After an international break that brought moments of elation for several Stoke players, Thomas Sorensen’s Denmark having confirmed their qualification for next summer’s World Cup and Liam Lawrence and Glenn Whelan having combined for the latter to score a memorable goal for Ireland against Italy, optimism is rife as Premier League football returns to the Britannia Stadium this weekend. The opposition come in the form of Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham. Despite a strong first season under the popular Italian, they have been struggling this term and lie second bottom on the league table with just five points to show from their opening seven Premier League games.

Winless since the opening day, many would say that West Ham are there for the taking, and for me, we have to take the game to them if we are to record a victory. They have looked blunt this season, but are generally defensively sound, so, if we are to earn all three points, our emphasis should be on attack rather than defence. Unfortunately, under Tony Pulis that’s not the way we usually play. I have confidence in him and they players though that they can produce that positive performance and send the fans home happy come five o’ clock tomorrow.

Turkish forward Tuncay, who was part of his country’s national side that were eliminated from World Cup qualification this week, could start his first league game as a Stoke player, an outcome that would surely please the home support. Possibly partnering Tuncay and sure to play, charged with breaking through West Ham will be Jamica striker Ricardo Fuller, while either James Beattie or top scorer Dave Kitson could also start up front.

Whelan may be ruled out of the Stoke midfield with a calf injury picked up against Italy, meaning Salif Diao and Dean Whitehead could both play, while Matthew Etherington should start on the left wing against the club he left in January. Midfielder Amdy Faye and striker Mamady Sidibe remained sidelined with long-term back and knee problems respectively.

Zola has a largely healthy squad to pick his Hammers side from, with Luis Boa Morte and one-time Stoke target Dean Ashton the only players unavailable through injury, though midfielder Scott Parker is suspended, already with more cards to his name than Clinton’s. Hot Welsh prospect Jack Collison is fit to play in his place after recovering from a knee injury.

Key Battles:

Ricardo Fuller v Matthew Upson
The lively Fuller, still in search of his first Premier League goal of the season to add to his eleven from last campaign, will aim to get the better of West Ham’s England-hopeful defender Upson as he leads his side’s attack. He’s likely to get some grief from the usually vocal travelling Hammers fans after he was infamously sent off for slapping his captain Andy Griffin at their Upton Park home last season and will be determined to wipe the smiles off their faces.

Liam Lawrence v Herita Ilunga
Buoyed by his strong international showing, Lawrence will be keen to pull the strings from the right wing and will come up against powerful Congolese left back Ilunga, who was excellent as his side were one of just four to win in the league at the Britannia Stadium last year. Lawrence’s delivery in recent weeks has been largely poor, and he will hope to have it back to its best to increase his teammates’ chances of netting from a trademark set piece situation.

Salif Diao v Alessandro Diamanti
After starting his first game of the season at Everton two weeks ago, Diao seems to be right back in Pulis’s first team plans. Playing largely as a sitting midfielder, he will come face to face with West Ham’s curiously-haired second striker Diamanti, who joined the East Londoners from Livorno in his native Italy in August, becoming the 800th player in the club’s 114 year history.

West Ham’s Star Man: Carlton Cole

Carlton Michael Cole Okirie is the biggest name player in the current West Ham squad. With impressive scoring form that has earned him six England caps, all coming this year, it’s easy to see why. The 26 year-old striker began his career at Chelsea, where then manager Claudio Ranieri announced that he had a “very big future” when Cole was in his teens. He was never prolific though, and after scoring just four goals in 25 league matches over the space of five years he left the club for West Ham, via loan spells at Wolves, Charlton and Aston Villa in July 2006. He signed a four-year contract, but it wasn’t until the third of these seasons that he really impressed, his tengoals from 27 Premier League matches propelling the Hammers to the verge of a European place. Of Nigerian and Sierra Leonean descent, Cole was, as a youngster, eligible to play for either of those sides, but turned down offers in the hope of winning a place in the England side. His hopes were realised in February when England manager Fabio Capello called him into his squad to face Spain. Though he’s yet to score in an England shirt, he has a good chance of tasting World Cup action last summer as a member of Capello’s highly coveted 23 man squad. Interestingly, just over a year ago he was all but ready to give up his England aspirations, agreeing to play for Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier, but having played for England Under 21 sides, he was deemed too old to legally switch allegiances and was forbidden to play.

My Prediction:

Stoke City 1-0 West Ham United I foresee the Britannia Stadium roar helping the Stoke players over the finish line to record a narrow win, the goal coming from Fuller.

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