Two teams who have never met in a Premier League fixture go head-to-head at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday with Stoke desperate to halt a run of three successive defeats against mid-table QPR.

It’s been a testing month and a half for Tony Pulis and his men who have seen their Europa League campaign catch up on them with detrimental results. Despite results in Europe appearing positive their domestic campaign is faltering with the Potters managing to win only one of their last eight since beating West Brom at the Hawthorns at the end of August. Since then it’s been a mixture of disappointing defeats and mundane draws with their exploits on the continent taking the sting out of their performances on home soil. Consistency has been a problem with Pulis’ policy of rotating his squad to keep his players fresh not working as well as he’d hoped with members failing to get a long enough run in the side to strike up a chord with the rest of the side. Summer signing Peter Crouch has failed to  have the desired impact with the England striker playing up front with several different partners including Cameron Jerome, Jon Walters and Kenywyne Jones during the course of this season. Stoke’s game is built on pressurising their opponents and using their supreme physical advantages to intimidate, terrorise and bully teams into submission. But their European exploits have left them looking jaded and unable to put their game plan into action. Their 3-1 defeat at home to Newcastle and 5-0 hammering away at Bolton saw the Potters out battled in every area and Pulis must be wondering if the Europa League is worth bothering with if it continues to harm his teams league performance.

QPR on the other hand are enjoying a superb first season back in the Premier League following their relegation back in 1996. The R’s are sitting a place above Saturday’s opponents, albeit on goal difference, and will be confident of moving clear of them when they travel to the Potteries. Neil Warnock’s side have picked up half of their 12 points on the road and another three will move them firmly into the top half of the table. The club have benefitted substantially from the investment of new owner Tony Fernandes with new recruits Joey Barton, Luke Young and Shaun Wright-Phillips giving them an extra dash of Premier League experience which is something they were severely lacking in the opening weeks of the campaign. That knowledge of how to win games and overcome adversity will be key against Stoke’s bruising tactics with Barton likely to relish mixing it up in the centre of midfield. His performances since signing from Newcastle have been nothing short of superb with his fiery temper being tamed by Warnock with the odd-couple proving there is enough room in the Loftus Road dressing room for the both of them. Despite losing the last two games one positive that has emerged form the defeats to high-flying Manchester City and Tottenham and that has been the goalscoring displays of Jay Bothroyd. The England striker has struggled since his summer move from Cardiff but finally broke his duck at White Hart Lane before hitting another against the league leaders a week later. The international break killed that momentum but Warnock will need him to get back on the goal trail if they are to come away from Stoke with points under their belts.

Stoke – 12th

Last Five

Lost 5-0 v Bolton (A), W 2-1 v Tel Aviv (A), Lost 3-1 v Newcastle (H), Lost 2-1 v Liverpool (H), Lost 3-1 v Arsenal (A)

Potential Starting X11

1. A. Begovic 28. A. Wilkinson 17. R. Shawcross [C] 39. J. Woodgate 12. M. Wilson 16. J. Pennant 40. W. Palacios 24. R. Delap 26. M. Etherington 19. J. Walters* 25. P. Crouch

Injury News

Tony Pulis has no new injuries to worry about with Mamady Sidibie  out long-term with a knee tendon problem.

Key Player

Jon Walters – It’s been a solid year or so in Stoke colours for Walters who has become an integral part of Pulis’ side and has forged himself a reputation as a consistent Premier League performer. His work ethic and willingness to run himself into the ground for his teammates has endeared him to the Britannia faithful and the physical aspects of his game will be key to unsettling a timid QPR defence.

Match Fact

This fixture will be Stoke’s 22nd of the season and first against QPR in the Premier League. That last time these two met was in the Championship in March 2008 just a few weeks before the Potters were promoted to the top flight.

QPR – 11th

Last Five

Lost 3-2 v Man City (H), Lost 3-1 v Tottenham (A), Won 1-0 v Chelsea (H), Drew 1-1 v Blackburn (H), Lost 6-0 v Fulham (A)

Potential Starting X11

1. P. Kenny 18. L. Young 35. A. Ferdinand 6. D. Gabbidon 13. A. Traore 11. A. Faurlin 17. J. Barton [C] 4. S. Derry 10. J. Mackie 32. S. Wright-Phillips* 10. J. Bothroyd

Injury News

Neil Warnock has no fresh injury concerns with Kieron Dyer, Rob Hulse, DJ Campbell and Matt Connolly all out expected to be in the treatment room for long periods.

Key Player

Shaun Wright-Phillips – The former Man City winger has seen new life breathed into his career since moving to the R’s and is benefiting from a regular run of first team football. With Stoke’s back four not renewed for being the quickest over long stretches his combination of pace and skill will be a vital component to unlocking one of the toughest defences the Premier League has to offer.

Match Fact

Rangers comfortably beat promotion hopefuls Stoke the last time these two sides met in 2008 with a Mikele Leigertwood double and a second half Akos Buzasky goal giving them a 3-0 victory at Loftus Road.

Last Time at the Britannia Stadium

Championship, 27th November 2007

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Stoke 3-1 QPR

Cresswell, 5 Lawrence, 19, Cort 77

Vine 63, Blackstock S/O, 47

Attendance: 11,147

Referee: Uriah Rennie

PREDICTION

Stoke have been poor of late and it seems that their Europa League campaign is catching up with them. Their last two league games has seen them concede eight goals which will have set alarm bells ringing in Pulis’ mind. The way they were brushed aside so easily by Newcastle in their last home game was extremely surprising and he’ll be demanding a much improved performance this time around. QPR have been decent on the road and will go into the game with confidence after narrowly losing against leaders Manchester City before the international break. However if the Potters are at their bruising best then Warnock’s side better batten down the hatches and prepare for an aerial assault.

Score: 1-0

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The rant you’re about to read is usually the classic sign of a paranoid football fan. After all, we all think that the world is against our team, the newspapers are biased, referees have got it in for us, we never get any credit. And as for opposing fans….

But still, despite all that, the ridiculous red card for Mario Balotelli last weekend against Liverpool suggests to me, that just sometimes, that paranoia is justified.

Referees will of course claim that they enter the pitch with no agendas, and make impartial decisions on each particular incident alone. This is clearly poppycock, because they are human beings, and human nature means they have pre-conceived ideas about certain players, and treat them differently as a consequence.

To suggest Wayne Rooney gets away with metaphorical murder on the football pitch is the same as suggesting that night follows day – you could offer many theories as to why some players are allowed to say what they want to a referee with impunity or get the benefit of the doubt over some hairy challenges, but they tend to be English, which is not to suggest a wave of xenophobia from referees in how they deal with players, but a certain leniency to many “stalwarts” of the game, a blind eye to many established Premier League players. Balotelli doesn’t fit this description, he is the crazy youngster from far away who fires darts at youth players, almost burns down his house with fireworks, walks around with bundles of cash in his pocket, gets his friends to chat up women for him, receives 2000 parking tickets in a year and hangs around with the mafia. Well I read all this in the tabloids, so consider it to be 100% true.

When Graham Poll is appearing on Talksport decrying his hairstyle, it gives you a good insight into how match officials enter the field with agendas and preconceived ideas. Maybe Balotelli deserves it then. Hey, he doesn’t smile enough for my liking, throw the book at him.

It’s the reverse of commentators mentioning that Player X is “not that type of player” when he is sent off for a knee-high challenge. That player could throw kittens off bridges every night, he could have been sent off 40 times in his career, or he could have never fouled before in an illustrious 20-year career. It’s all irrelevant – it was either a red card or it wasn’t.

Balotelli’s first yellow card was perfectly justified – an innocuous pull-back on an opposing player, but a text-book yellow card in the modern game. The second card was brandished on reputation alone, by a referee who has a knack of sending off opposition players at Anfield (Balotelli completing the hat-trick). Maybe I am being blinkered – after all I have read a few City fans and journalists write online that he led with his elbow, and thus it was a stupid challenge and he was asking for trouble.

But no, that simply isn’t true. There was no elbow sticking out, only an extended arm which I presume he was using to try and protect the ball from the opposing player, as part of his whole body. Clumsy perhaps, but nothing more. His fate was sealed when the Liverpool player went down as if shot, clutching a head that hadn’t come into contact with anything, whilst five or six of his team-mates crowded round the referee demanding a red card. Has football really become so averse to contact of any sort that Balotelli’s attempt at a tackle for his second yellow card is now considered as fair game for punishment?

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I’m not blinkered to Balotelli’s discretions. His demeanour makes him a target on the field, though a professional referee should be capable of looking beyond this. I can see when he has done wrong – the red card at home to Dynamo Kiev last season was utterly justified and put paid to City’s Europa League chances. A dismissal at West Brom though last season was even more ridiculous than the one at Anfield – we’ve been here before.

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He’s not the only one to be pre-judged on the field either, due to off-field controversies. Joey Barton is one that springs to mind (not that he is always innocent, as seen against Arsenal this season), a man whose reputation on the field is probably confused with what he has done off it. The truth is that there are plenty of Premiership players who have sinned on a football field far more than Barton, but attracted much less attention for it. Likewise, those footballers portrayed as professional wind-up merchants like Robbie Savage also carry a stigma onto the field with them. In 2008, the Daily Mail labelled Savage as the dirtiest player in Premier League history, based on numbers of yellow cards received (87), though apparently he has since been surpassed as the player with the most Premier League yellow cards by Lee Bowyer. And throughout his career, Savage was only sent off for his club side once. Was Savage really ome of the Premiership’s worst ever miscreants on a football field?

Players are the victims of soft red cards all the time – it doesn’t take much to get dismissed nowadays. If you agree Balotelli was hard done by, you’ll also agree that he isn’t the first, and he won’t be the last. But lets hope that in the future, referees have the ability to see through his reputation, and judge him on the foul alone. Otherwise, discussing the disciplinary record of Mr Balotelli could become a depressingly common occurrence in the future.

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Steve McClaren has returned to former club FC Twente, signing a two-and-a-half year deal with the Dutch side.

The former England manager led the Enschede-based side to the first Eredivisie title in their history back in 2009-10, before leaving to join Wolfsburg.

Twente parted company with coach Co Adriaanse on Tuesday, and despite reports linking Avram Grant with the vacant post, McClaren has returned to his old stomping ground.

The 50-year-old feels that it is an excellent opportunity for him, and he is looking forward to continuing the progress he made in his first stint with the club.

“I left, obviously, on a high with the title. I said at that time that I would be back. I didn’t know when, but I would be back,” he admitted to Sky Sports.

“The club is still developing, still growing and I think this is an ideal opportunity for me to go back and finish what we were starting.”

“I know the club very well. I know the people at the top. I can work with the people at the top.

“I think that is the most important thing. I had a good relationship with them the last time. I know where the club is coming from.

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“I know what their vision is. I know what their ambitions are. It is still there. That was the key thing for me,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Tottenham winger Gareth Bale is the only player from the Premier League to make the Uefa.com users team of the year.

38,000 site visitors were polled and asked to vote for their team of 2011, with the Welsh man in high-quality company.

Bale is pleased to given the accolade, but has accredited the success of the Spurs team to his individual recognition.

“It’s great to be recognised in such illustrious company, and the fact that it’s voted for by fans across Europe makes it a special honour,” he told the club’s official site.

“But as I’ve said all along, I’m part of a team here at Spurs and any recognition I receive is down to my team-mates as much as anything that I do individually.

“The team has been playing really well and we’ve all played a part in that,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Barcelona and Real Madrid dominated the rest of the votes, claiming eight of the 11 places.

The Catalan giants had Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi included after Champions League and La Liga glory.

Jose Mourinho’s men had Cristinao Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Marcelo selected in the dream team.

The rest of the contingent was made up by Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben and AC Milan defender Thiago Silva; Pep Guardiola was selected at coach of the year also.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli has stated that the club’s plans are impressing players in Europe, and that a number of big-name signings can be expected in the summer.

The Anfield outfit are fresh from winning the Carling Cup on Sunday, and are just off the pace in the battle for a top four finish.

Comolli feels the club’s reputation is starting to get back to its former days, and that the side can attract the top players from the continent.

“There’s a very positive vibe around the club across Europe,” he told Mirror Football.

“A lot players I know are very interested about joining the project because it’s a very interesting project.

“We already know that there are big players who want to join us next summer because they believe in the project.

“Everybody in Europe knows what Liverpool football club are trying to do,” he concluded.

Mirror Football indicate that Kenny Dalglish’s summer transfer targets included much-praised Lille playmaker Eden Hazard, Athletico Bilbao’s Spain international Javi Martinez and Barcelona veteran midfielder Seydou Keita.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Wales have crashed to a 1-0 defeat in their international friendly against Costa Rica, in a night that the nation remembered former manager Gary Speed.

Before the game several Welsh artists performed, Speed’s sons Ed and Tom led the team out onto the pitch, and a minute’s applause was undertaken before the match.

Joel Campbell, on loan at Lorient from Arsenal, scored the only goal of the game to spoil affairs, and manager Chris Coleman has admitted that it was an emotional night for all concerned.

“It was always going to be difficult under the circumstances, it was not our normal preparation,” Coleman told Sky Sports.

“This was about one guy and it was important we were there to show our support and celebrate his life.

“His two boys have come into the dressing room and onto the pitch and you could see why he was so proud of them.

“It was a strange atmosphere because we were still grieving, but at the same time we had a game to win. At the start we weren’t really at the races. We had a couple of chances after that but the main reason for tonight was for Speeds.

“I commend the players, they did their best, but I knew we were going to start slow.

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“They’ve been a terrific bunch but they all miss Speeds. We lost on the night but we gave it what we had,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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There is little more frustrating to fans and managers than a player who consistently fails to live up to his potential. Whether they be young or old, many men have fleetingly displayed the level of talent that has earned them a spot in, arguably, one the world’s finest leagues, before shying away from the limelight for a period of time.

Quite often ‘the next big thing’ fails to live up to the hype, with the pressure of the media, fans, and managers hampering their all round-game, and placing the magnifying glass over each mistake made. Although to some extent this is forgivable, with some players suffering injuries, it can still be one of the most annoying aspects of following football.

This list looks at 15 players who consistently flatter to deceive, failing to deliver the potential they so clearly possess, frustrating managers, coaches, fans, and indeed, themselves.

Click on Stephen Ireland to unveil the 15 players who flattered to deceive

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What are your thoughts? Follow @Alex_Hams on Twitter to have your say

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Every now and again the world of technology coughs up something that will change the lives of millions, altering the way in which we engage as a society. The latest in terms of these innovations is the social media tool of Twitter which, since its launch in 2006, has perforated society, gaining the interest of many.

One of the attractive aspects of Twitter is the ability to follow famous figures, who openly tweet about their lives, building an image beyond that we see in magazines and on the television screen. This medium has been adopted my numerous stars of the footballing world over the past few years, enticing the interest of fans across the globe, keen to ‘get to know’ their idols. Although this appears, on the surface, to be a great idea, certain players to make use of the tool have become figures of annoyance, rather than respect.

Achieving a ‘retweet’ or reply from a performer whom you frequently watch can be an exciting and almost surreal experience, bridging the gap between normality and the parallel world of professional football. But, this novelty soon wears off, with their ramblings eventually becoming irritating or a little mundane. Players such as Joey Barton and Jack Wilshere have become what’s known as ‘serial tweeters’ offering their vast followings a looking glass into their lives, whether that be related to the game or not. Barton in particular has become a figure of ridicule for his use of the site, with vast arrays of literary references and controversial statements being made on an almost daily basis. It can be amusing to see various players arguing with others, particularly public figures, but the whole trend of Twitter among footballers is actually having a negative impact on the game.

Mobile phone ‘apps’ have made the act of tweeting an effortless task, with the ability to have your say on the move. So long as your smartphone has the required level of signal, a tweet can be posted often leading to cases of tweet first, think later’. Clubs are attempting to crack down on their players using the site, with some openly criticising decisions made by the manager or the actions of rival players during the match, bringing unwanted attention, but this is ultimately hard to control. It’s sometimes nice to read a player’s immediate reaction to incidents, but if this response shifts blame, it can be frustrating to fans and lose said player a little credibility.

The influence of Twitter is unlikely to disappear for quite some time, with control over players use of the site difficult to maintain. Mexican top-tier outfit Jaguares recently made use of the medium, with players Twitter names, aswell as the accounts of sponsors, being printed on to the shirts, showing a progressive marketing technique. If this catches on the influence of the site may become further tied to the game, and eventually woven into the fabric. It can be refreshing to read the thoughts of star performers, yet as the saying goes, never meet your heroes, and Twitter’s unique interaction ability is slowly proving this to be true.

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What are your thoughts? Comment or follow @Alex_Hams to have your say

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Manchester United made sure not to hand the Premier League title over to rivals Manchester City and take the battle down to the last day with a 2-0 win over Swansea on Sunday.

With the Red Devils level on points but behind on goal difference with their cross-town rivals the emphasis was on an emphatic victory, with Paul Scholes and Ashley Young scoring in the first half.

However, the champions could not add to their tally in the second 45, and are now dependent on QPR getting something from their game against City at the Etihad Stadium on the last day.

Despite being underdogs to lift the crown, Sir Alex Ferguson is refusing to give up hope.

“We have to go there with the right spirit to win the match. You never know,” he told Sky Sports.

“Our responsibility next week is to win the game.

“We’ve got next week. QPR need a point, so you never know. I just wish Sparky (QPR boss Mark Hughes) was playing,” he stated.

In regards to the victory over Swansea, the Scottish trainer felt his team played well and were good value for their win.

“We did what had to do. We won the match. We had a lot of chances. I thought we played very, very well.

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“I was pleased to win the match,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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England crashed out of Euro 2012 as their penalty shoot-out misery continued against Italy in Kyiv setting up a semi-final date with Germany.

It’s the sixth time the Three Lions have exited a major tournament in such fashion and the fourth time at the quarter final stage as Ashley Young and Ashley Cole missed the decisive spot-kicks after holding Cesare Prandelli’s men over 120 minutes.

The Azzurri dominated much of the game and on the balance of play deserved to win in normal time squandering a host of chances with Daniele De Rossi setting the tone early on with a rasping drive from 25-yards that smacked off Joe Hart’s right hand post.

Roy Hodgson’s men were starved of possession in a frenetic opening but soon settled as Glen Johnson’s scooped effort forcing Gianluigi Buffon into a smart save. Wayne Rooney then sent a diving header over the bar before John Terry bailed out his side with a last ditch challenge on Mario Balotelli after he beat the offside trap to latch onto Andrea Pirlo’s lofted pass.

Balotelli then volleyed straight at Manchester City teammate Hart after being found by Riccardo Montolivo’s disguised loop pass before a neat interchange between Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney saw the former screw wide from 18-yards. After the break Italy took over and should have been in front within four minutes as Claudio Marchisio found De Rossi four yards from goal but mis-hit his volley despite having time and space to take a touch.

Hart then palmed a De Rossi drive straight into the patch of Balotelli who was also denied by the keeper before Montolivio fired the second rebound over the bar. Pirlo continued to dictate from a deep lying midfield position as England struggled to get anywhere near the 35-year-old but it was substitute Alessandro Diamanti who came closest to breaking the deadlock clipping the post with a cross-cum-shot. Antonio Nocerino then thought he’d won it six minutes from time after heading into the roof of the net but was correctly denied hero status by the offside flag.

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Extra time passed without incident as the inevitable penalty shoot out loomed for both teams. England looked to be on course for an unlikely victory after taking the lead after the first two rounds but Young rattled the bar before Cole’s tame spot kick was saved by Buffon allowing Diamanti to strike the critical blow to send Italy into the semi finals.