Stoke fans here in the Football Transfer Tavern are excited to see the start of their ninth consecutive Premier League season.
The Potters start the season travelling to an Everton side who have recruited strongly this season, with the biggest news coming from Goodison Park being the arrival of Wayne Rooney back to the club from Manchester United.
In contrast to Ronald Koeman’s men, our landlord has perceived Stoke’s transfer business to be a bit of a slow burner in a summer which has seen huge sums of money thrown around the Premier League and beyond, Mark Hughes has really struggled to find the players he wants to join his Stoke side.
Of course, Hughes still has just under a month to improve his squad and the signing of Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on a free transfer will be a boost and this move will go along way to replacing the departure of Marko Arnautovic to West Ham earlier in the Summer.
With Arnautovic gone, the Potters in the Tavern have actually been discussing who will replace the Austrian in the line up and the talk has moved to who Mark Hughes will pick for the opening game of the season, our landlord has actually weighed in and he believes Stoke have a great chance to beat an Everton side that still need to gel due to the number of new recruitment made. In saying this, he has outlined an XI that may be able to demolish the Toffees.
Let’s check it out here…
GK: Jack Butland
After missing the majority of last season through injury, Butland will be chomping at the bit to play a full season as Stoke’s number one keeper.
Our landlord has even gone as far to say that if he performs strongly in this World Cup year, he may find himself as England’s first choice going into Russia this summer.
CB: Geoff Cameron
The 31-year-old is a huge asset to Mark Hughes due to his ability to play across the defence and even fill in the centre of midfield, however, with Hughes seemingly using three central defenders during pre season – it is expected for Cameron to start the season at centre back.
CB: Ryan Shawcross
The Stoke City captain has been fundamental to the Potters’ stay in the Premier League and Mark Hughes will be hoping for another big season from his main centre back.
The resident Potters in the Tavern love Shawcross and are looking forward to seeing him lead their side out come Saturday.
CB: Kurt Zouma
The talented centre back is used to playing in a back three from his parent club, Chelsea and he will be looking to show Antonio Conte that he possesses all the quality to be a Premier League starter.
Zouma recently signed a new deal at the Champions so he will be looking to use this stint at Stoke to really prove himself following his injury troubled season last year.
RWB: Mame Biram Diouf
Previously a striker turned winger, Diouf has found himself placed at wing back for the majority of pre-season as he looks to tussle it out with Glen Johnson for a starting place in Stoke’s line up.
Our landlord feels that Diouf’s high work rate makes him a fantastic candidate for the wing back role.
CM: Joe Allen
The Welshman looked strong in his first season with Stoke following his move from Liverpool around a year ago.
Mark Hughes will be hoping for some more promising performances from his fellow countryman this season as well as he looks to progress his Stoke side with Allen in the engine room.
CM: Darren Fletcher
There is no doubt in our landlord’s mind that Stoke’s coup of Fletcher is a fantastic bit of business, not just because the experience he brings to the side but also in signing the Scotsman – Mark Hughes has robbed West Brom of one of their main assets which will be key when they are fighting for a similar position in the league.
LWB: Erik Pieters
The three at the back means that Pieters will now slot into this Stoke side as a left wing back ahead of the new season.
The Dutchman has been a loyal servant for the Potters and the Stoke fans in the Tavern really have made him a cult hero of theirs.
RF: Xherdan Shaqiri
The pressure is on Shaqiri to be Stoke’s main attacking asset following the departure of Marko Arnautovic but our landlord feels that Shaqiri can deliver for Mark Hughes in this fixture and for the rest of the season.
The Potters in the Tavern really have seen some spectacular football from the Swiss international but now they crave for it on a weekly basis.
CF: Saido Berahino
With Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting not quite ready to face Everton this weekend, Saido Berahino has a great chance to really stamp his authority as the starting striker for Mark Hughes and his Stoke side.
There is no doubt Berahino has a lot of talent and he will need to produce in order for the Potters to go up the table.
LF: Bojan Krkic
Should he overcome a small calf injury, Bojan will be the man to fill Marko Arnautovic’s shoes when Saturday comes around and our landlord believes this is last chance saloon for the Spaniard.
A loan spell at Mainz last season yielded one goal in eleven games but with the opportunity of first-team football clearly in sight, Bojan may well produce the talent that made world football take note when he was just starting out.
