The Premier League is finally back this weekend after two and a half months away, as Liverpool kick off their 2015-16 campaign away at Stoke City on Sunday afternoon.

It's a big season for Brendan Rodgers and his charges, with the boss under pressure to succeed after surviving an end-of-season review into the failings of last year.

One big such condemnation of the Northern Irishman was the way in which the Reds ended last season, as a 6-1 humbling at the hands of Stoke on the final day brought the curtain down on a disappointing season.

But after a strong summer transfer window, Liverpool supporters will be hoping to see the likes of Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino help their side hit the ground running as they bid to return to the heights of the Champions League. 

Stoke, meanwhile, have seen a few big incomings and outgoings - with Ibrahim Affelay the most high-profile signing so far for the Potters - as they look to continue their run of top-half finishes.

Ahead of the game, VAVEL Liverpool spoke to Joe Haynes, a Stoke City season ticket holder and Sports Journalist student at Staffordshire University, to get his views on the coming clash.

Joe, who writes for local newspaper The Sentinel and also blogs his thoughts on the Potters for Shoot Magazine, gave us the view from the opposition here:

Q: Last time we spoke, it was prior to the final game of last season, which turned out to be a game that no-one quite expected, as the Potters dominated Liverpool to seal a comprehensive victory. Are you expecting a more even game this time around?

Joe Haynes: The game in May was a fluke result. One I think was deserved on the day, as we were fantastic. Liverpool's poor performance contributed to the heaviness of the defeat also, and unfortunately I can't see it happening again any time soon.  Sunday's game will be completely different. Stoke have lost two key players in Asmir Begovic and in particular Steven Nzonzi over the summer.We know what Jack Butland is capable of but it will be interesting to see how Marco van Ginkel gets on in midfield where Nzonzi was so dominant last season. Liverpool are of course a lot stronger outfit this  season too. I think considering the money paid by Manchester City, Raheem Sterling's departure wasn't all bad for the club, and it's allowed Brendan Rodgers to bring in some talented players. In the 6-1 victory we felt Liverpool were there for the taking. It wasn't your best season and Stoke's league position was cemented so we had nothing to lose. We're certainly in for a completely different encounter this time out.

Q: Going back to that 6-1 game, how happy - in terms of the whole season, given the win solidified a ninth-placed finish - were you?

JH: It was incredible for us. We had an injury hit season with several key players such as  captain Ryan Shawcross, Bojan and Peter Odemwingie missing large periods of the campaign, so to equal the previous seasons league position and break our records points tally was a huge achievement. Being a mid-table sort of side we find that sometimes we'll get defeated in games we are expected to win but then pull off shock victories against top sides. Last season we were defeated at home to Aston Villa, Leicester, Burnley and Crystal Palace but won away at Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and City. We beat yourselves, Arsenal and Spurs at home and drew with Manchester United. We were 3-0 up against Arsenal by half-time and five up against yourselves of course. When you are a side like Stoke you have to accept there's only so high you can finish, so as long as you maintain a respectable position and have some memorable wins it's considered a success.

Q: By contrast, what do you expect from Stoke this season? Can they finish inside the top-ten again, or are you even aiming higher than that?

JH: There's a ceiling. When Mark Hughes was appointed boss we weren't sure what to expect, but he's done a brilliant job. It's important to keep your feet on the ground and not get too carried away. Yes we've had two impressive seasons by our standards but have also lost two huge players over the summer. To get higher than ninth would be incredibly hard. The top six are almost irreplaceable with their rich wealth and teams like Southampton and Swansea deserve huge credit. Both haven't been in the Premier League even half of the time that Stoke have, but they've established themselves brilliantly and deserve all of their plaudits. Anywhere between 8th-12th with a few stand out results and a decent cup run would represent another good season.

Q: Stoke fell to defeat a number of times throughout pre-season, but how beneficial were their preparations on home soil, as well as in Asia and Germany? Are the results necessarily important?

JH: I try my best not to take too much notice of pre-season. Last year we only won one pre-season fixture and failed to beat Blackburn and Burton Albion in the same weekend, but still managed a top ten finish. It started off well for us in Asia with two good displays and some stand out performances, but Germany was a bit of a nightmare. Two defeats in the Colonia Cup and not too much to be positive about. Off the field, it was fantastic for us to go to Singapore. Obviously Liverpool fans have millions of fans all over the world and travel on tour most pre-seasons, but for us to be able to boost our reputation and get our name known in different countries was huge for us. We learned that we have more fans than we think in several countries, so to be involved in the Asia Trophy and gain a few extra supporters for a club of our size was a huge bonus for us.

Q: Has there been any surprising performers in Stoke’s pre-season? Do you expect them to feature regularly this year?

JH: As previously mentioned, we learned one or two interesting things in Germany. New signing Jakob Haguaard was impressive in goal on the tour, and will be really looking to push Jack Butland for the number one shirt throughout the season and coming years. 17-year-old midfielder Oliver Shenton stood out also, in particular against your neighbours Everton. His composure on the ball for such a young lad is brilliant, and being a local makes him even more likeable. Jakob and Olli's time will come, but only in stages this season. Perhaps Shenton might come off the bench a few times and Haguaard will start some cup games, but not regularly in the Premier League. Marko Arnautovic is very much a stop-start player but he looked up for the new season. If he's on his game he'll be a huge player for us over the next ten months or so. Geoff Cameron was impressive in Germany also, and his versatility in defence could be important considering our defensive frailties at the moment. Other than that, not anybody that you don't normally expect to perform well.

Q: Stoke are potentially dealing with a number of injuries ahead of the game, how will that affect Mark Hughes’ side? Could Liverpool exploit your side’s absences?

JH: Certainly. The main absentee is captain Ryan Shawcross, who has been a regular every season since our promotion seven years ago. Around Christmas time he picked up a back injury against QPR, and when he's managed to play since he hasn't looked the same. It was revealed earlier on in the week he's going to see a specialist and may potentially need surgery, so that's a huge worry for us. Another centre-back Marc Wilson came off against Porto on Sunday with a niggle as did Arnautovic, but it was said to be a precaution and they are expected to be available on Sunday.  I remember looking at Liverpool's team sheet in May and thinking 'there's no striker on the pitch' and not really feeling threatened by the names on your side of the team sheet, but after some good business in the summer you'll certainly be a lot bigger threat going forward this time out and you can certainly exploit our defensive weaknesses at the back. I still think Liverpool could be better defensively though, I’m not sure what the fans think. I don't think a no-nonsense solid centre-half would go amiss.

Q: In addition, how big are the losses of players such as Asmir Begovic and Steven Nzonzi to the Stoke side?

JH: Asmir was solid for a number of years, however the last campaign wasn't his best and he didn't leave on great terms. Despite that, he's an outstanding keeper who deserves a chance at the very top, and we wish him all the best at Chelsea. There's huge faith in Jack Butland around the club though, from players and fans alike. He played a few games at the back end of last season and really impressed. Nzonzi will be the major miss. He was a midfield maestro for us over a number of seasons, but last campaign he took it to a different level. He's been threatening to leave for a few years so we saw it coming, and I feel he's worth much more than the £7 million we received for him.  Marco van Ginkel has huge boots to fill and it'll be interesting to see how he copes playing week-in, week-out in the top division. Despite losing some good players, we've bought some in too, so it's not all bad.

Q: Stoke have also seen a number of strong additions, including ex-Barcelona forward Ibrahim Afellay, how pleased are you with your side’s business so far this summer? 

JH: Very. I feel we could do with a couple more, but there's still time yet. From a fans perspective it's really nice to see some ambition, and this summer we have managed to sign two players from Barcelona, an ex-Real Madrid forward and Madrid's current youth captain. Alongside that, Hughes has been in the mix for names such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Yevhan Konoplyanka and Andriy Yarmolenko since the window opened. He has revealed this week Stoke remain in the chase for a 'superstar' name, which is great to hear. The club's development over the last couple of season has been fantastic, and to be trying to sign players of that calibre is exciting. Another centre-half and a right winger make it a perfect window in my eyes, but with time left it's so far so good.

Q: One of your summer signings is former Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson. Were you happy with the addition of the experienced England international?

JH: In all honesty, it wasn't one I expected. I'm a big Phil Bardsley fan and didn't expect another right-back to come in considering we already had Geoff Cameron as cover. He hasn't looked fit at all so far throughout pre-season. I've never really been a fan of Glen Johnson, but considering he's played for clubs such as yourselves and Chelsea alongside caps at International level, he must have something about him. He never seems shy to get forward which is good to see. I don't think he'll be fit enough to make his debut on Sunday but we'll have to see. We were involved in the long battle for Cedric Soares' signature who unfortunately for us ended up at Southampton. He looks a top player, and I'd of much preferred him to Johnson. I'll give him a chance though, you've got to give him time to get fit and have a run of games then we can see how he's getting on.

Q: Alternatively, what have you made of Liverpool’s business over the summer? 

JH: Rodgers has made some good signings. Obviously you are limited to who you can attract due to the absence from the Champions League, but there's been some strong additions. I've always rated James Milner, any squad needs a player like him. He's a guaranteed eight out of 10 at least every week and he works his socks off. I originally thought £32.5 million was a lot of money to pay for Christian Benteke and wasn't sure if he would fit Rodgers' style of play, but I guess time will tell. I certainly think it's a gamble. Roberto Firmino looks like a top talent, I think he'll do well this season. Danny Ings is an interesting gamble also. As I've mentioned I still think there's questions over Liverpool defensively, particularly in the middle of the back line. It's okay having ball players but there seems to be a lack of John Terry-like centre-halves at the club that are proper no-nonsense defenders and are willing to put their body on the line. Nathaniel Clyne at full-back is a very good signing though. Johnson out and Clyne in isn't a bad little swap at all. He'll hopefully become an important part of the England set up over the coming years as he has bags of potential. The summer signings certainly make you a stronger opponent than you were in May, that's for sure.

Q: How important would an opening day win over Liverpool, and the resulting three points, be to Stoke? 

JH: It's important to remember the Premier League is a marathon and not a sprint, it'll be decided over 38 games and not the opener, but nevertheless an opening day victory is ideal, and one against a side like Liverpool can really boost confidence. We travel to Spurs the following weekend which is another tough fixture, so I'm sure Mark Hughes will be telling the players to take advantage of being on home soil and what no doubt will be a fantastic atmosphere. I noticed Liverpool have been handed a nasty seven opening away games, and Rodgers will probably see Stoke, albeit tough, as the most winnable. We lost to Villa at home on the opening day last season so it won't define anything overall, but of course it's nice to have a strong start to build you confidence going into the rest of the campaign.

Q: Who will be your side’s biggest threat on Sunday? Is Bojan fit enough to cause the problems he caused when he found form last season?

JH: Depending on fitness and team selection, I would probably say Marko Arnautovic. He tends to start seasons slow and grow into them, but in pre-season he has looked like he's really up for it. He was immense in the game in May, and if he can reproduce that kind of form on Sunday then it could be key to us getting a result. I think patience will be the key with Bojan. I'm not sure if he'll be ready to start, but after such a long injury it's important not to expect too much too soon. It would be interesting to see Ibrahim Afellay start, he's not really had a proper spell in a first team at a club yet and Mark Hughes is really good at reigniting players' careers, as he's done with Afellay's former Barca team-mates Bojan and Marc Muniesa.

Q: Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino may make their first-team debuts at the Britannia, but are there any other Liverpool players whom you think the Stoke defence should be particularly worried about? 

JH: Those two in particular will be a huge threat. I think Nathaniel Clyne also. Despite being a full-back he likes to get down towards the oppositions penalty area, and that's something we need to watch out for. Philippe Coutinho really is a special player, and he's a joy to watch. He can pick out almost impossible passes and is more than capable of striking from distance, so it's important we close him down quickly when he has the ball or even double up on him to prevent him causing too much damage. I'm not sure if Danny Ings will get game time, but he scored a brace at the Britannia Stadium for Burnley last year so we're more than aware of what he can produce.

Q: Also, are there any areas of the Stoke squad Liverpool could look to exploit? 

JH: With our defensive issues, I'm not sure until the managers' press conference on Thursday who is going to be available at the back, but with Liverpool's added attacking talent I think they could be dangerous, particularly on the break. A few teams have scored against Stoke from crosses and through balls throught pre-season, so perhaps the centre of defence is an area you could look to expose. If Coutinho can find space and pick out a pass through the middle of the back line, you could cause problems there.

Q: Finally, what is your prediction for the game?

JH: I don't think either team will want to lose on the opening day. I'm hoping defensive issues on both sides might produce a few goals, so I'll go for a 2-2 draw.

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.