WEST BROMWICH ALBION v STOKE CITY
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 4th April 2009, 3:00pm
The Hawthorns

Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, along come Stoke City.

The new generation of Baggies’ supporters will struggle to remember the Albion ever getting the better of Saturday’s opposition and the phrase “Bogey Side” could have been invented for Stoke such is their recent hold over us.

The hoodoo aside, the very nature of the type of football Stoke produce is enough on it’s own to strike fear into the hearts of all Baggies fans. The Potters’ physical nature, direct ‘football’ and set piece speciality are all factors guaranteed to test our defensive Achilles Heel more than ever.

Nothing but 3 points tomorrow will do to keep the glimmer of survival alive and while Stoke are probably one of the last teams people would choose to have in such a must win fixture, surely the dire run against them has got to come to an end sometime?

While much of the first team squad have had a welcome break from the day to day goings on through their respective international call ups, the majority of the squad will have been left in no doubt as to the importance of Saturday’s fixture.

Albion will need to come flying out of the blocks and an early goal would go a long way towards creating a fervent atmosphere amongst the home support and instilling some much needed confidence into the team.

The long throws of Rory Delap are well documented but Stoke’s physical approach will offer other areas of concern and the new look defensive pairing of Shelton Martis and Jonas Olsson, who have so far looked quite assured, will need to be at their very best, particularly in the air.

So, is there a cause for any optimism whatsoever? James Morrison looked to have had a great game for Scotland and the best part of two weeks on the training ground should ensure the rest of the team are chomping at the bit but otherwise it’s not looking great.

On a day when many punters will be lavishing their spare change on outsiders in the Grand National what price the Baggies to finally overcome their Potteries hurdle.

I know where my money is going…..

Prediction. Score draw.

Julian Safe

TEAM NEWS

Albion

In goal Scott Carson will retain his place against the side who tried to sign him in the summer. Dean Kiely will provide back-up on the bench.

Tony Mowbray looks likely to continue with the central defensive pairing of Jonas Olsson and Shelton Martis after the duo impressed against both West Ham and Bolton Wanderers, conceding just the one goal. Full-backs Paul Robinson and Gianni Zuiverloon will complete the defensive quartet. Abdoulaye Meite returns to the squad after injury and illness but looks likely to have to settle for a place on the bench along with one from Ryan Donk, Pele, Marek Cech and Carl Hoefkens. Leon Barnett and Neil Clement are both missing through injury.

In midfield the Baggies' boss looks likely to stick with his favoured quartet of Jonathan Greening, James Morrison, Robert Koren and Chris Brunt. Graham Dorrans, Borja Valero, Youssouf Mulumbu, Filipe Teixeira, Juan Carlos Menseguez and Do-heon Kim will all fight for a place on the bench.

Up front Roman Bedner may come back into the side to partner Marc-Antoine Fortune in place of Jay Simpson. Luke Moore will start on the bench.

Albion (from): Carson, Kiely, Zuiverloon, Hoefkens, Donk, Martis, Olsson, Meite, Robinson, Cech, Morrison, Greening, Valero, Kim, Dorrans, Brunt, Teixeira, Koren, Menseguez, Mulumbu, Simpson, Moore, Fortune, Bednar.

Stoke City

Striker Mamady Sidibe is out for the rest of the season after damaging his cruciate ligament whilst Salif Diao (groin) and Andy Wilkinson (back) are both doubts.

Ryan Shawcross pulled out of the England U21 squad in midweek through injury but should be fit.

Potters’ manager Tony Pulis will assess the fitness of international quartet Glenn Whelan, Stephen Kelly, Abdoulaye Faye and Thomas Sorensen but all are expected to be available.

Stoke City (from): Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Diao, Whelan, Delap, Beattie, Fuller, Simonsen, Etherington, Amdy Faye, Camara, Sonko, Cresswell, Cort, Pugh, Tonge, Griffin, Olofinjana.

QUOTES

Albion manager Tony Mowbray:

"I can imagine that it will be a similar sort of game to that we played a fortnight ago against Bolton.

"Football is all about margins and Stoke will ask a lot of questions of us. If we can defend our box well enough then we will give ourselves a chance.

"When you analyse their record they have done exceptionally well at home and deserve a lot of credit.

"They have not been so successful on the road and we have to make sure it continues this weekend.

"I do not profess to have any public opinion on anyone's style of play unless I have a positive spin on it.

"They beat us 1-0 earlier in the season and afterwards I said it was a very poor match. Yet they won and you have to take it on the chin.

"Before the match it is a racing certainty that we will have more of the ball than they will have.

"Ultimately we will all be judged by the result at the end of the day. So let's look forward to the challenge.

"Tony Pulis is fully aware of how he plays the game. I have every respect for it as they have more points than us doing what they do.

"It will be a good game because of the contrasting styles of the two teams. It is good watching an expansive team playing a counter-attacking team.''

Stoke boss Tony Pulis:

“We'll respect West Brom because they've got some excellent players. Last year they came up as champions.

"We've got to be as committed as we can be and hopefully we'll get that bit of good fortune.

"We'll go there with a positive frame of mind, but every game in the Premier League is a tough game and West Brom will be no different."

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 6/5, Stoke City Win: 12/5, Draw: 11/5.

First Goalscorer

Fortune 6/1, Bednar 6/1, Beattie 7/1, Moore 7/1, Simpson 7/1, Fuller 8/1, Dorrans 8/1, Camara 9/1, Cresswell 9/1, Koren 12/1, Morrison 12/1, Menseguez 12/1, Kim 12/1, Brunt 14/1, Teixeira 14/1, Etherington 14/1, Valero 14/1.

TICKET INFORMATION

The game is a complete sell-out.

Sunny spells.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 1-1 Stoke City
League Championship
Wednesday 3 October 2007, 7:45pm

Albion: Kiely, Hoefkens (Gera 67), Barnett, Albrechtsen, Robinson, Teixeira (MacDonald 76), Greening, Morrison, Koren, Beattie (Brunt 67), Miller. Subs not used: Steele, Pele.

Goalscorer: Barnett 73

Barnett 73 (removing shirt)

Stoke City: Simonsen, Wright, Zakuani (Dickinson 34), Shawcross, Wilkinson, Lawrence, Eustace, Matteo, Cresswell, Sidibe (Parkin 64), Fuller. Subs not used: Hoult, Sweeney, Pericard.

Goalscorer: Shawcross 27

Wright 32 (time-wasting), Lawrence 56 (foul), Matteo 63 (foul), Shawcross 69 (foul).

Attendance: 20,048

Referee: Clive Oliver (Northumberland)

Leon Barnett preserved West Brom's unbeaten home record with a second-half equaliser in a fiercely contested clash with bogey side Stoke at the Hawthorns. Tony Mowbray's £3 million summer capture from Luton cancelled out a first-half opener from Stoke's on loan Manchester United trainee Ryan Shawcross. But a first failure to win at home in the Championship this season means the Baggies remain in third spot behind Watford and Charlton. West Brom's Manchester City loanee Ishmael Miller could have settled the game in the dying seconds but his close-range shot was blocked by Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen.

It means Albion have beaten Stoke only once in their last 22 meetings. Stoke produced a typically uncompromising performance to frustrate Albion, who had gone into the match as the division's leading scorers with 18 goals. They denied the Baggies the space to play the free-flowing football which has been their trademark under Tony Mowbray. Albion had the majority of the possession but Simonsen had a quiet evening until the closing stages.

Miller forced the first meaningful save of the game out of Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen who was five yards off his line but managed to parry the left-footed shot onto the outside of a post. The visitors' penalty area was being bombarded with shots and crosses and Felipe Teixeira prodded the ball just wide at the near post from a cross by ex-Stoke player Carl Hoefkens. Dean Kiely was called into action for the first time after 22 minutes to parry aside a fierce drive from John Eustace who was making his first start of the campaign. Then Shawcross headed Stoke ahead against the run of play. Shawcross turned home an inswinging centre from Liam Lawrence although there was a suspicion that Ricardo Fuller may have been marginally offside. Tony Pulis was forced to make a substitution after 33 minutes with Zakuani limping out of the action to be replaced by Carl Dickinson. Simonsen got his body behind a fierce attempt from outside the box by Robert Koren but Albion were finding it hard to break down their rugged and uncompromising opponents. Miller came close to equalising in the 44th minute with a low cross-cum-shot which was inches wide of Simonsen's far post.

Mamady Sidibe almost doubled Stoke's lead nine minutes into the second half when his header from a Lawrence centre was cleared off the line by Robert Koren. Albion built up a spell of relentless pressure and finally equalised in the 73rd minute when Barnett deflected the ball past Simonsen from Teixeira's cross into the danger area. The home side went searching for a winner and Simonsen beat out substitute Sherjill MacDonald's piledriver, denied Miller at close range and turned aside another powerful attempt by Zoltan Gera.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Belgian international defender Carl Hoefkens spent two years at the Britannia Stadium before joining Albion in August 2007 for £750,000.

Stoke striker Riccardo Fuller played two reserve team games and scored three times for Albion during a brief trial spell at the club in 2001.

PAST CONNECTIONS

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS STOKE CITY

LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST STOKE CITY

DATE	COMPETITION	H/A	F-A	GOALSCORERS	GATE
Sat 22 Nov 2008	Premier League	A	0-1	Sidibe	26,613
Sat 22 Dec 2007	Championship	A	1-3	Bednar - Fuller 3	18,420
Wed 03 Oct 2007	Championship	H	1-1	Barnett - Shawcross	20,048
Sat 07 Apr 2007	Championship	H	1-3	Koumas - Fuller, Greening (og), Parkin	20,386
Sat 25 Nov 2006	Championship	A	0-1	Higginbotham (pen)	18,282
Sat 31 Jul 2004	Friendly	A	1-2	Dobie - Brammer, Akinbiyi	3,853
Tue 04 May 2004	League Division One	A	1-4	Dobie - Russell, Commons 2, Noel-Williams	18,352
Sat 27 Sep 2003	League Division One	H	1-0	Dobie	24,297
Wed 31 Jul 2002	Friendly	A	0-0		6,241
Tue 13 Jan 1998	FA Cup	H	3-1	Sneekes 2, Kilbane - Gabbiadini	17,598