New-look Stoke a daunting task

Albion supporters always used to dread games against Stoke.

The Potters were the Baggies' perennial bogey team.

Before Tony Pulis took over at The Hawthorns, Albion had won just two of the previous 34 league match-ups against tomorrow's opponents, drawing 10 and losing a whopping 22.

But whether it was inside knowledge, or just the natural end to an infuriating 27-year run, in 2015 Pulis masterminded two 1-0 wins over his former side. The hoodoo has been broken.

While they may no longer be Albion's bogey team, there is now a whole new reason to dread a visit from the Staffordshire side. And it's based on something much more tangible than a club jinx.

A devilish front three full of class, power and pace has started to click to devastating consequences.

Xherdan Shaqiri is a barrel of a man, capable of knocking over tall centre-halves with his low centre of gravity. He scored his first two goals for the club on Monday.

On the other wing, Marko Arnautovic is a brooding, surly gladiator.

In the middle, the team's attacks are knitted together by the tidy feet and quick eyes of former Barcelona starlet, Bojan Krkic.

Mark Hughes's team had a slow start to the season, but in December they blew away the two Manchester clubs and Everton.

Pulis is wary of their threat, but reckons his team have the experience to nullify it.

"If you look at the Premier League, a lot of teams can counter attack with pace," he said.

"The two wide players have got good pace and good ability.

"But we played against Wijnaldum and Sissoko on Monday and they were fantastic at times.

"They were a threat during the game and it was always a concern that if we left ourselves too exposed they could do stuff.

"You get that week in, week out.

"Newcastle are at the bottom struggling a little bit. Stoke finished in the top 10 last year and they've got a real strong squad there now. People haven't recognised how strong that squad is.

"You look at the bench and they've got (Mame Biram) Diouf, (Peter) Crouch and (Jon) Walters, all not playing.

"They've got a great chance in the semi-final of the Capital One Cup next week.

"A great chance of getting to Wembley and a great chance of finishing in the top 10."

It's not just offensively the Potters have impressed.

Jack Butland has kept seven clean sheets in the last 10 games, and Stoke's punchy attacking style is only able to flourish with a solid defensive platform behind it.

That platform was built by Pulis during his seven years at the club, and the Welshman was quick to highlight the impact of the return of one of his former favourites.

He said: "Ryan (Shawcross) coming back into the team has made a massive difference. And it helps when you've got a keeper like Butland, who's been superb this year.

"He's had a wonderful season."

Albion themselves go into the game with some confidence gained from the impressive performance against Newcastle.

Salomon Rondon and James McClean serve the final game of their three-match bans, and Pulis is waiting until the last possible moment to assess whether Victor Anichebe and Jonas Olsson are fit to play after both came off with hamstring injuries on Monday.

"It was a great result," Pulis said. "The games in this league are so tight you need breaks. The lads have shown good character against Newcastle. We played very well and deserved to win the game.

"The lads have been very good, the medical department and everybody else connected with the fitness side of things too.

"Victor and Jonas will be late calls. We're not sure, we'll give them as much time as we possibly can to see if they're fit.

"We're still not 100 per cent sure whether it will be a yes or a no."

Rondon will be making a guest appearances in the fanzone before tomorrow's game.