Well with not too much happening on here thought maybe it's time to turn our attention to our next game. Stoke away is not exactly a great fixture to start back with but after last years awful showing (probably the worst performance last year although there were many others to compete with it) surely if we are top 4 contenders it's a game we we must get something from. Injuries aside I can't see too much reason to change the team from the last game.I wouldn't mind see Bellamy start but I think that they played so well last time ,then they deserve to start again. Stoke are always a handful and they made a couple of really good signings this week and can see them being top 10 at the very least but this is a game that would really show how far we have come if we were to turn them over.
Stoke did very well in the transfer window and ignoring any discussion about style, Delap's (or Huth's or whoever elses) throw ins and Crouch's size will make every ball out of play 30 yards and in a bit of a nightmare. I think they've got a very good home record as well. If I'm wrong about that apologies. We should beat them. But one throw early on could make 3 points very difficult and it wouldn't be anyone's 'fault' or a statement about our side.
Stoke are one of those sides that you can be on top of for ages and then they will score, they have done will in the window (again) and think they will challenge for a top half finish. Like last week, we have enough quality to say we should win but you never know.
Tbh, don't remember crouch wining too many headers... Always seemed better with his feet, truth be told. He seems better when he holds a defender off with his body and volleys it than trying to beat someone to a header.
Never used to win many cleanly but made if dificult for others to defend against, a very much under rated striker in my opinion.
Agreed. As I said before, the thing he does best is holding off defenders with his body to volley it on goal.
he almost always won the headers regardless if the ball was 3 feet behind him and impossible to score from. but he did end up first man to the ball I'm not so worried about him scoring from a header as creating a chance from a knock down If it gets to his feet I'll get a bit nervous
I'm less confident about this game than I was against Bolton; Stoke have done some brilliant business recently and I think that even before those signings they were looking at a top 10 finish. It's going to be a tough game, and we're really going to have to utilise every option of attack in order to beat them. Being 1 dimensional won't work against Stoke, they adapt to absorb the pressure so the only way to get past their defence is to add multiple options to attack.
Just posted on the banter thread. Originally Posted by Swarbs What formation did you play against Bolton? And who would spearhead the 451/433 against Stoke if not Carroll? To me that 433 still relies on either a very strong or a very quick striker as the spearhead. I dunno if it will be as effective with Kuyt in there, and if you put Suarez there you restrict his ability to create. It'll be interesting to see what you guys go for, as Stoke are a difficult bunch for anyone to play against. Last season we went 5-3-1-1 against them and it was Kuyt that was the difference as well as the 5 man defence that was such a surprise at the time. Kuyt stopped the center backs from launching accurate balls and the wing backs gave us width. I remember being surprised at the formation. I get your point about a quick forward in this formation though but hard work is the key against Stoke.
I think we'll be fine, but Stoke are now in the better half of the League. Pullis has done a fantastic job.
Must play 3 CMs, they will play 2 wingers and 2 6ft plus strikers.So by playin 3 CMs we should be able to control the game and starve them of possesion
My Team Reina Johnson Carra Agger Enrique Hendo Lucas Adam Downing Kuyt Suarez subs,kelly,bellamy,carroll,spearo,coates,doni,maxi/stevie(if fit)
I can see a classic 4-2-3-1 for Stoke, same as we've been using before. ----------------Reina--------------- --Johnson---Carra--Agger---Enrique-- -------------Lucas--Adam----------- -----Henderson--Suarez--Downing--- ----------------Carroll--------------- I reckon Carroll will start, not because I think he'll score but he'll hold off Stoke's central defenders whilst Suarez makes space.
Up early as usual! Talk about the game etc... etc.. try not to grievously harm anyone... So ends my creative inspiring talk.
I watched LFCTV yesterday,and that Matt Critchley dude ,said up to 2/3 weeks when asked by Roy Evans about it,was hard to know whether he was telling the truth.
Stoke plays some of the ugliest football I have ever seen, beaten only by Sam Allardyce's Blackburn with Samba up top... To be honest, it isn't pretty, but it is effective. Let's see how the new players fit into the setup... Look pretty formidable, tbh.
