-3.
Home vs Arsenal 1-1 (Crouch).
May
Home vs Everton 1-1 (Jerome).
Away vs QPR 0-1.
Home vs Bolton 2-2 (Walters 2, 1 pen).