Stoke vs. Manchester United: Potters Need a Result to Halt Relegation Form

If Stoke City wants to avoid being relegated, it needs to start by picking up a point against Manchester United.

As soon as the calendar turned over the 2013, the Potters have been woeful in the Premier League. They've lost nine of their last 12 games and won only once. As a result, the club is only three points above the relegation zone, and Wigan, who are in 18th place with 31 points, have a game in hand.

Getting a result against United is a tall order, considering the Red Devils have won seven of their last eight games. But it's the only thing at this point that will help to stem what is the worst form in the league aside from Reading.

Give credit to Tony Pulis for helping to get Stoke City promoted to the Premier League in 2008 and continuing to keep the club up. Conversely, it's also his style that has likely done more to harm Stoke in this poor run than any other one factor.

Bunkering down and playing physical football can be successful in the short term, especially for a club fighting to stay in the Premier League. Over the long term, you have to learn to evolve.

Many have looked at the way Arsene Wenger has maintained the same system at Arsenal as a reason why the club hasn't been more successful in recent years. If it's a problem for a Champions League club like Arsenal, you can guarantee a mid-table club like Stoke will need to add a different dimension.

No Premier League club has scored fewer goals than Stoke. The Potters have only found the back of the net 28 times in 32 games. While not a club to record prolific goal totals, that lack of goals is exacerbated by being in a relegation fight. Playing a physical style with the express purpose of keeping the score low is not the optimal style to pick up critical points.

After United, Stoke has some tough matches that will inevitably affect the race to relegation. The Potters have Norwich City at home and face Queens Park Rangers, Sunderland and Southampton away.

Although Southampton is in a comfortable mid-table position, the Saints are just three points ahead of Stoke. Norwich is only a point ahead, while both Sunderland and QPR are below Stoke in the table.

Losing three matches in a row is a terrible way to go into the five matches that will decide the Potters' place in the Premier League next season.

Reading and QPR will almost certainly be relegated this year. There's too much work to do in too short a time.

Meanwhile, Wigan has built a reputation by escaping at the last moment, and the likes of Aston Villa and Sunderland have built some positive momentum whether via a new manager or young, talented players who are continuing to develop.

That can't be said with Stoke. The club looks to be stuck in quicksand, and the harder it tries to get out, the deeper and deeper it goes.

Getting a point against Manchester United would give a ton of confidence to the Stoke players. On other hand, a crushing loss would affirm that Stoke City is likely on the road toward relegation.

This is not the most important game left for the Potters, but it will prove critical in whether or not the club can stay up.