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Stoke City vs Barnsley preview: 3 players to watch

By Matt Bernstein

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Steven Fletcher of Stoke City shoots under pressure from Jordan Williams of Barnsley during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Barnsley at Bet365 Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Stoke on Trent, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Steven Fletcher of Stoke City shoots under pressure from Jordan Williams of Barnsley during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Barnsley at Bet365 Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Stoke on Trent, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images) /
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Players to watch for Stoke City vs Barnsley: #3 Jordan Thompson

Jordan Thompson
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: Jordan Thompson of Stoke City in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday at Bet365 Stadium on February 16, 2021 in Stoke on Trent, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus) /

Jordan Thompson deserves some praise for his play this season. After joining the Potters from Blackpool last January, the midfielder has been in and out of the lineup and has had to compete with a number of veteran players and younger players for minutes. With two straight starts for Stoke, it’s clear that his play has been favorable for Michael O’Neill which says a lot since he has come in to replace veteran John Obi Mikel.

Watching Thompson play, he’s a very decisive distributor. He’s not afraid to move play forward quickly which helps keep defenders honest. He is also a willing defender and has better pace than other midfielders for Stoke, mainly Mikel and Allen. Finally, though I don’t think it’s the best part of his game, he does have some set piece ability, though I think Clucas is a much better player in that department.

Going into Wednesday’s matchup, Thompson should have earned himself another start. It’s clear that the Allen and Thompson combination has worked better than Allen and Mikel so it will be interesting to see if O’Neill keeps the pair together or instead looks to get Mikel, Cousins, and Clucas involved. Having just won two in a row with this combo I would predict that we see them again. Not only did Thompson look good, but Allen was noticeably better and had a memorable cross for Powell’s late goal. Possibly the biggest part of Stoke’s ability to go on a late season run is for better overall midfield play so consistent starts for in-form players should be a priority. We should be hoping to see Thompson in the starting XI on Wednesday.

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