The Soccer Blog: Match Preview: Stoke City vs Liverpool FC 13/11/10 17:30

By: joehigginson | November 12th, 2010

Coincidentally I pick up this blog at the same point my predecessor jumped ship, with the Potters facing Liverpool this Saturday evening, albeit at the Brit rather than Anfield. With a capacity crowd expected, both teams are hoping to capitalise on a recent upturn in fortunes. Having put a tricky sequence of fixtures behind them, the Potters ended their five match winless streak with a hard-fought win over Birmingham in midweek. Following the boardroom bust-ups and media hysteria that symbolised the transition of power at Anfield, Liverpool also appear to have hit their stride winning four of their last five in all competitions.

Should the Potters fear Liverpool then? With the takeover saga finally behind them and Fernando Torres firing on all cylinders, the Reds have certainly regained their bite in recent weeks. Analysing their away form however, they have continued to underwhelm against a string of teams one would expect them to beat. When watching them play Wigan in midweek, they appeared particularly negative once taking the lead, preferring to invite the Latics on rather than go in search of the second. It’s difficult to predict whether they’ll adopt a similar stance tomorrow, but in the past Liverpool appear more adept than most at dealing with our aerial bombardments so don’t be surprised to see them packing in the box.

The question I’ve been wrestling with all week is whether we face a weaker Liverpool side than that of ten months ago? It would be great to hear some opinions on this. Last season we welcomed Liverpool as a member of the elite, a club still considered one of Europe’s finest. Equally however, we were also welcoming a discontent team struggling to retain their Champions League status and unhappy with an increasingly disillusioned manager. I surely wasn’t the only Stoke fan to leave the Brit that day with a twinge of disappointment of having to rescue a 1-1 draw rather than take the three points. In contrast then, tomorrow we meet Liverpool on, for lack of a better phrase, equal footing. On the other hand, we face a galvanised and rejuvenated outfit having gone through hard times and come back out the other side. From their point of view, I believe they’ll see us as one of the first big tests in their rebuilding process. With this is mind, I for one will be more than happy to discuss a 1-1 draw come tomorrow evening!

In terms of starting line-up, it will be interesting to see how many of the starting 11 against Birmingham survive. Asmir Begovic will remain in goal and the returning Ryan Shawcross should replace Danny Higginbotham to complete an otherwise unchanged back four. Matty Etherington is obviously a mainstay but Marc Wilson or Glenn Whelan may get the nod ahead of Rory Delap or possibly even Dean Whitehead. But for those expecting a recall for Tuncay, it’s difficult to see Pulis stopping Jermaine Pennant complete his nostalgia week. The question remains whether Ricardo Fuller, one of the outstanding performers in midweek, will once again command a place in the starting line-up. Early reports suggest continuing treatment for his shoulder injury will see him rested so Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters will likely complete the line-up.

And finally, with the reputation of referees justifiably scrutinised by Potters fans recently, it’s worth mentioning that Mark Halsey officiates tomorrow. Halsey officiated Stokes Carling Cup encounter with Fulham earlier in the season and defended his decision not to dismiss Andy Wilkinson following his strong challenge on the Cottagers Dembele.

With that strong good omen in mind, I’m going for back to back victories for the Potters with a slender 1-0 win

Category: Stoke Team News

Tags: Stoke Team News
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Match Preview: Stoke City vs Liverpool FC 13/11/10 17:30

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