Stoke City v West Bromwich Albion; Prediction Panel 2008/09- Preview and Predictions
A match between two promoted sides and one that is perceived as very much a clash of styles- Stoke's direct approach against Albion's composed passing style.
City are performing better than expected at this level while Albion are a surprise side to find propping up the rest at this stage. The Baggies have defensive issues which partly stem from a midfield that don't close down opponents properly. Stoke have no worries in that regard.
In the Championship Albion could take the other side on and beat them in a football competition but now they are finding it both tough to score and keep the opposition out. In their current run of form a point from the short trip would be welcome.
Stoke's big strength is understanding their strong points and sticking to the game plan. They'll be keen to put the visitors under aerial pressure, although this game is by no means a 'gimme'. Tony Mowbray shows no signs of panic and there is the feeling that Albion will give some team a going over soon.
Still, it is a measure of how Stoke have exceeded expectations and Albion have under-performed that the panel leans heavily to home win. In fact, only 3 points seperate the two teams. Last year's matches are a pointer though- the Potters managed 4 points from six and Ricardo Fuller bagged a hat-trick at the Brittania Stadium.
Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion; Kick Off 03:00pm 22 Nov 2008
Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).
Tony Bellew : 2 - 1
Dave Blackburn : 2 - 0
Sue Gardener : 2 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 0 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : 2 - 0
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Peter Lee : TBC - TBC
Don McMahon : 2 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 2
Stephen Orford (sqf) : 1 - 1
Tony Ratton : 1 - 1
Peter Rendle : 2 - 0
Dan Taylor : 2 - 0
Bill Urban (sqf) : TBC - TBC
Andy Wakeman : 0 - 2
Isaac Williams : TBC - TBC
Mark Williams : TBC - TBC
Panel Verdict
The panel believes that Stoke's more direct approach will win the game.
Home: 8; Draw: 3; Away: 3; TBC: 4;
* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!
