Potters up four the Challenge

Saturday’s fixture at the Britannia Stadium has all the ingredients for a classic – it could be billed as the best players versus the best team these days with Manchester City’s marquee signings and Stoke’s unrivalled team ethic and spirit. Unfortunately for the visitor’s cheque books don’t always win football games.

This fixture however has a lot of history for both clubs. These days the talk of the Potteries is about living the Premier League dream, whilst the streets of Manchester dare to dream of silverware but how fortunes have changed over the last decade. Barely 12 years ago, were the Gallagher brothers arriving by helicopter at the Britannia for a 1^st division clash that would see both sides relegated to the third tier of English football on a day of despair. Even more painful are the memories for the visitors who ran out 5-2 winners only for freak results elsewhere to send them down with the hosts.

Now following an upturn in fortunes the sides meet with Stoke chasing a fourth successive win in the top flight since 1981. With back-to-back clean sheets to their name, the Potters recent resurgence has seen them leapfrog from 17^th to eight in just 11 days.  The visitors however, will be buoyed by their demolition of Fulham last Sunday adding fuel to the fire of their former boss, Mark Hughes. Roberto Mancini will be under no illusions though that Stoke will not let his superstars have so much time on the ball to find that killer pass.

Despite comments about Mancini’s negative approach to games and the furore around the dressing room egos and ongoing spats, this weekend will be the first time the Italian can finally pick from a virtually full-strength squad this season. After spending a king's ransom over the summer, a combination of injuries and suspensions denied Mancini the chance to select a host of signings such as Mario Balotelli, Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov, but they are now primed to help City's assault on a first league title since 1968. Whether they can actually win the title is a hotly disputed topic but with five England internationals sat on their bench last week there is no doubt they have more than enough resources at their disposal.

While Stoke will look to stifle City and be a totally different proposition, Serbian fullback Kolarov is confident City can match the home side’s physical prowess: "Stoke especially play hard and are a very physical team, but we are strong as well. We can match them and battle as well as play football.

I have seen a lot of their games on TV so I know how they play. They do very well at home, but I think we are a better than them," he added.

One man that will be the key for the visitors is lone striker Carlos Tevez. The skipper is evidently the one to watch as he drifts into pockets of space and then looks to catch defenders cold before unleashing the venomous shot he possesses. Pulis will have his players well drilled for Tevez’s movement and he will be keen to make sure they remained disciplined and not go chasing the Argentine when he drops deep or into wide areas.

Following clean sheets at home to Liverpool and away at West Brom though, Stoke’s back line will be full of confidence. There is certainly an air of assurance about goalkeeper Asmir Begovic since he has made the number one shirt his own, while the central defensive partnership of Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth is proving a tough nut to crack. There seems to be excellent communication in recent weeks between the back four but Saturday’s game and the way City line up in their unorthodox 4-2-3-1 formation will provide Stoke will a tougher test as City seek to build on their four-goal demolition at Craven Cottage.

In-form captain Shawcross is confident his team-mates can continue their good run. Continuously overlooked by Fabio Capello, the 23-year-old is focused only on helping Stoke City earn another three valuable points this weekend: “People will expect them to come here and win the game. But we are on a fantastic run ourselves and playing very well.

We look dangerous in attack and have managed to stay solid at the back. We have the belief we can win this game,” he added.

Three visits to the Britannia in the past two seasons have yielded nothing more than a solitary point in the Premier League and an FA Cup exit for big spending City who will be aware of the hostile reception they will receive in the Potteries. Shawcross has called on Stoke’s vociferous fans to match the noise that helped them secure a famous win over Liverpool in their last home game: “Our fans rocked the place against Liverpool. Hopefully they will be equally as loud as it makes it such an intimidating place for the opposition.”

Tony Pulis has one major injury scare ahead of the clash after Jermaine Pennant limped off after just 10 minutes at the Hawthorns last Saturday. Scans reveal the injury is not as bad as first thought but he remains a doubt for the game. Pulis could opt to go narrower in midfield by playing Rory Delap slightly wider and bringing in another central midfielder, but it is more likely that either Tuncay or last weekend’s two goal hero Jon Walters will get the nod. Andy Wilkinson could also miss out due to a sore knee.

For the visitors, defender Pablo Zabaleta serves a one-match suspension for accumulating five bookings this season while forward Mario Balotelli returns after a ban, and Gareth Barry and Jerome Boateng are both hoping to overcome ankle complaints.

Pennant wants another win in the Bag

When West Brom returned to the Premier League as expected last May in their typical ‘Boing Boing’ fashion, the only people more happy than them were the fans of Stoke City.

Unfortunately for the Baggies history does not lie and with only one win in the last 25 league games against their Midlands rivals, Stoke’s famous chant of “We always beat West Brom” certainly has some justification. The Potters have won six of the last seven meetings.

Buoyed by back-to-back impressive home wins over Birmingham and Liverpool respectively, the Potters are looking for their third successive victory when they visit the Hawthorns. One positive for the Baggies ahead of the visit of their bogey side is that Stoke have not recorded three wins in a row since returning to the top flight in 2007.

On-loan Stoke winger Jermaine Pennant has rediscovered his form since joining from Real Zaragoza in August and he is keen for his new teammates to keep their unbeaten run going: “People have mentioned the record between the two sides but we won’t look too much in to that. For us it’s just about making sure we continue what we have been doing recently and then we are capable of picking up another three points.”

The former England U21 international has also reiterated his desire to make his move to the Potteries a permanent one: “I'm enjoying the way things have been going, living in the area, the team and everything. Tony Pulis has given me a platform to show what I can do; he does say his wingers work the hardest of any in the league and they do but if it helps the team that's what I'm here to do.”

Manager Tony Pulis will definitely want to hold on to Pennant should he continue to terrorise Premier League fullbacks.

One man that could be in for a busy afternoon dealing with Pennant’s crosses into the box is Baggies captain Scott Carson. The stopper was once a target for Stoke three seasons ago but as he lines up against them he believes his West Brom side can finally break their City hoodoo and get back to winning ways in front of their own fans: “It’s another big game on Saturday and another tough team to play against. It’s one point out of four games, which isn’t as well as we have been doing, but we have still got 16 points on the board and a lot of games to play starting Saturday.

We’re definitely not dropping our heads or getting too disappointed because there are a still a lot of games we think we can win,” he added.

Carson will also be keen to make amends for the last time the sides met before the baggies were relegated. The England keeper was at fault for Stoke’s opener in a 2-0 loss at the Hawthorns allowing Ricardo Fuller’s weak effeort to slip underneath him. He could have done little about the Potters’ second goal though, a thunderbolt of a half-volley from James Beattie sealed Stoke’s first ever away win in the premier league three seasons ago.

This season has seen West Brom’s notorious ‘yo-yo’ form continue with nobody at all able to second guess which Baggies side will turn up – the one that tamely lost 1-0 at Wigan last time out or the one that fought back in impressive style to claim a point at Old Trafford. The Baggies most notable performance though was certainly their 3-2 victory at the Emirates in September.

Despite succumbing to Manchester City and a Mario Balotelli brace in their last home game, the Baggies home form has been impressive this season under Roberto Di Matteo with three victories and two draws to their name before defeat to Man City.

Albion has always received accolades for the way they try to play football but in the past, certainly under Tony Mowbray they struggled to find an end product against Premier League defences. Often the Baggies have been mocked in the Potteries and referred to as ‘West Brazil’ due to their ineffective pretty football in contrast to Stoke’s direct approach.

Optimism will undoubtedly be high in the Stoke camp as they make the short journey to the West Midlands, but former Stoke boss Lou Macari who unsurprisingly never tasted defeat against West Brom in his six-year tenure has warned the players and fans alike not to get complacent: “Sometimes there is such a thing as lucky opposition and lucky grounds. But a word of warning - Albion do seem to be a bit more resilient these days and I saw that for myself when they came from 2-0 down to draw at Old Trafford.”

With only one win on the road so far this season, Stoke will be hoping to change that statistic on Saturday and claim the bragging rights until the sides meet again in February. But with both teams level on points, there is more than just local pride at stake.

Tony Pulis has a full squad to choose from and Stoke are expected to line-up unchanged from the side that beat Liverpool while the Baggies are expected to make one change at the back with Gonzalo Jara available after a three-game ban.

Danish Football - Dynamite or Deceptive?

The label “Danish Dynamite” once referred to the national football team in the mid 80’s. Coached by visionary German manager Sepp Piontek, Denmark was known for its adventurous and entertaining play. Self-deprecation was the norm however, and the nation reveled in their team’s role as underdogs.

After an explosive start this Superliga season for champions FC Copenhagen, it seems they have reignited that “Dynamite” label both at home and across Europe. Coasting to the league title at a canter and exceeding everybody’s expectations on their return to the Champions League fold, the Lions are putting Danish football on the map.

There is no doubting FC Copenhagen’s significant superiority at home and it is certainly a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ they claim their ninth league title. They are also perfectly poised to become the first Danish team to advance from the group stages of the Champions League, eclipsing their own Champions League debut in 2006 as well as the exploits of Bruce Rioch’s Aalborg in 2008 who provided some excellent performances against bigger European opposition in Manchester United, Celtic and Villareal.

The Superliga is now ranked 12^th by European football authority UEFA, its highest ever position which also means two Danish clubs will qualify for the Champions League qualifying stages. Having not even turned professional until 1978, this seemed a great feat for Danish football at the start of this season but Copenhagen’s invincible start could just be covering over the cracks of an otherwise poor league standard. There is no escaping that if this trend continues of Copenhagen flying the flag alone, then the leagues stature will dramatically fall reducing European qualifying places as well as ranking points. Crisis club Brondby and OB’s woeful performances in the Europa League have not helped matters.

Despite being 16 league matches unbeaten, the Lions’ new up-and-coming starlet Kenneth Zohore who is tipped to become a superstar, believes the league still has a strong group of teams despite FC Copenhagen’s early dominance. “This league is tough and there are three or four very good sides capable of putting a lot of good results together. We must stay focussed,” he told The Copenhagen Post.

At just 16, Zohore is the youngest debutant and goalscorer ever in the Superliga. The striker born in Norrebro could not believe his luck either when manager Ståle Solbakken brought him on for the last 20 minutes in the Champions League game at Barcelona. With excitement spread across his face he said: “It was a dream come true. The best day of my life but I have to take every day as it comes and enjoy myself. I’m still only 16.”

It is young, up and coming players like Zohore that can improve the league as a whole. In 2004 when FC Midtjylland set up the first football academy of its kind in Denmark, this has helped the fortunes as well as finances of the club, thus strengthening the league’s standard. Inevitably the most stand-out youngsters will be snapped up by bigger European clubs but it provides a stable financial situation for Midtjylland especially. The academy is based on that of FC Nantes from France who nurtured stars such as Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps. The most notable star to pass through the academy so far is Simon Kjaer who netted the club €4million when sold to Italian club, Palermo.

One man that left these shores for elite European football was one of the finest passers in the game, Jan Molby. The former Kolding captain moved to Ajax before heading to Liverpool in the English top flight in 1984. Despite Molby getting his lucrative move he still respects the Danish league: “Not all young [Danish] players get that big move to one of Europe’s top leagues. You have to remember it’s an honour to play as a footballer in your own country. An FCK and Brondby game for instance is something very special.”

“In terms of the current state of the league, obviously what Copenhagen is doing in Europe is fantastic but domestically I think the gap will close. Experience will improve the teams chasing them,” he added.

Jesper Hansen has been a member of first division club, Hvidovre IF’s fan club for over 30 years and remembers the days when arguably the world’s greatest ever goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel started out at his club. He suggests to the Copenhagen Post that the standard of Danish football is often a misconstrued conception: “You look at Lyngby this season in 5^th after just being promoted. Silkeborg were the same last year. The standard is not very high at all.

FCK are doing great in Europe but they have nothing to lose. It’s so much easier playing without fear and expectation. It’s the same as Denmark in 1992,” he added.

It seems the jury is out on how high the standard of the Danish league actually is, amidst the entire furore surrounding the current form of runaway leaders FC Copenhagen. While UEFA have rewarded the country with extra incentives, let’s wait to see if the teams bringing up the rear can close the gap and justify the highest current ranking in history.

Chairman Fuller praise ahead of Liverpool Clash

Stoke chairman Peter Coates has labelled striker Ricardo Fuller as one of the best strikers to have ever donned the red and white stripes of Stoke City. Speaking after the Jamaican’s sublime solo effort against Birmingham on Tuesday, Coates said: “Ricardo's goal against Birmingham was amazing. He is one of the best players ever to play for Stoke City. I absolutely believe that.

He is strong, quick and very few players can control a ball at pace like he can. He's a very special player,” he added.

Having watched his beloved club since the 1940’s seeing goalscoring heroes like Freddie Steele and John Ritchie shows how high Coates rates the Stoke star. Within a blink of an eye, Fuller can produce a magical moment that can turn a game on its head, which he has shown throughout his spell in the Potteries since joining from Southampton in 2006. Arguably his £500,000 transfer fee could be the shrewdest bit of business in the club’s history.

Fuller spearheaded Stoke’s promotion back to the Holy Grail of English football and now that the Potters have been propelled into the limelight, Coates wants the rest of the football world to know what a prized asset the 31-year-old is: "He is appreciated here, but I'm not sure the outside world has appreciated just how good he is.

If you look at our outstanding players over the years, he is up there in that company. And he's achieved things here while the club has enjoyed one of its best periods.”

Tuesday’s goal was the Jamaican’s 100^th goal in British football and he will be hoping to add to that tally on Saturday evening against a Liverpool side looking to turn the corner on their horrific start to the season.

The Sky sports cameras return to the Britannia Stadium, the second time in the space of five days with all eyes on the visitors and striker Fernando Torres who looks like he could be hitting the sort of form that has already earned him legendary status on Merseyside. Torres has scored three in his last two games and will be hoping to add to his brace against Chelsea and opener against Wigan on Wednesday.

Liverpool have been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons so far this season but now they have new owners and a more stable foundation to build, Roy Hodgson will be aiming to continue their good run of late and at least climb into the Europa League places. Hodgson’s baptism of fire at Anfield coincided with the club’s worst start to a season in their history but the 2-0 victory against runaway leaders Chelsea last weekend has lifted a huge weight from his shoulders and restored a lot of pride back to England’s most successful club. His demeanour seems a lot more relaxed than from just a few weeks ago with the pressure of managing such a big club looking like it was taking his toll on last seasons Manager-of-the-year.

In two previous league meetings at Stoke, both games have ended all square. Last season’s encounter finished 1-1, courtesy of a last minute equaliser by Stoke’s Robert Huth. The German was also on the scores sheet as stand-in skipper against Birmingham during the week, his second goal of the campaign. Interestingly three of the four league meetings have seen the sides share the spoils since Stoke returned to the top flight.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has called on the vociferous home fans to help his team earn their first league victory over the Reds since 1984: “Our supporters are magnificent. We know that the Liverpool match will be an incredibly difficult one for us, we will need another big performance from them on Saturday.”

Pulis has hinted that Ricardo Fuller may need a rest following Tuesday’s heroics but the Jamaican is still expected to start with Tuncay on the bench. Should Fuller show signs of fatigue after his layoff with a shoulder injury, the Turk will be on hand to try to cause problems for Liverpool’s backline. The Potters’ only change from Tuesday’s much needed win should be captain Ryan Shawcross returning at the heart of the defence replacing Danny Higginbotham. The Stoke boss has a full bill of health ahead of this mouth watering clash as they look for back-to-back home wins following four consecutive defeats prior.

After a reality check at Wigan on Wednesday night, Hodgson will pick his players up and try to emulate the performance against Chelsea, a result which saw them win three league games in a row. Wednesday’s game at the DW Stadium saw the Reds fortunate to leave with a point in the end as they held on against a determined Wigan side, a game which Tony Pulis will have monitored carefully as he looks to halt Liverpool’s recent resurgence.

Pulis keen to avoid more Britannia Blues

Stoke boss Tony Pulis might be starting to sound like a broken record with his constant public outbursts of “criminal refereeing decisions” against his side but the Welshman does have a point.

Video evidence certainly reiterates Pulis’ argument that Stoke could easily be better placed than they are, languishing in 17th.

"I've managed nearly 800 games and I've never had a run where we've had six major decisions in 11 games that have gone against me or the football club. The massive disappointment for me is that we've played better this year than last year and the previous year, and if the big decisions weren't going against us we'd be on 15, 16, 17 points, instead of 10.

Every game is really difficult because we're not just playing against the opposition. For a league of this stature, the referees should be making better decisions," he added.

The Sky Sports cameras will be in attendance this Tuesday as Birmingham visit the Britannia for this midlands derby with both teams in need of a vital victory. One man’s performance that will be under heavy scrutiny particularly from the Stoke camp will be match referee Mark Clattenburg with Tony Pulis hoping he doesn’t follow his predecessors in crossing himself of his Christmas card list.

Although all the talk has been about poor officiating in the build up to this fixture, Pulis will be aware that Stoke have not been at their best either in previous weeks with their league position telling a sombre story. The Potters have lost four straight league games with a Carling Cup exit also sandwiched in between, their worst run in the top flight since relegation in 1985.

The tried and trusted “Fortress Britannia” has been a hostile cauldron for visiting teams since Stoke returned to the Premier League but one team yet to taste defeat there since its opening in 1997 is Tuesday’s visitors Birmingham City. After back-to-back defeats on the road, Stoke should be looking forward to returning home but in fact Birmingham has won three of their last four league and cup games at Stoke, keeping a clean sheet in each match. Stoke’s first ever season at their new home saw the Blues run out 7-0 winners in the old Division One; a day that will never be forgotten by both sets of supporters for different reasons.

Last seasons fixture over the Christmas period saw Birmingham snatch a 1-0 victory thanks to Cameron Jerome in a less than exciting encounter. Again the signs look ominous for a low scoring game as the Blues have only scored six times in their last eight league matches and the Potters failing to score in their last two outings.

Stoke’s dip in form has coincided with record signing, Kenwyne Jones’ drought in front of goal with the Trinidadian failing to score in his last five games. Interestingly though, the striker came close to joining Birmingham last January, when the Blues had a big-money bid for him rejected by Sunderland. Blues boss Alex McLeish instead bolstered his attacking options by signing Serbian target man Nikola Zigic, who was also rumoured to be linked with a move to Stoke.

Keen to impress will be Blues keeper Ben Foster making a return to his former club. Foster has impressed between the posts following his summer move from Manchester United replacing his England team-mate and last season’s player-of-the-year Joe Hart. Despite never playing a game for the Potters, Foster will be given a warm reception from the club that awarded him his first professional contract.

The Blues stopper should be prepared for an aerial bombardment with Pulis hinting he is likely to make changes to his wounded troops: “We'll shake it up a bit. There's a few broken hearts, but not too many injuries.”

This could mean a return for Rory Delap in midfield with Stoke resorting back to basics and the notorious long throws as they try to turn their fortunes around. One man also eager to start will be former Blues winger Jermaine Pennant, an obvious attacking threat for Stoke on home soil.

One enforced change ahead of the game is captain Ryan Shawcross, who serves a one-game ban following his late sending off at Sunderland. This will mean Robert Huth will revert back into the middle of the defence with Andy Wilkinson coming into an otherwise unchanged back four.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is likely to abandon the 4-3-1-2 formation he used for Saturday's draw with West Ham. McLeish could recall top scorer Craig Gardner and Jean Beausejour, both of whom impressed as substitutes against the Hammers, helping salvage a 2-2 draw after trailing 2-0 at St. Andrews.

Old Boys aim to haunt Black Cats

Six former Sunderland players could line up for Stoke this weekend against their former club with a point to prove. The Potters are probably not the first team that the Sunderland faithful would want to see after last weekend’s humiliating and embarrassing 5-1 thumping at the hands of bitter rivals Newcastle.

Still smarting from the Tyne and Wear derby, Thomas Sorensen, Rory Delap, Danny Collins, Danny Higginbotham, Dean Whitehead and summer signing Kenwyne Jones return to Wearside attempting to inflict more misery on their former employers.

Whitehead was a very popular figure during his time at the Stadium of Light making almost 200 appearances for the club in his five-year spell and is wary of a Sunderland backlash: “They will be reeling after what happened last weekend and you can bet your life they will be fired up for this one,” said the 28-year-old.

“It is dangerous for us. Their pride has been hurt and so they will have extra fire in their bellies to put things right, but we have to not worry about them and worry about ourselves and do things that we have not been doing recently,” he added.

The Potters are currently on a run of three straight losses in the Premier League but Whitehead feels his side are not getting the rub of the green especially after some very dubious refereeing decisions following comments made my Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy who publicly criticised Stoke’s physical style of play: "I think the comments Danny Murphy made have highlighted us as a club. It's put us in the spotlight and you get labelled. It's plain to see we aren't getting the decisions. You just hope these things even out.”

Stoke have dragged themselves to the foot of the table but having hit the woodwork more times than any other team in the Premier League this season, Tony Pulis will know that there is no need to panic and make drastic changes to his side’s approach. Whitehead added:  "In none of the games we've lost have we been out-played.”

At times though, Stoke have been their own worst enemy falling behind too often in games and this weekend especially, Pulis will know that Stoke need to come out firing to keep the home fans quiet and nervous on the back of last weekend’s horror show.

The Stoke trio of Ricardo Fuller, Salif Diao and ex-Mackem Rory Delap are to undergo fitness tests before the long trip north but goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen should return between the posts after recovering in time from his elbow injury.

Sorensen could be in for a busy afternoon on his return to Sunderland with Steve Bruce confirming Ballon d’Or nominee and record signing; Asamoah Gyan will make his first start of the season partnering Darren Bent in attack for the Black Cats. Gyan’s nomination is perhaps more a token gesture from FIFA to thank the African continent for the hosting of the World Cup but having splashed out £13 million for the Ghanaian, Bruce will be hoping he repays the faith shown in him.

“He has waited patiently for his chance and now is the right time. He is a big player. We've let him gently bed in and get used to being here, and it's about time we unleashed him and see what he's got,” said Bruce.

Bruce, who has been heavily criticised for his team selection at St James's Park, despite his side's seven game unbeaten run leading up the derby, is expected to make other changes to his side.

Scotland Number One Craig Gordon is certain to come in for young Belgian keeper Simon Mignolet, as well as former Manchester United midfielder Kieran Richardson, now the club's first-choice left-back. Ghana captain John Mensah is also favourite to replace the suspended Titus Bramble in defence following his sending off at Newcastle.

Stoke’s record signing Kenwyne Jones returns to Sunderland for the first time since his summer move to the Potteries and should expect a warm welcome back on Wearside. However the Trinidad and Tobago star will be hungry to add to his goal tally of five goals in 11 games. His performance will no doubt come under scrutiny with Bruce deeming Jones surplus to requirements due to his inconsistency. Instead, Bruce opted to splash out on Gyan after impressing for Rennes in France and at the World Cup helping Ghana reach the quarter-finals.

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn will be hoping his manager made the right decision as he prepares to unleash Gyan on Saturday as he looks for his first home goal to add to his strike at Wigan on his debut.

Quinn has challenged the players to respond from their derby drubbing against Stoke on Saturday and has also issued an apology to the fans. As a former player himself, he will know how much each individual has been feeling in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat: “While everybody here is suffering, the players' hurt must be galvanised into a big performance on Saturday. We may have to spend a long time apologising but this entire football club knows that it owes its people right now and, for me, that is the priority."

This week marks a special milestone for Tony Pulis who celebrated his eight year anniversary since he was first appointed the manager of Stoke City. It has been a rollercoaster ride for the Welshman enduing some low points and pantomime moments along the way but he has rode the challenge and remains a pivotal part in the current and future success of the club. Heading to the Stadium of Light for a Premier League seems a long way from his first game with the Potters languishing near the bottom of the old Division One with fans and pundits alike wondering “Who is that guy in the baseball cap?”