In celebration of the final year at Upton Park, we'll be chatting to fans - home and away - ahead of every Premier League match played at the famous East London ground this season.

This week, West Ham take on Mark Hughes' Stoke City.

Representing the Hammers, we have Geo Mackie of HammersChat.com, and for the visitors we have Jason Martin of Potters fansite 4-2-3-1 Stoke.

What’s the feeling among the fans on how your clubs are getting on at the moment?

Geo: It's all about injuries. Performance-wise we have not won in five now, which is worrying - but we were unlucky not to win at Old Trafford and I've not heard that since we won there last!

Injuries have overshadowed our form though, with Reid out alongside regulars Moses, Payet, Lanzini and Sakho.

A decent enough draw in the FA Cup this week means we may change priorites for the season very soon.

Jason: It’s a really odd thing. Before last week it was a fairly standard start to the season under Hughes with a few berating the lack of goals and saying that we’ll never progress beyond mid-table.

However, following the public execution of Man City on BT Sport, suddenly everyone is really optimistic. This is now the best side we’ve ever had, we’re finally clicking and no one’s really sure where we’ll go from here. One point currently separates West Ham and Stoke in the table. How crucial is this weekend’s clash towards both sides’ top-six ambitions?

Geo: Before the season both sides were probably looking at the middle third of the table and aiming to top that section in order to close the gap on the regular six.

They are both well on course to do that with the two sides now containing players considered 'too good' for them, but that reflects the pull of the Premier League.

Both sides are coming in off good results, with Stoke blowing City away last week and if there is a winner on Saturday, it could signal who is currently slightly the stronger of the two.

Jason: Top six? You’re being kind! We’d take top eight here, let alone six.

Back to your point though, I don’t actually think it’s an important fixture this early on and won’t mean too much beyond the final whistle.

This is set up perfectly for Stoke to falter and come away with nothing, only to slaughter Manchester United in a couple weeks’ time. It’s turning into a bizarre season for us, where we win as underdogs and struggle with the rest!

This season, we’ve seen both sides record victories over ‘bigger clubs’ but suffer defeat against sides that they’d be expected to beat. Why have they seemed to relish playing as underdogs yet often falter as favourites?

Geo: Both teams have creativity and pace in attack which can cause any defence problems in the Premier League, not just in the starting team but on the bench too - when fully fit.

Bigger sides come up against West Ham and Stoke, and play their usual game which gives us room to counter and it's worked perfectly for both sides.

Neither team are weak from set pieces either but in games where we are expected to win, the opposition are a lot more compact and West Ham have struggled to break sides down in these cases.

Jason: There’s a few reasons in all honesty. Early on it was due to an experimental side, with Hughes trying the likes of 4-1-4-1 to integrate as many new signings in as possible with very little luck.

Another reason is odd team selections, and subs in particular, killing off games where we’re chasing wins and - on paper at least - not matching up the best players to the opposition.

Walters against Sunderland’s physical back three was a key example, while the lightning-quick Diouf was left to linger on the bench kicking his heels.

Finally, it’s our inability to break down a defence that is set up to be impenetrable.

Stoke have succeeded at beating sides who come to attack and leave more space, but as soon as a side can defend and sit in a solid unit around their area, play grinds to a halt and few chances are created, let alone taken.

With West Ham currently unbeaten in their last five at Upton Park, is the sense of occasion around the club’s final year at Upton Park giving the side extra motivation to perform in front of their home crowd?

Geo: A tough one! Certainly for the fans it is extra motivation and some of the players, but we need to be realistic. To some players - not just at West Ham - football is their job.

While Noble and Tomkins understand what it means and will probably show emotion after the Swansea game, along with some players that have bought into the West Ham way - Adrian, for example - I think some players may not feel it as much as others.

And it's understandable - you just have to look to the Spurs away game. Little passion was shown in that side and that is one of the biggest, most meaningful fixtures in the season for the fans.

But one thing we do have is a manager and side-kick in Julian Dicks who will understand what it means, as well as fans in the boardroom. 

Jason: Quite possibly. I think after all the injury troubles that have hit them in recent weeks - believe us, we know the pain from last season - the players will need to put in a performance to lift the fans’ spirits going into the festive fixtures.

It’s got all the hallmarks of a banana-skin for Stoke, so I’m not overly confident ahead of the weekend’s showdown.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s match, who do you identify as the danger man in the opposition?

Geo: Their front four were fantastic against City. Enough to make any West Ham fan worry but to pick one out I'd have to go with Arnautovic.

He got two goals last weekend and could have had more, he has scored against us in the past and plays on the left where you could argue our right back, Jenkinson, if he plays, is the weak spot.

It could be a tough watch, that battle. 

Jase: West Ham, much like ourselves, have evolved into quite an exciting and unpredictable side of late.

However I still think the main man to fear will be the direct nature of Andy Carroll, who can beat anyone in the air and will be deadly if he has supply.

What does your team need to do to make sure they come away with the three points?

Geo: We need to play to Carroll's strengths more. Unfortunately Stoke are the best in the league defensively, keeping plenty of clean sheets and Shawcross will be confident about keeping Andy quiet - in fact he will probably be relishing it.

I wouldn't fancy going a goal down against this Stoke side and trying to get back into it as we have had to do this season.

Bilic has slim pickings for his team selection this weekend and that could be a big test in terms of what he has planned for Stoke.

One thing we should do is dominate the middle of the park with Song, Kouyate and Noble and maybe that's where we can control the game and win it.

Jason: Carry on where we left off from last weekend. Be fast, fearless and incisive in attack.

There needs to be lots of movement particularly in the final third. But more importantly it’s not what we do, it’s how West Ham set up that will be crucial to our performance.

With several meetings between the sides at Upton Park over the years, can you pick out any favourite memories?

Geo: I'm too young for any real classics between these sides. Not that long ago it was a Sam Allardyce versus Tony Pulis fixture which generally meant poor entertainment levels.

But we beat them 3-1 in the League Cup after extra time a few seasons ago and any cup game at the Boleyn under the lights has a special feel to it. Jason: There can only be one - Ricardo Fuller. Picking the ball up from a throw in, he twisted and turned and led West Ham on a merry dance into the six-yard box before crashing it past the keeper.

Still one of Stoke fans’ greatest goals in the Premier League and a testament to the genius that was Ricardo Fuller.

Any not so fond memories?

Geo: I made the journey down for this fixture couple of seasons ago when we got beat 1-0 thanks to a late Jermaine Pennant goal.

Being from Aberdeen, it's a trek to a home game for me and for me it wasn't the best afternoon.

Away from Upton Park, it's hard to forget Etherington's dive against us in the FA Cup in 2011!

Jason: Again, Ricardo Fuller. This time it was slapping our captain Andy Griffin back in December 2008 following an argument about a goal that was conceded early in the second half.

Fuller got his marching orders and Stoke slumped to a 2-1 defeat. Which player from the opposition, from any era, would you have most wanted to play for your club?

Geo: Their current crop is all I can choose from, as in recent years there hasn't been much flair, just hard-working players that grind out results.

I'm not going to select a player from the past that I've never seen, as that wouldn't feel right.

But if I had one player we could sign in January from Stoke, as tempting as it is to say England's future No. 1 Jack Butland, I admire Bojan and he is the type of player who could help fill the 55,000 seats at the Olympic Stadium next season. 

Jason: Frank Lampard would have been perfect as a goal-scoring No. 10 in the Hughes era, so I would have loved to have him in the current Stoke side.

If you could select from both full squads, what would your joint West Ham-Stoke starting line-up look like?

Geo: (4-2-3-1) Adrian, Cresswell, Reid, Shawcross, Johnson, Song, Kouyate, Shaqiri, Payet, Lanzini, Bojan.

Jason: (4-2-3-1) Butland, Johnson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters, Kouyate, Payet, Shaqiri, Bojan, Arnautovic, Carroll.

And finally, what’s your prediction for this Saturday’s encounter?

Geo: Tough to say this, but 1-0 Stoke. I think the task is too big this weekend but we have winnable fixtures up ahead. Stoke are a fantastic side, it will be a tight game with two good teams out but I fear our bench might struggle to change the game. Arnautovic to score. 

Jason: We’ll be expected to win, so we’ll probably lose. 1-0 to West Ham, Carroll header.

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