Do you think Burnley will pick up three points against a possibly deflated
Stoke side after being dumped out of the cup?
I'm certainly hoping so because as each game passes the need for points to
get away from the relegation places becomes more crucial. As often happens
to the side going up via the play offs it has been a massive struggle,
especially with our budgets way lower than any other club's, and wins have
been difficult to find since October after we'd made a good start.
The Potters are well known for a physical style. We all knew what to expect
from Owen Coyles'' Burnley but what about Brian Laws Clarets?
Things haven't changed too much in style since Brian Laws replaced the
biblical one who did a disappearing act to Horwich. He's trying to make us
more organised at the back, and we certainly don't throw everyone forward as
we did previously, but it is still very much a passing style of football.
The original fixture fell foul of the weather whilst you were managerless.
With Laws in charge and having had time to stamp his mark on the club is
this now a better time for you to be playing this game?
It's difficult to say and looking back now the postponement was probably no
bad thing. Had it been played that day Steve Davis and Phil Hughes would
have been in charge and yet the pair of them had already committed to
Bolton, obviously keeping the fact quiet. They announced their departures on
the Sunday.
Laws has had almost two months settle in although having walked into what
was already becoming a relegation battle it hasn't been anything like easy
for him.
Are there any Stoke players you are wary of?
There are players I'm wary of with every game we play and Stoke is no
different. It's pretty obvious that they don't have the quality of our last
opponents (Arsenal) but it is just as obvious that they provide a different
kind of threat.
Ricardo Fuller has been a thorn in our side with Preston previously and
he'll have to be watched and a game against Stoke can't be mentioned without
reference to Rory Delap and the now infamous throw ins.
Who should we keep an eye out for?
Unfortunately it looks as though Steven Fletcher is going to be ruled out
again with a broken bone in his hand. He's been a threat up front and should
he not play we'll be looking to loan player David Nugent and former Stokie
Martin Paterson to offer that threat.
Chris Eagles has been in and out of form recently but he too, on his day,
can be a difficult player to deal with.
...and finally, a prediction?
We need a win, so I'll go for 2-1 to the Clarets.