Home to Hull this weekend and there is no reason we should not be looking forward to a win but would love to win this with a clean sheet.
I am hopeful of a victory tomorrow and a clean sheet will be welcome but the 3pts is the most important in my opinion. Looks like Ryan is still sidelined but Pieters is expected to play I think. Hull have been playing better recently and have moved out of the bottom three. It won't be easy (never is with Stoke) but there is no reason not to get a result. 4 pts from these next two home games hopefully.
A couple of weeks ago I would have said a nailed on win, but they have found a little firm and we are blighted with injuries. A clean sheet would be nice, 3 points would be great.
Not a great game, apparently, but we got the 3 pts and kept a clean sheet. Crouchie equals the record of scoring headers in the PL. Hopefully we push on now to try and better last season's points total and league placing. Well done.
I was there and it was a game Hull intended not to concede a goal , from the off they were playing for time ; each Hull goal kick took too much time , it was not until they went behind did I realise their goalie could run. They played so deep , stifling the game , that it was not good to watch as we struggled to create much. The main comments about the game have to be how poor the ref. and linesmen were , not for the first time at Stoke this season. They spoiled what there was in the game. It was the kind of match that shows how important Crouchy is to us. He will need to be replaced eventually. Shame for Ireland , the only good thing from this game was the three points.
It looked like they were playing 5 at the back on MOTD, they came for a point and got nowt, bit like us away under Pulis.
It's interesting that the standard of officiating is being questioned in general by pretty much all of the clubs.
Tough game today, not sure we did enough against a very good side but very disappointed to have gifted them the two goals. It's a probably a point dropped in reality and after being very unfortunate against CP we have lost the momentum we had before the break. I have wiped my memory of the West Brom game!
Until we get all our players back and get a few games under our belt I think it's going to be a tough start to the season!
I'll be happier when shawcross is back in the defence and there is know way we should have let Huth go. I don't know what happened against West brom but it sounded harsh.
JM...if Shawcross is first team fit by December, that would be one hell of an achievement. Fingers crossed that I am mistaken. ps...who is that rubbish keeper for Chelsea ?