Stoke City: Talking tactics

STOKE manager Tony Pulis will hope to have Mama Sidibe available again after he had to limp out of the Wigan game with an ankle problem.

If fit, the towering Sidibe will be expected to drop back into midfield when United have the ball.

When Stoke have it, he needs to be a willing target to either flick the ball on to Ricardo Fuller or hold the ball up and allow his midfield to get forward and support the City forward line.

Fuller remains Stoke's ace in the pack. His ability to take players on, allied to his pace and skill, makes him a goal threat even against defenders of the class of United's centre-back pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Ferdinand and Vidic are United's only two truly defensive players of their outfield 10 ... and even then the England man is adept at playing the ball out of defence, while his Serb partner is always a goal threat at set-pieces.

Both right-back Rafael Da Silva and left-back Patrice Evra love to bomb forward ... and usually get plenty of opportunities to do so at Old Trafford.

Goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar remains one of the best performers in the Premier League, despite the march of time, but at 38 he is perhaps not at the standard he was two seasons ago.

The Dutchman's shot-stopping remains impeccable but, encouragingly for Stoke, he has attracted some criticism for the way he has dealt with crosses or long balls into his area this season. Cue Rory Delap perhaps ......

SAME again looks favourite for Stoke. If Tony Pulis was happy to keep things tight at Wigan, then it is hard to imagine he will decide to attack with gay abandon at Old Trafford.

Salif Diao had a fine game at the JJB and, having come through a series of injuries, is rewarding Pulis for his patience.

The Stoke boss said at the start of the season that a fully fit Diao would be a huge asset in the Premier League and is being proved right by the experienced Senegal international.

Expect Diao to line up alongside Amdy Faye in central midfield to provide a physical, combative obstacle for United.

Keeping Seyi Olofinjana out on the right should provide further security for Stoke, while Rory Delap deserves his place on the left.

Never mind the long throw, Delap is well worth his place for his regular 90 minutes of lung-bursting effort.

If anything, this week Stoke will expect even more from him as he helps Danny Higginbotham keep tabs on Ronaldo.

United's midfield four is likely to be Ronaldo, Anderson, Carrick and Fletcher, but Ferguson's team are set to play more in a 4-3-3 formation than 4-4-2.

Ronaldo is given freedom to cut inside or even switch to the left wing rather than spend the afternoon hugging the right touchline.

That leaves Carrick as the more holding central midfielder with Anderson and Fletcher providing support in the centre.

Fletcher, an impressive performer for United so far this season, missed the Arsenal game through injury, but could return to give United's midfield some steel. He also carries a goal threat, as both Portsmouth and Everton can confirm after timing excellent runs into the box to score against both teams this term.

Both Carrick and Anderson can pass teams to death. Brazilian Anderson, in particular, could provide both the energy and vision to find a way through Stoke's defences.

Perhaps only Arsenal can match United for the rapier-like thrusts at opposing defences that so often result in goals. But if Stoke believe they will be able to use their physicality to beat United, like they did the Gunners a fortnight ago, they should think again. Like Chelsea, United can mix it with the best.

STOKE will have two former reds in their back four as Danny Higginbotham and Ryan Shawcross do their best to frustrate their old gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson.

Tony Pulis warned this week that he won't hesitate to rest Shawcross if the 21-year-old's standards begin to drop.

However, there has been no sign of that so far as Shawcross has helped Stoke concede just once in their last three Premier League games ... and even that late Arsenal consolation effort at the Brit needed two deflections to beat Thomas Sorensen.

This is their toughest test of the season, but Stoke won't roll over if they adopt the same disciplined approach they managed at Wigan last week.

Higginbotham had an excellent game against the highly-rated Antonio Valencia, but faces a huge step up in class this weekend against Ronaldo.

Shawcross and Abdoulaye Faye have proved a formidable centre-back pairing, while Andy Griffin has been producing some of the best performances of his Stoke career to defy the critics writing him off as a Premier League player after his disappointing spell with Derby last season. However, all that might not be enough if United's star-studded forward line clicks into top gear.

Dimitar Berbatov has been a regular for United up front since his £31m move from Tottenham in the summer, partnering either Wayne Rooney or Carlos Tevez.

The Bulgarian is a master of clever flicks and touches, and also has a first touch which few players, if any, can better in the Premier League.

Berbatov is also excellent at clever movement and, despite his celebrity status, is often able to ghost into the opposition box undetected.

Rooney won't expect to match Berbatov's goal-record, but he is a ferociously hard worker who also has a great eye for a pass.

If there is a criticism to be made it is that he, like Tevez, tends to do too much of their work away from the penalty area danger zone.

Of course, Sir Alex Ferguson may just decide to rest Berbatov for this one, in which case expect Tevez to play like a man on a mission to prove he is worth a regular starting place.

If Berbatov is rested, United will hardly be fielding a weakened side. After all, the Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo combination was the one which swept them to the Premier League and Champions League titles last season.

Ronaldo technically starts on the right of midfield, but is given licence to wander all over the place, often leaving a series of desperate challenges in his wake.

Old Trafford is no place for a faint-hearted goalkeeper, but Thomas Sorensen has both the experience and the ability to cope with the constant pressure United will bring to bear on his goal.

The Dane has been a reassuring presence this season. His list of saves have been matched only by the impressive way he has helped organise a back four still bedding in new personnel early in Stoke's campaign.

And woe betide any player who switches off from their defensive duties. Ricardo Fuller got a right earful from Sorensen during the first half at Wigan last week.