Two teams with relatively new managers go head to head on Saturday in this one, with Steven Schumacher leading Stoke into the game, and Tony Mowbray having his second game as manager of Birmingham. Both are in the bottom half, shouldn't be in the relegation battle, but a bad month or so would probably put them in there.
Stoke City Form GuideI think the move by Stoke to bring Steven Schumacher to the club will ultimately work out as a good one, but he was brought in when the team was in trouble, though he's quickly managed to pull them clear and they are now 10 points clear of the relegation zone, with four teams below them who are also outside.
They've gone on a run of five league games unbeaten, winning two and drawing three of them. That's given them some breathing room, and I am looking forward to seeing what Schumacher can do moving forward. They won their last game, beating Rotherham 1-0 away from home, and in their league game before that, drew 0-0 at home to high flying Ipswich, a good result given their position in the standings.
Birmingham Form GuideTony Mowbray has come into Birmingham football club to replace the sacked Wayne Rooney, and Mowbray is the third manager to take charge of this team, after John Eustace was sacked earlier in the season. It's remarkable that we're at this point already, the third manager in six months.
His first game in charge resulted in a draw, 2-2 at home to Swansea. They've also played in the FA Cup since then, and won 2-1 at home to Hull, a solid effort against a team in the top half. I like what Birmingham have, and it is going to be fascinating to see if Mowbray can bring the best out in them.
Match PredictionI'm expecting a tight game here, I think both improve, but with Schumacher having more time to get his work into the team, and the fact they have home advantage, I am going to side with Stoke to win this game.
