Stoke's relegation was finally confirmed on Saturday.

After weeks of trying to pick up points and failing, the Potters confirmed their fate with a dismal performance against Crystal Palace, losing 2-1 at home.

They became the first Premier League team this season to drop down to the Championship, with West Brom somehow managing to leapfrog them and stand a chance of miraculously staying up.

Stoke's form in 2018 in particular has been woeful, picking up just one win after hiring Paul Lambert to replace Mark Hughes.

While Lambert believes the club have the resources to bounce back, you have to fear for a side in clear disarray. I mean, just look at Sunderland this season.

And one man who has summed it all up perfectly and brutally is Jack Butland, who will surely be heading for the exit door in the summer.

“I think the whole recruitment process needs looking at,” Butland told reporters. “There have been transfers that aren’t even part of the squad for all kinds of reasons, whether it be discipline, whether it be lack of performance.”

Ouch. It's obvious that Butland is talking about the likes of Jese Rodriguez, Sadio Berahino and Ibrahim Afellay, with all three proving to be dreadful purchases.

“Too many of the recent investments and over the years are completely unused and that’s unacceptable,” Butland added, without naming individuals.

“So before anyone is signed and any changes happen that’s got to be looked at because it’s been farcical really. You’ve got to look at that -- what decisions are being made and the type of characters.”

You have to say fair play to him for coming out and saying what pretty much everyone else has seen this season.

Stoke need a serious squad overhaul in the summer, with Butland and Xherdan Shaqiri likely to be the first two out.

Moritz Bauer and Badou N'Diaye were decent purchases in January, but it was their business in the summer months that sealed their fate.