Is an FA Cup shock on the cards? (From Northwich Guardian)

Hartlepool United v Stoke City: preview

1:15pm Friday 2nd January 2009

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APOLOGIES for my almost blogless Christmas and New Year, which was to do more with technical issues than anything else, but I won’t go into more details unless you really want me to!

Perhaps it’s a good thing that Stoke did not have a New Year’s Day fixture given that we have almost no fit strikers and the fallout from the heavyweight match between Griffin and Fuller to deal with.

Next up, tomorrow, is a trip to Hartlepool in the Third Round of FA Cup (sponsored by Eon apparently).

The north easterners need not worry about facing Fuller following his sending off, Sidibe or Kitson (both injured). They won’t even have to face Richard Cresswell, who’s suspended.

Vincent Pericard is a nailed on certainty to start the game because he appears to be the only fit striker we possess!

Thank God for Liam Lawrence, who is fit again and will surely be in the starting line up as well. Last season’s joint top scorer has been sorely missed, not just for his goals but for his creative input into this team.

Vincent Pericard is a nailed on certainty to start the game because he appears to be the only fit striker we possess!

Ian Probert worries about the lack of options up front

Pulis seems to be hinting that some fringe players will get a game so Dickinson might play as left back to give Higginbotham a breather, maybe Andrew Davies will come in at right back for Griffin.

Do we dare risk ‘Superman’ Sonko after his disaster at Blackburn? Who knows.

Given that Cup games are traditionally tight, the bookies may be being very generous in offering 8-1 on Hartlepool to win by a single goal and 12-1 for them to beat us 2-1.

That said, our defence ought to be good enough to keep out Hartlepool, so the only question should be ‘who’s going to find the back of the net?’ Here’s hoping for a result to kick start our season…