Stoke City v West Ham - FA Cup Match Thread

Please post anything to do with the upcoming tough match with West Ham in this thread please. Any other thread on the subject will be merged into this thread.

 

4-5-1
Begovic
Wilkinson--Huth--Shawcross--Higginbotham
Pennant--Wilson--Whitehead--Pugh--Etherington
Carew

We need players in the starting XI who WILL put in a shift and who will FIGHT for the club and its supporters. In my opinion we haven't seen that of late from a select few, Walters doesn't deserve dropping but if Matty isn't fit then he'd slot straight on to the left hand side for me, get Deano to man mark "Der Hammer" and have Wilson staying on Scott Parker not giving him an inch so he'd have to remove him with a wallpaper scraper.

We need to start playing football again, not playing let teams have numerous shots on target as we defend in our 18 yard box!

 

I take it that supposed to say West Ham United and not west brom.

I don't fancy us for this one I think West Ham will be really up for it especially with the cup game coming up. After last nights performance unless TP was trying to lure them into a sense of total security, we could get, to coin a phrase " hammered".

 

Sorry mate, I copy and pasted it from the West Brom thread and didn't notice the mistake. I've changed it now.

 

Quote from Rory Delap today -

Delap told BBC Radio Stoke: "The last 20 minutes wasn't good enough..................................................................................................................
Stoke now face West Ham twice in the space of eight days, firstly in the Premier League at Upton Park on Saturday and then in the last eight of the FA Cup at the Britannia Stadium the following Sunday.

"They're a very good side and they're proving that," added the 34-year-old. "We need to do what we did for the first 60 minutes (against West Brom).

"If we do that, we'll get a result down there."

Sorry Rory, you're a smashing bloke but for me you shouldn't be starting matches these days and after your quotes you definitely shouldn't .... we were bloody awful for 90 minutes against WBA and not just for the last 20 - if we play like that in either / both games against West Ham then we'll get nil points and be dumped out of the cup.

 

That really is a worry when the players are trying to convince the fans that they have played well when it was so clearly obvious that we played absolutely ****ing crap. What bloody world are they living in.

 

It's the same bunch of lads who have played so well at various points this season. I'm really hoping we can rekindle that magic. On paper it's still a really good side, and I think we just need to string a few results together and get the heads up again.

Begs
Wilko...Huth...Shawx...Pugh
Pennant...Wilson...Whitehead...Ethers
Carew...Fuller

Is as strong a side as any team around us when it's on form, especially when we have players like Jones, Walters, and even Delap waiting to come on and provide a threat. It's frustrating seeing so many of our players so out of form, but I'm convinced we can still get out of the rut we're in without major changes to personnel.

 

Good line up peadar. Maybe Higgy instead of Pugh? Both will give 100%. Agree that Ric should start up front with Carew if we go 4-4-2. Quite like the sound of 4-5-1 too though, with Wilson all over Parker like a rash. Would definitely settle for a draw. UTP!!

 

I would certainly settle for a draw on sat and then get ready for the big one next week.
hopefully it will be a sell out as we are in a great position to get to wembley.

Its a huge week for the club just praying we can make it to the twin towers i said i would only go to the new wembley if Stoke get there.

West ham will be a big test just like they did back in 72.

 

I like the look of that lineup too Peadar
HOPE that Ether's is fit and ready to go. And, that T.P.has given the whole bunch apart from Begovic a kick in the ***
IF the lads a least go out and try great. If they don't I fear the worst this weekend.

I would also take a pt right now, it's more use to us than the Hammers, it's a game they must win so up and at em lads.

 

We could always take a leaf out of the Irish cricket teams book and use a bat!!

 

If we were really taking a leaf out of the Irish cricket team's book, we'd let them steal our best player, then find some random ginger fella on the street, then run at them screaming for 90 minutes!

 

I would be happy with a point from this one.West Ham appear to be on the up, but we cant get any worse than Monday night and the lads would have had a rate B********g off the gaffer.Im feeling glass half full 1-2 to Stoke.

 

Well with all the speculation on Pennant/Ethers being either unfit or not fit I really can't see us scoring, I think this game depends on how well we defend. To be honest they seem to have found some scoring form so it don't look too promising.

PS the difference between Unfit and not fit is that Pulis tends to risk the unfit when it suits him.

 

lads a bit more faith

UP THE POTTERS

 

Stoke lineup for today

Begovic

Wilson-Huth-Shawcross-Pugh

Pennant-Whitehead-Whelan-Delap

Carew-Walters

Subs: Sorensen, Collins, Jones, Fuller, Diao, Etherington, Wilkinson.

Whelan in the XI for today then, that'll piss off some Stokies but it is nice to see someone who can actually pass in our midfield.

 

Delap as a left winger? Interesting!

Happy to see Jones dropped though. He needs motivation, and clearly playing him every week wasn't working.

 

Goarrrn Stoke, take a point today.
Thus far we're doing well down the right flank.

 

Is my formation right Rob or is Jonny playing on the left rather than up front?

 

From what I can see he's playing alongside Carew up front with Delap on the left.