Zakuani: Stoke Will Grind Their Way To Survival

After experiencing life at Stoke last season, Gabby Zakuani is confident that the Potters have got what it takes to stay in the top-flight.

“Looking at the Premiership season, I don’t think my old loan team Stoke will go down this season. Their game play is a bit different. I can see them grinding out results. They may not be a team the purists would pay to watch but they’re a hardworking team.

“They’ll be very difficult to beat at home, especially with the couple of summer additions – Dave Kitson and Seyi Olofinjana. Stoke get loads of crosses in from Liam Lawrence so Kitson should get a few goals. Ricardo Fuller’s another one to watch. They have exciting players, and they’ve got players who work hard too. Tony Pulis’ gift is getting the best out of players who may not be so well rated.

“West Brom might beat the drop too. They’ve been up and down from the Premiership in recent years so they’ll have learnt their lesson. I think they’ll have just enough to stay in.

“I’d tip Portsmouth to be the surprise package this year. They won the FA Cup and they’re in Europe this year. They just might break into the top four.”

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