Yahoo Sport 
How Sky got the wrong man while Stoke City exiles prove their worth elsewhere
Ahead of the return of Championship football this weekend, Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton have taken time out to select their team of the season so far.
Right from the off, it is only fair to state that no players from Stoke City feature - but there is one who arguably should have done, plus two former Potters who are now strutting their stuff to impressive effect at second tier rivals.
Few fans would argue that goalkeeper Viktor Johansson has been Stoke’s number one player so far this season, winning numerous plaudits and impressing in game after game, but particularly at Blackburn on November 6.
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In fact, so good has the Sweden international been this season that he could reasonably claim to have been better than Michael Cooper, the Sheffield United stopper who makes the Sky Sports line-up.
For the record, the summer recruit from Plymouth has apparently claimed the most crosses of any goalkeeper in the Championship (21) - but it is doubtful whether he has saved the Blades as many times as Johansson has come to Stoke’s rescue.
Former Leeds and Nottingham Forest midfielder Prutton adds in his testimony: “He's part of a very solid back section for Sheffield United. He's come in and asserted himself, which as a new goalkeeper at a team is always tough. But he's saved them bundles of points so far, and is a big part of why they've been so miserly at the back.”
Er, ditto Big Vik, Mr Prutton!
As for the Stoke old boys to get a mention, one is defender Harry Souttar, on loan with the Blades from Leicester City and proving what an excellent player he is.
Big Soutts played 61 times for the Potters before being sold to Leicester in January 2023 for a reported £15m, and he has apparently won 79.7 per cent of his aerial duels this season, more than any other centre-back in the Championship.
Prutton says of him: He's been both figuratively and literally statuesque for them at the back. They've got a real familiarity and reliance there, and that breeds confidence. I'm also very old fashioned in that if you've got a player who's that tall, you stick him up front or in defence.”
Finally, Josh Maja gets a mention in the striker category. Another in a long line of Stoke forwards who suddenly lost the power to score once he joined the Potters, Maja is now on fire at West Brom, where he has the best shot conversion rate (26.5 per cent) in the Championship and has bagged nine goals in 15 games this season. That is all a far cry from his one goal for Stoke in 15 games in 2022 while on loan from Bordeaux.
Prutton says: “The decks have been cleared a little for him at West Brom, and he's scoring goals for fun. It's not rocket science to say if you're on the pitch more then you're more likely to score goals. But he's done that, and he's been ably assisted by very good players around him.”
