Former Stoke City star Danny Higginbotham has delivered his verdict on the Potters’ survival chances.
Stoke have endured a torrid season which cost Mark Hughes his job and saw Paul Lambert step in from the managerial wilderness.
Second bottom of the Premier League with just seven games remaining, the Potters are facing a tough run-in and must pull a rabbit out of the hat to survive.
Stoke are only three points off safety but crucially have the worst goal difference in the division which could count against them and be worth a point to their rivals come the crunch.
Supporters wanted Hughes out with the Welshman since taking up the manager role at relegation rivals Southampton.
But they face a tall order to survive under Lambert and former defender Danny Higginbotham told Sky Sports Daily he fears the worst for his old club.
“(They are in) huge (trouble),” Higginbotham said on Sky Sports.
“It’s where they are after the Arsenal and Tottenham games, they could find themselves six or seven points adrift and it’s near enough irreversible.
“I think the problem is with Stoke is they’ve not chosen their battles well this season, they’ve been open in far too many games. They’ve not scored enough and conceded far too many.
“Their home form has not been great either and I always say your home form is key to maintaining your position in this league especially when you’re in that bottom half of the table, you only have to look at Brighton and the season that they’re having, lost only three at home all season.
“It’s going to be very tough for Stoke.”
Potters fans will be looking at the games against West Ham, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Swansea as key to any hopes of survival.
But the pressure will be huge on those matches and most of those opponents are also fighting for their lives while Burnley have been one of the teams of the season.
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