Question is, do we try to match Stoke and adjust our team to neutralize their strengths (i.e. Stoke plays a lot of long-ball, so let's put Skrtel at RB, Carroll up front, maybe Spearing in midfield), or do we try to impose our game on them? There is no right or wrong answer in principle. It entirely depends on how strong and mature "your" game is at the moment.
For instance, Barcelona has an exceptionally strong and mature game; they've been perfecting it for a long time, they know they will be able impose it practically on any team, even at the most hostile away grounds. So the amount of adjustments they have to make for their opponents is minimal. They know that if they just play their game, there is not much the other team can do about that.
That's the ideal we should be striving for. And we are on the right path; Kenny has brought back a recognizable style of LFC football and, judging by how fast the players have caught on, he is exceptionally clear and effective in communicating to the players how he wants them to play. Still, we are not Barca yet; the core of this new team is only beginning to take shape and more then half of our starters we playing for different clubs last season. So, a classic "difficult" fixture like away at Stoke will force Kenny to look for a delicate balance between trusting the strength and resilience of his team's game and being wary of what the opponent can do. And he has to get it just right; overconfidence in your own team will surely be punished (like Arsenal in recent years would always get pushed around at Bolton; Wenger is a classic example of a manager who is preoccupied with his own team and disregards the opposition to the point of arrogance), while adjusting to every opponent (like Rafa at times seemed to do) would make it impossible to nurture and develop your own game, which is after all the ultimate goal. You could say it's a balance between short-term and long-term.
We can make our guesses, but only someone with a real "feel" for the team and intimate understanding of the inner team dynamics can hope to get this delicate balance right. I can't wait for the game; I think Kenny's choice of lineup and tactics might be very telling about how much confidence he has in this team at this stage. And of course the result and the course of events during the match will show if his choice was justified.
