There is a real degree of uncertainty about both of these clubs right now. Stoke just recently sacked their manager Steven Schumacher, in what was a surprising move at the time, whereas Hull are still adjusting to life under their own new manager, Tim Walter, and they are yet to win any match since he came in.

Therefore, every encounter they fail to win is getting more and more important. Nevertheless, there are still some encouraging signs with these two teams that suggest they can play their part in an entertaining spectacle on Friday night.

It has been suggested Schumacher was dismissed to try and make the team more entertaining. They’ve only scored three league goals this season and have been under-performing compared to their xGF, so from here on they should look to be a little more bolder in their style, which may lead to more goals, but could catch them out defensively, too.

As for Hull, they play from the back in such a high-risk manner that it often only takes one bad pass or more control that it gives the opposition a great scoring opportunity. The Tigers are also under-performing on their xGF, so should’ve had a few more goals to their name. There was enough in the Sheffield United defeat to suggest their scoring troubles aren’t far away from vast improvement.

It has been an inconsistent start to the season from Stoke overall but one shining light they have had within their ranks is tricky winger Million Manhoef. He has taken some time to settle into the club after joining last season, but now Potters supporters are starting to see the best of him.

In league action, he is top of the list for City in relation to number of shots on goal, and by a fair distance as well. He only has one Championship goal to show for his efforts, but he is clearly someone who will keep going and going in every match.

Across his five Championship appearances in 2024/25, in which he has played 80 minutes or longer in them all, the Netherlands Under-21 international is averaging 2.60 shots per game and even averaged 1.40 on target.

He is a left-footed player on the right side, which can often mean a tricky day for the opposing full-back, and he is just the player to put his opposing number into all kinds of trouble through his neat close control and silky skill, plus he clearly has the appetite to score more goals. With a new manager soon to come into the team, Manhoef will be eager to impress and let everyone know what he is all about.

Also, he is a relatively selfish player as well, which is no bad thing regarding this particular bet.

Tom Cannon was a late signing for the club prior to the transfer window closing and despite the change of manager he is still expected to be the man to lead the attacking line for now. The Republic of Ireland international has only had one league appearance since departing Leicester City on loan, and he is still building his match fitness after arriving following no club minutes this season beforehand.

However, any striker will be desperate to score quickly after moving clubs and knowing how Hull play a high-risk style from the back it should open up some avenues for him to have some notable scoring opportunities on Friday. He is an energetic player and will give the opposition little time on the ball without pressing at speed.

He didn’t show his true potential on his Potters debut in the Oxford defeat and may have just needed that to blow away the cobwebs. Now he has had more training under his belt and greater time with his teammates to really settle into his new surroundings, meaning he can now focus on scoring goals once again.

Only Plymouth and Portsmouth have conceded more shots against their own goal compared to Hull in this league, so all Stoke players should be relishing the prospect of this fixture based on that fact alone.

Big things are expected of Bae Jun-ho and he is very much a player to keep an eye on. His season has been disrupted by injury early into the campaign but things have settled down in that regard, meaning it is all systems go for the talented South Korean.

Ex-manager Steven Schumacher had built the team around him and there is no reason why the next boss shouldn’t do the same, and he has seemed to appreciate this extra responsibility and he should only improve now he is settling down to football in this country and at this level.

He celebrated his 21st birthday last month but he is still seeking a first Championship goal of the season, so he’ll be keen to get that monkey off his back as soon as possible. Once more, he is another energetic character who will thrive on pressing high against a Hull side who, as we know, will take plenty of chances in possession.

He is already averaging 5.69 ball recoveries in the opponent’s half in league action, and that is without playing Hull, so if anything he should be achieving more on Friday, which will increase the likelihood of him getting shots away on goal.

In a summer of change at Hull City in terms of incomings and outgoings in the playing squad, certainly amongst the standout deals made by the club was to lure Liam Millar to MKM Stadium. He made a strong impression at this level whilst on loan at Preston last season with ten goal contributions in league action, so it was a no-brainer decision.

That temporary stint at Deepdale is all the more impressive considering he did despite mainly playing in a less-than-familiar wing-back role. Although he has yet to break his duck so far, he has been knocking at the door.

The tricky winger is averaging 2.00 shots per game in all competitions for his new team and when you consider he didn’t have a pre-season with them, it is a good framework for him to build upon and he will only improve in the coming weeks.

With Stoke experiencing a managerial change this week, in what has been a hectic period for the players, it could be a fairly disrupted display from The Potters. It is difficult to know exactly what to expect from them, but they almost certainly won’t be at their best. It will be different instructions given to the team than what they’ve been used to and a tricky individual like Millar could expose this.

He is incredibly forward-thinking and difficult to stop in his stride, plus he will have a strong determination to score given he is yet to do so since transferring from FC Basel.

If there is a player that needs a goal then it is Chris Bedia. The Ivorian joined the club not so long ago from Union Berlin in search of more regular football. He is now getting that with the English club, but the next port of call for him is to get a goal. However, he last found the back of the net in May, which came in a Bundesliga fixture for his former club.

Even more worryingly, that remains his only goal in the whole of 2024. Whilst it could be argued injuries and a lack of game time are valid reasons as to why, it doesn’t hide from the fact this is a desperate striker, knowing he will be judged by goals. He has the striker shirt for now at Hull but he’ll be aware that keeping it won’t be so easy if he doesn’t contribute in the final third. Also, he’ll be keen to repay the faith shown in him by manager Tim Walter.

The 28-year-old has now made three appearances since linking up with Hull, coming off the bench in the first and starting the most recent two. Last time out versus Sheffield United, he did have two shots, suggesting he is slowly but surely improving in his performance outlay. This is most likely due to requiring time to settle into new surroundings, as well as understanding the tactical game plan and seeing what his manager wants from him.

This should bode well for him and if he can keep getting in the right areas then he should continue to threaten the opposition goal.

In Championship action in 2024/25, Stoke are averaging 4.37 corners earned per 90 minutes. This is just slightly below the league average in this particular category, but the change of manager and possible alternation of tactical approach this week could lead to them earning more set pieces of this nature.

Naturally, there should be a bit of a buzz around the stadium and the players will be especially eager to impress. This in turn could see them attack with more zest and spirit, plus Stoke will look to be a little more intricate in their approach with neat through balls into the box from tight angles, which could increase the usual corner count for them.

Also, only seven other clubs in the division are conceding a higher number of corners than Hull are doing so. In fact, their matches are seeing a high number of corners in terms of corners earned and conceded combined, so there always has to be a case for plenty of these whenever they are involved.

They themselves are seeing their opponent earn roughly 6.00 corners per league encounter, meaning Stoke to take the most corners looks a viable option.