Premier League 14/15: Team By Team Preview And Predictions

9. Stoke City

Last Season: 9th Manager: Mark Hughes Opening Fixture: Aston Villa (h) Transfer Activity: Who would have thought that Stoke - a team renowned for playing route-one football under Tony Pulis - would have two players in their squad signed from Barcelona? First Marc Muniesa signed last summer, and now, even more astoundingly, Spanish international Bojan Krkic has joined the Potters. Mark Hughes is slowly rebuilding Stoke and that has included bringing in three shrewd free transfers recently in Phil Bardsley (Sunderland), Steve Sidwell (Fulham) and Mame Biram Diouf (Hannover). Finally, Hughes has brought in defender Dionatan Teixeira (Dukla), and notable departures from the club include Matthew Etherington, Michael Kightly and Karim Rossi. Possible Starting XI: Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters; Nzonzi, Whelan, Sidwell; Bojan, Arnautovic; Crouch Key Player: Ryan Shawcross Verdict: Stoke are getting stronger each year and, as always, the Britannia Stadium will be a fortress for them this season. The Potters have a menacing array of forward options nowadays in new signings Bojan and Diouf, Peter Odemwingie, Marko Arnautovic, Peter Crouch, Cameron Jerome and Jonathan Walters, and when you add that to one of the most solid and consistent defences in the league, the season ahead is looking bright for the West Midlands club. Mark Hughes is an ambitious manager and will be looking to repeat last year's success with a comfortable top half finish, and don't be surprised if they take a point or two or off the top teams at home as usual. Prediction: 9th