Clucas is the man to get Stoke firing again
WHAT’S YOUR STARTING XI? Marc Espley: If he has to persist with one up front then I hope he plays 4-2-3-1 with Saido as the 10 and Clucas on the left wing. Butland, Edwards, Williams, BMI, Pieters, Allen, Woods, Ince, Clucas, Berahino, Afobe.
Lee Lycett: It’s two from three at centre-back unless Pieters is injured. My favourite pairing is Williams and Martins Indi so Shawcross misses out unfortunately.
I’d start with Afobe although I’m not convinced. Hopefully his goal last week will give him confidence. Playing Berahino just behind him with support from the exciting pair of Ince and Clucas will give us plenty of attacking threat.
Butland; Martina, Williams, Martins Indi, Pieters; Woods, Allen; Ince, Berahino, Clucas; Afobe. (If Pieters is injured I’d bring in Shawcross and switch BMI to left-back).
Adam Boulton: Butland, Edwards, Pieters, Williams, Martins Indi, Woods, Allen, Berahino, Clucas, Afobe and Ince.
I think Williams and Martin Indi are our best centre-back partnership and Ryan was poor at Reading. Edwards is better than Martina. I’ve brought back Berahino because he didn’t deserve to be dropped and I think him and Afobe look good whenever they have been on the pitch together.
WHAT’S YOUR PREDICTION? Marc Espley: It’s been a while since Stoke tasted defeat and I’d expect it to last at least through this weekend. Lambert has been given the challenge to save Ipswich but I think Stoke will be too strong. I am going for a Stoke win and to top that we may score three goals. 3-1 Stoke.
Lee Lycett: If there was a fixture to select as a home banker then surely this would be it, however this is Stoke City we are talking about. I’m sure Paul Lambert will have his players fired for this one. Nevertheless I’m going for a 2-0 home win.
Adam Boulton: I’m really hoping this will be the game when we find the balance right and finally click and thrash a team. I’m going 4-0 with Ince, Clucas, Berahino and Afobe scoring.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS Marc Espley: The events at Vale Park hark back to an era that should be left in the past. There were fans attending that game on both sides whose only intent was to cause trouble.
Norman the Smurf was totally oblivious to the feeling of the two fan bases and decisions seemed reactive instead of proactive.
Stoke fans should never have been given unreserved seating, this was compounded by Vale selling tickets to Vale fans in the Paddock instead of opening the Bycars Stand. That meant a fair few of the reported 180 police officers were preoccupied with just stopping fans getting to each other.
If the Vale fans were 110yd away in the Bycars, those officers could have been in the concourses to stop the idiots who smashed the ground up.
Why was alcohol sold in bottles? I know they were plastic but they could still be thrown.
Don’t get me wrong the front line police did everything necessary to stop fans who went to watch a game of football from getting injured and praise should be made to them. I just hope the football gods don’t draw these two clubs together in any other cup.
Lee Lycett: After the disgraceful and embarrassing events of mid-week it will be good to focus on football again. This league is proving to be difficult as expected. If we are going to go on a good run and give ourselves a chance of promotion then now is the time to deliver.
We have gone from a shambles at the beginning of the season to a team who is now difficult to beat (only one defeat in the last 11). It is a rebuilding process, now we have to move onto the next level at haste.
The next level is finding that ruthless streak at both ends of the pitch. Chances have to be converted, the game should have been over at Reading in the first 20 minutes. When we are leading games we must see them out.
The manager has made both attacking and defensive substitutions recently namely bringing Bojan on against QPR and Williams on at Reading when we have been a goal in front, both tactics failing us. The players must shoulder the responsibility. If they don’t then unfortunately it will be a season of underwhelming mediocrity.
Adam Boulton: I know after these past week’s events some would expect fans to talk about it but I don’t want to because I don’t want to give the thugs more airtime.
So I’m going to talk about something positive which is Sam Clucas
I think he’s been a terrific signing. I thought he was just a hard working midfielder but I was wrong he can create and score.
If him, Ince, Berahino and Afobe can get on the same wavelength then I really can’t see many teams beating us. If he had been fit when he first joined we would have been further up the league possibly in a play-off spot.