My good friend Mr Rowley from Stoke has fled to Nepal to miss this game. I have handed my tickets to Lucian Miers as my presence at the Academy does not tend to bring West Ham good fortune. So that is a reason for optimism. But, as Lucian points out, our record against sides from grim Northern shit-holes is a poor one and so he fears for the worst. I am afraid that despite our recent form so do I.
Is Matty Etherington playing for Stoke today? I know he had a few issues but I always liked Matty, Matty, Matty Etherington and could never understand why we sold him. Having said that I imagine that we will start up front with Yossi, Jarvis and Andy Carroll and that should be good enough to prize open even a well organised defence and Stoke is well organised. In 11 league games this season they have conceded 10 goals. We have conceded 11. Only Man City have conceded fewer ( 10) and we all know that for a daft offside call that would be 11.
Having said that Stoke have conceded 9 of those goals away from home where their record is 0-3-3.
My big concern is the return to the West Ham line-up of “ginge” well ex-ginge in James Collins who has been the weakest link at the back for us this campaign. Without him we’d have a better defensive record than Man City.
If we win we go fifth. Who would have contemplated that three months ago? Moreover we would be on 21 points or half way to safety after just 13 games.
Lucian, like me, is a man who looks at the table from the bottom up. Fingers crossed that with a packed ground, under the lights, the Irons are spurred onto victory. I do have this down as a game where we should get three points. As such I suggest you all put a fiver on a Stoke win right now.
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