GIVEN that the league cup is the only major trophy Stoke have won, getting to the quarter finals of that competition has a special meaning to the club's fans.

We have passed the first and probably the most important test of this week.

Next up is the small matter of trip to play Manchester United in their own backyard.

Apparently they are not playing that well, which means that they should still be good enough to win games against most teams.

Tony Pulis is far too smart to think that poor recent form is a good thing for his team.

It could work the other way. After losing to Arsenal, the best way to shut critics up would be to put on a barnstorming display.

If Cristiano Ronaldo is up for the game, Danny Higginbotham will face a long day against his former club.

And it will be a massive test of the growing maturity shown by another former Red, Ryan Shawcross.

So long as we are not hammered, we have nothing to lose from this fixture. Anything less than a defeat wins us plaudits.

Bring it on.