‘Everybody is surprised’ – Bilic makes admission about Stoke ahead of clash v West Brom
West Brom manager Slaven Bilic has admitted that he is “surprised” by Stoke’s form in the opening few months of the Championship season ahead of his side travelling to the Potteries on Monday night.
Albion go into the game knowing that a victory against managerless Stoke at the Bet365 Stadium will see them return to the top of the table while keeping their Midlands rivals rooted to the bottom.
Although Stoke have won just two of their 14 league matches this season, Bilic still expects the Staffordshire club to put up a fight on Monday.
“Everybody is surprised with Stoke’s league position. They are surprised and we are all surprised,” Bilic said, as quoted by West Brom’s official website.
“Stoke is a massive club. They are not a massive club that said ‘let’s be okay in the league and wait for a few years’ – they were there to fight for promotion.
“They have improved. What is significant for us is they have picked up points against the teams that are in better form than they are. They picked up the points against Swansea and against Fulham at home.
“That is a big warning for us that we absolutely have to be good in every aspect of the game, and that is it.”
West Brom picked up six points off Stoke in their two meetings against their Midlands rivals last season and recent fixtures between the two sides have mainly gone in the way of the Baggies.
Albion have won six, drawn two and lost one of their last nine matches against the Potters, who had held the upper hand between the two for some time.
Before Graham Dorrans’ late winner away at Stoke in 2011, West Brom had gone 10 matches without a win in the fixture.
West Brom fans will no doubt be hoping for something similar to happen on Monday night to help them back to the top of the table after drawing their last two games.
In other West Brom news, Bilic is predicted to make one change to his starting line-up against Stoke.