Stoke City v QPR - Match Thread

Venue: Britannia Stadium
Date: 19.11.2011
Kick off Time: 15:00

Just thought I'd get this underway. I had expected to be done before now but here it is. Keep the content clean lads and ladettes.

Big game for Stoke after a string of poor performances recently, culminating in the disgraceful performances against Newcastle and Bolton. QPR will come to Stoke with confidence after impressing against Man City. I expect QPR to come hard at us and it will be a test of our brittle defence.

I'd like to see Tone go with this but there's no chance he will:

Sorensen

Wilkinson-Shawcross-Huth-Higginbotham

Pennant-Whitehead-Palacios-Etherington

Walters

Jones

I reckon it will be this instead:

Begovic

Wilkinson-Shawcross-Floodgate-Higginbotham

Pennant-Delap-Whelan-Etherington

Crouch

Walters

 

Sgt, I wonder if TP will be brave enough to go with Huth and ShawX in the middle of the back 4. I think his stubborness will mean he won't. I also can't see him leaving Crouch out. As I said in the Sorrenson/Begovic thread I am looking forward to what TP will do. One thing is certain - we need 3pts but we may have to settle for 1pt. Let's hope everyone is up for it and we do win.

 

I know he won't and if utilised properly I'd start Crouch most games but the way we're playing Crouch lately, it just doesn't suit him.

 

evening lads,I was waiting till the internationals were over.
but let the banter begin

 

Rory and Gerry's take on the game:

http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~2516767,00.html?

RORY DELAP has warned Queens Park Rangers to beware of the wounded animal as Stoke City aim to bounce back from their defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

The experienced midfielder and his team-mates were on the receiving end of one of their heaviest Premier League defeats at the Reebok Stadium nine days ago following a performance that the 35-year old acknowledged was "totally unacceptable."

However, Delap believes that victory over Premier League new boys QPR at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday would provide the perfect tonic for all concerned.

"We let the fans and the staff down very badly against Bolton and we know we have to bounce back from that and get back to playing the way we know we can," he told stokecityfc.com.

"It's imperative we show our character against QPR and put in a performance, and pick up a result that shows everyone exactly what we are capable of.

"The manner of that defeat has hurt us without doubt and last week especially, the atmosphere around the Training Ground was extremely subdued.

"The gaffer has sat us all down this week and we have taken a long, hard look back at our last few games to pinpoint where we have been going wrong."

The former Republic of Ireland star added: "We have got to show the strength of our character this weekend and go out there and play to our absolute maximum. The gaffer expects that, the supporters expect that and we as players expect that."

http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~2516802,00.html?

GERRY Francis admits there will be no room for sentiment as he carries out his Stoke City duties when they host Queens Park Rangers at the Britannia Stadium this weekend.

City's First Team Coach served the Londoners for the best part of 20 years as both a player and manager from the 1970s through to the 1990s, whilst both of his sons, Adam and Jake, are currently plying their trade at Loftus Road.

Francis, a former England captain, is still held in high regard by the Rangers faithful for his exploits both on and off the field during his time in Shepherds Bush, but despite that he admits his loyalties now well and truly lie with Stoke.

"It's a Club close to my heart for sure, but I will undoubtedly be committed to doing whatever I can to help Tony Pulis and the players pick up three points on Saturday," he told Potters Matchday Magazine.

"As much as I look for QPR's results, this game is for real, so we're going to be looking to bounce back from the Bolton defeat with a win.

"You can probably count on one hand the really poor performances that we've had since I've been here. We let ourselves and the fans down a bit against Bolton.

He added: "I think there are circumstances that didn't help us, obviously before the game and leading up to the game, but you can't use them as excuses.

"You have to learn to handle the European fixtures and then come back and play well in the Premier League. I think we needed the international break.

"Kenny Dalglish was moaning about two games in the space of three days, but we had three in six which included a trip to Israel! I think the break helped us recuperate, and hopefully that will show on Saturday."

 

QPR visit Stoke City F.C.



After the sterling effort against Manchester City on Saturday we find ourselves having to sit it out for two weeks and wait to see if we can pick up that level of performance again at Stoke City.

Tony Pulis has done a tremendous job at Stoke managing to keep them up for three seasons since their promotion from the Championship in 2007-08 and the way they keep investing they want to stay there .

It has always been a difficult place to try and get a result but as we know points are at a premium for the next three games before we go on to face Liverpool and Man Utd so we need to push on .

Over the years we have contested 28 League games from 1968 – 2008 , none of which have been in the Premiership .
The last top tier encounter was way back in December 1984 in the Division One .
Just one FA Cup encounter back in 1948 when QPR won 3-0 at Loftus Road..............................................................................................


http://qprreport.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=27593&page=1

 

Good old Gerry.

 

Stoke City: QPR will feel pain of City's Bolton blitz, vows Higginbotham

DANNY Higginbotham says Stoke are still smarting from their Bolton blitz and intend to make amends when QPR visit the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

The 32-year-old defender says the players' pride was wounded by the 5-0 defeat at the Reebok Stadium, and they are keen to put the record straight.

The former Stoke skipper could play in the QPR game having made steady progress in his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.

Higginbotham played 90 minutes of City's Europa League win at Maccabi Tel-Aviv a fortnight ago before making his return to Premier League action as a substitute in the defeat at Bolton.

He says the defeat hurt because the performance lacked the competitive spirit which has been a mark of City's game since winning promotion in 2008.

Higginbotham added: "It is one thing to get beaten, but Bolton thoroughly deserved that win as all of us had an off day.

"We have become renowned for being resolute and hard to beat, so we are a group of lads who take defeats like that to heart.

"Every team has games like that, but it is how you respond to them that is important.

"The lads are frustrated and hurting because we were bad from start to finish. We want to do it for the fans but, as professionals, we also want to do it for ourselves."

But Higginbotham, below, is determined the Bolton mauling should not be allowed to overshadow what he believes has been a good start to the season.

City are 12th in the Premier League and favourites to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

He added: "We can't forget the fact we have had a very good start to the season. We have had a few disappointing results recently, but by and large it has been a good start.

"We have had set-backs before and bounced back. Now we have to make sure we do that again."

 

Jones returns to the scene of FA Cup crime
Tue 15th Nov 2011 19:01 by Clive Whittingham

Cheshire official Mike Jones is back at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke this weekend for the visit of QPR, his first appointment on this ground since he made an absolute dog’s dinner of their FA Cup quarter final with West Ham last season.

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/footba...=#qpr&utm_content=#qpr&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

We had to put up with Sir Les and Clive Allen plotting our downfall at Spurs,now we've got Gerry doing it at Stoke.There are traitors in our midst!!

 

A question to the QPR fans. Any chance we will see Clint Hill at least on the bench? If so he'd get a generous round of applause. Popular player with the fans was Clint. He won the Fans Player of the Year with us.

 

Pretty sure he'll be on the bench mate,but Traore will start if fit.

 

There should be a very good chance he will be on the bench. I can't see him making the starting 11, even though I can imagine that, for your style of play, many will argue that he should. He is very popular with us too, one of our unsung heros last season.

 

Wouldn't be surprised if he did start, for his heading ability.

 

I'm petrified of Helguson especially if Floodgate plays. He always seems to score against us. He's like Jamie Cureton, Cameron Jerome (when he wasn't with us) or more recently Demba Ba in that he has scored a few goals against us in the past.

 

Heider is playing well.

 

Last time we played each other was a 3-0 win for QPR at Loftus Road during our promotion campaign. Let's have a look at the sides that started that day and how they differ to how they might look on Saturday:

Lee Camp
Michael Mancienne
Matthew Connolly
Fitz Hall
Damien Delaney
Akos Buzsaky
Mikele Leigertwood
Martin Rowlands
Hogan Ephraim
Patrick Agyemang
Rowan Vine

Substitutes :

Matthew Pickens
Damion Stewart
Dexter Blackstock
Kieran Lee
Gareth Ainsworth

Steve Simonsen
Andy Griffin
Leon Cort
Ryan Shawcross
Danny Pugh
Liam Lawrence
Salif Diao
Glenn Whelan
Richard Cresswell
Mamady Sidibe
Ricardo Fuller

Substitutes :

Russell Hoult
Jon Parkin
Paul Gallagher
Lewis Buxton
Andy Wilkinson

 

Yeh I've noticed he's got a few this season, which is a worry. We need to be wary of him and with our defence playing like it is, he will have opportunities.