The Potters look for two wins on the bounce by beating a struggling Millwall side.
Stoke fans rejoiced after a hard-fought victory against Watford last weekend, in a game which usually slips away from The Potters. Stoke fans were happy to hear the final whistle go and collect a well-deserved three points against The Hornets.
Looking to build upon their performance last weekend, Stoke will face an out-of-form Millwall hoping to get another win on the board.
Here’s everything you need to know about The Potter’s upcoming game against The Lions…
Team News
What has already been a very busy transfer window for The Potters has now become even busier
with a whole plethora of different players being brought into the team this week. Nikola Jojic,
Wouter Burger and Mehdi Léris have all been brought in with more signings expected to be
completed in the following weeks.
But how will this affect the team? One player that Stoke fans will certainly not want to see replaced
is Andre Vidigal, who has hit the ground running for The Potters scoring 4 goals in 4 games including the winner against Watford last weekend. Vidigal seems to excel in all areas of the game his dribbling, skill and finishing are something this Stoke side has been lacking for so many years.
Another player who will expect to keep his place is Daniel Johnson who has played superbly well
since being brought in by Alex Neil in the summer. The midfielder controls the game brilliantly
setting the tempo in the midfield and using his age to advantage by making smart decisions up and down the pitch.
Overall, the Stoke squad has been playing well so far this season and the signings this week have
added healthy competition with positions being up for grabs all over the pitch. But who exactly are
these new signings?
Mehdi Léris joins from Serie B team Sampdoria and could potentially become a fan favourite for The Potters. The 25-year-old Algerian plays predominantly as a right winger but is a very versatile player as he can play right back and left midfield. Léris work rate is one of his biggest attributes and although he may not have the skill of a player like Vidigal he still has the potential to cause
defenders issues with his movement.
Passion is the driving force behind how Léris plays and will do anything to help the team excel. All
the attributes Léris possesses are the hallmarks of a Stoke fan favourite. Passion, grit, and
determination are all traits that saw players such as Jonathan Walters and Liam Lawrence being
applauded by the Stoke fans.
19-year-old Serbian Nikola Jojic joins from Mladost for a fee of around 1.4 million euros. Although
the Serbian is young there is plenty of potential. Jojic main position is on the right wing with it being clear that one of his best traits is being able to cut inside and strike the ball with his preferred left foot. Not only is Jojic strong at finishing but crossing the ball also seems to come naturally to him, being able to curl or drive the balls into the box with his left foot.
Although Jojic prefers to use his left foot he is by no means inept on his right being perfectly capable of putting in a good cross or providing a goal on his right foot. Fearless would be an understatement for Jojic as he is constantly looking to drive up the pitch whether it's through his close-control dribbling or freeing up space for himself in the final third to collect and slot the ball through for his teammates.
Finally, perhaps the most exciting signing Stoke has made not only this week but the whole summer
is Wouter Burger. The 22-year-old midfielder from FC Basel signing for 5 million euros. “Overrun” was the word that came to every Stoke fan's lips when talking about the midfield last season with too many spaces in the centre which allowed opposition players to excel.
Burger really helps to plug those pockets of space that Stoke's midfield would so often leave open last season due to his high pressing and defensive awareness. Burger also offers a great threat going forward with an absolute peach of a left foot allowing him to strike from outside the box or hammering the ball into the back of the net from close range.
The Dutchman offers great versatility going forward whether it's from winning the ball high up the pitch or playing a perfect pass from his own half to the final third.
Overall, the signings The Potters have made this week have excelled the squad and could help
towards The Potters' final goal of promotion.
Due to Millwall's defensive style of play, Stoke will look to pile on the pressure which could see a
change in formation from the 5 at the back against Watford and see new faces in the starting eleven.
Burger could replace Thompson despite his great performance last weekend which will drop Laurent into the defensive midfield position. Ryan Mmaee could come in for Rose changing the formation to a 4-3-3 allowing for a more attacking style of play with Mmaee on the right, Vidigal on the left and Wesley in the middle.
Predicted starting eleven against Millwall:
(GK) Travers, Stevens, McNally, Wilmot, Hoever, Laurent, Johnson, Burger, Mmaee, Wesley, Vidigal
The Manager
The name Gary Rowett is synonymous to all Stoke fans due to his tragic stint at the club. After
multiple poor performances and millions of pounds being spent on unbelievably lacklustre players,
Rowett, to the joy of every Stoke fan across the globe was sacked less than eight months into his
tenure.
Despite this, The Potters have only won one out of the eight games against Millwall when they have
been managed by Rowett. Defence is the name of the game for Rowett with a narrow midfield
making it difficult to exploit space in the midfield. Rowett’s Millwall looks to absorb pressure and
get at the opposition on the counter, something which attacking fullbacks Stevens and Hoever will need to consider when going forward.
The narrow midfield The Lions play is also something The Potters can exploit due to it opening space for wingers which could allow Vidigal and the like to create havoc.
Opposition Player To Look Out For
Millwall’s newest addition to the squad is 19-year-old fullback Brooke Norton-Cuffy on loan from
Arsenal. Cuffy is tricky on the ball and has the pace and skill to beat a man and provide a potentially deadly ball into the box.
Confidence exudes from this man, he is calm on the ball and is always looking to push up the pitch and create havoc in the final third. Despite his young age, Norton-Cuffy has Championship experience under his belt playing at both Rotherham United and Coventry on loan last season.
Cuffy’s skill and determination to get up the pitch is something the Stoke defence will need
to keep an eye on.
Head-to-Head
Despite Stoke only having won once against Millwall since Rowett has been in charge they have been the most successful team overall, winning 23, drawing 15 and losing 21.
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