2010-11 EPL Preview: Stoke City

The Potters

The English Premier League (suck it, Barclays!) season is just around the corner, so we here at UF are giving you everything you need to know about all 20 teams with our award-winning analysis. And no, we haven’t really won any awards, but neither has Arsenal in five years and people still seem to care about them.

Official Name: Stoke City Football Club

Nickname: The Potters

Home Colors: Red and white

Trophy Case: League Cup Winners in 1972; Division Two Champions in 1933, 1963 and 1993; Division Three (North) Champions: 1927; Division Two Play-Off Winners in 2002; Auto Windscreens Shield Winners in 2000; Autoglass Trophy Winners in 1992; Watney Cup Winners in 1974; Football Alliance League Champions in 1891; Southern League Division Two A Champions in 1910.

2009-10 League Finish: 11^th in the EPL

2009-10 Average Home Attendance: 27.162

2009-10 Cup Finish: Stoke had a good run to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup before losing 2-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In the League Cup, the Potters lost 4-0 to Portsmouth in the Fourth Round. This loss came after a 4-3 Third-Round win over Blackpool in which Stoke scored all four goals after the 75th minute (including the winner in the SIXTH minute of extra time).

History: While the United States was fighting the Civil War, Stoke City was formed in 1863 as Stoke Ramblers. Eventually, they became Stoke City Football Club, and they were one of the 12 original Football League clubs in 1888. They finished last in the League the first three seasons. Luckily, they couldn’t be relegated. The club has been up and down from the First to Second Division over the years, but their return to the top division in 2008 season was the first top-flight football for Stoke in 25 years.

Team Legends: When you’ve been around for 134 years, you’re bound to have some decent players wear your shirt. Among the names to play for The Potters are Peter Shilton, Gordon Banks, Lee Dixon, Chris Kamara, Sir Geoff Hurst (ask a Brit if they know this name from 1966), Frank Soo (first non-white player to appear for England) and Jimmy Greenhoff (who scored 76 goals in the 1972 season).

Nice hat.

Gaffer: Tony Pulis. He’s a gaffer who doesn’t care how his team gets a result, as long as it does. That leads to some pretty ugly games. But he got the team playing well, and they turned their home ground into a fortress that even the top sides couldn’t penetrate.

Transfers In: Florent Cuvelier (undisclosed, Portsmouth)

Transfers Out: Nathaniel Wedderburn (free, Northampton Town)
Andy Griffin (£500k, Reading)
Diego Arismendi (loan, Barnsley)
Ibrahim Sonko (loan, Portsmouth)

Key Players: Matt Etherington. No, it’s not Rory Delap. After moving from West Ham, Etherington had a solid season for Stoke in 2009-10. On a team that scores few goals, he’s one of the few creative players on the pitch. He signed a new contract over the summer and he’s 28. The Potters need him to control the midfield.

Thomas Sorensen. The goalkeeper was a wall for most of the season for Stoke, but he suffered a brutal dislocated elbow late in the season vs. Chelsea. They need him back at full strength to keep the position they earned last season.

Rising Star: Ryan Shawcross. In fact, the team needs Shawcross to be good more than Delap. The 22 year old just wasn’t the same after his tackle turned Aaron Ramsey’s leg into kindling. The fact is he’s a good defender who can be good on set pieces up front. The Potters need him back in full force mentally and physically. Warning: I’m including the video. Don’t watch if you’re a Gooner.

Stadium: Brittania Stadium. The stadium was opened in 1997. Before that, Stoke played at the Victoria Ground for more than 115 years.

Drama: Pulis created some waves earlier this summer by slamming other clubs and their high wage bills. At the time it sounded like sour grapes from a manager at one of the mid-range clubs. And yet, Pulis looks prepped to pay a pretty penny for Nice striker Loic Remy. The team has also been linked with Kevin Prince-Boateng and Kenwyne Jones for more than they’d paid for recent moves. Hypocrisy, table of one.

Tactics!: Simple. They play a 4-4-2. Every time Stoke played a 4-5-1, usually on the road against a top team, they lost bad. So it’s a 4-4-2.

Question Marks: Will Stoke be able to bring in the new players and help the team’s offense? If not, will they be able to thwart people all season as they have the last two?

Important Fixtures: The Potters start with Wolves, and it might be the only chance in the first four matches to get the full three points. They play Spurs, Chelsea and Aston Villa afterward. They need to start quick or they risk falling way behind early.

Prediction: I am not a fan of the Stoke style, but it works. They are disciplined, organized and smart. I think they’ll end up in the same range as last season, maybe losing a spot or two. 12th-14th.