George Burley has a few team selection headaches before the Stoke City game on Saturday.

George Burley is confident that the corner has been turned and the arrival of Wayne Thomas has shawed up a defence  that was shocking in the opening three games, but what the starting line up will be is still a long way from certain.

In goal Kelvin Davis is sure to start, in truth Bialkowski's confidence is shot to pieces but Davis is the best of a shaky pair at the moment.

In defence its certain that Wayne Thomas will also start and likely that he will be joined in the centre by Darren Powell, this should go a long way in eradicating the errors of the previous games, but he does have a dilemma on both flanks, does he go for Skacel or Vignal on the left or Wright or Ostlund on the right.

My feeling is that he will opt for Skacel as he offers pace and attacking flair down that side, on the right he should realy go for Jesus but he has never left Jermaine Wright out yet when he is fit, so he wont start now.

In midfield despite saying on the Clubs official site that he is short on options, he is in fact blessed with an abundance of them, apart from Skacel and Wright, he has Saffri, Surman, Viafara, Dyer, Licka and Hammill to name but eight, and of course he could also throw in Idiakez when fit or even Simon Gillett, not even to mention that he has played David McGoldrick, some would say how many options does he want there !!!

If he is astute though he will go for Viafara and Saffri in the middle to give us steel and then Surman and Hammill as wide men, both have a different type of wideplay.

Up front its another puzzle as well, Kenwynne Jones is sure to start, assuming that he is still at the Club and George has told us he will be, but who will partner him, Rasiak is in better form than Saganowski but is better away from home than at SMS so i would expect Sagga to get the nod.

As to the game itself Saints will hope that ex Saint Danny Higginbotham either doesnt recover from a niggling injury sustained last week, or is already sold to Sunderland, if that is the case the backbone of Stoke's side who dragged them up into the promotion frame will be gone and Saints will feel that they can get the show back on the road.

But Stoke were mean at SMS last year and it was only a solitary strike by Mario Licka that broke the deadlock, but in many respects Saints are stronger all round now even without Baird and Bale and many good pundits would say that we are better equipped to open up sides that defend at St Mary's, but we shouldnt take Stoke lightly they are a very capable side, as last season there isnt much to choose between top and bottom in this division, the difference come May will be who can remain tight at the back and take their chances, that may decide the game on Saturday as well, as it did last season.

 Saints to win 3-1.      

Photo: Action Images

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