Going into Saturday’s game between the two sides, just a point separates Stoke City in 19th place from Southampton in 16th, so this clash can definitely be called a relegation six-pointer.
Both teams have taken six points from their last five league games and both are in desperate need of a win, so it should be a pretty even contest.
To get the lowdown on everything Stoke-related, we spoke to reporter Pete Smith of The Staffordshire Sentinel, a man who has been covering the Potters all season.
Here’s what Pete had to say:
1. What are the main changes that Paul Lambert has made since he took over at Stoke?
Lambert inherited what was statistically the worst defence in Europe, so it was pretty obvious what was going to be his priority. He’s done well to tighten up, regardless of the opposition in his first five games.
There is new organisation – Stoke have been playing like a team again rather than a group of individuals – and he’s used the demoralising exit from the FA Cup, which proved the final nail in Mark Hughes’s coffin, to have a couple of mini ‘pre-seasons’, building up much-needed fitness.
Fitness and organisation: two remarkable things to be lacking in the Premier League, but that’s what happened.
2. Are there any weaknesses in particular in the Stoke side that Saints should be looking to exploit?
Under Mark Hughes, there was a growing problem with handling pace but Lambert showed he had a plan to deal with Jamie Vardy last weekend, which was reassuring. They also dealt well with set-pieces, another regular criticism from the latter Hughes era.
So the main problem has become scoring goals, with a lot of reliance on Xherdan Shaqiri. If he’s marked out of the game, who can step up to do the damage?
3. Which Stoke player has stood out the most, in a positive sense, this season?
Shaqiri has found greater consistency going forward to deliver his best season at Stoke. His goals have mostly been pretty special from inside right, just outside the box, but he’s scored in each of the last three games with his head (incredibly), his left foot and his right. Joe Allen has been energetic in central midfield too.
4. How do you feel Stoke will look to get the better of Saints on Saturday?
Plan A is to work their socks off and give the ball to Shaqiri. Plan B is to look for the head of Peter Crouch, sometimes even if he isn’t even playing! It’s been a pretty tough gig for Mame Diouf, who has been at centre-forward while Crouch has been injured over the last fortnight.
There will be a lot of pressing on the Southampton defence, hoping to force a mistake and hopefully play on the nerves in the stadium. There will be plenty of those, right?
5. Finally, care to make a prediction?
It’s probably going to be low scoring and if both sides think it might be a must-win, it’s definitely a must-not-lose. One goal to swing it … I’ll go for Stoke and Shaqiri and three points going back to the Potteries.
Thanks to Pete for taking the time to answer our questions!
