Yahoo News Stoke City team news vs Hull as Narcis Pelach names his first starting XI
Narcis Pelach has made two changes to the Stoke City starting XI from the last league game as he takes charge for the first time.
Jordan Thompson and Lewis Koumas come into the team against Hull in place of Sol Sidibe and injured Lynden Gooch, with Andrew Moran believed to suffered from illness in the last couple of days.
Pelach is expected to line Stoke up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Bae Junho likely to be used in midfield next to Thompson and Wouter Burger. Koumas joins Tom Cannon and Million Manhoef in the forward line.
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Viktor Johansson starts in goal behind a back four of Junior Tchamadeu, Eric Bocat, Ben Wilmot and captain Ben Gibson.
Pelach is expecting a tough game against a Hull side still looking for a first league win under new manager Tim Walter.
He said when he met the press yesterday: "We work on them, we’ve analysed them. They are changing their style a bit from last season with a new coach. They are fluid, they rotate, they are a difficult team to press. They want to have the ball and they are brave enough to try it. They have had more than 60 per cent of possession in some of the games they’ve played but this is just one part of the game. I’m ok as long as we dominate the spaces.
"I prepare the team in the best possible way in my opinion to accept certain elements of the game, when we need to press and when we need to stay and compete in each moment. The game will change and we have to be clever to make sure it goes our way. We will try to do this with staff supporting the players. But it is about us, not about Hull. We have to create energy. It is not just about tactics, it is attitude and energy."
Stoke: Johansson, Tchamadeu, Bocat, Gibson, Wilmot, Thompson, Burger, Junho, Manhoef, Koumas, Cannon.
