if you could take 3 players from tonights opposition who would they be???

I would take Demba Ba (should have been our anyway FFS!), Tiote & Gutierrez - all quality and would add to our forward play woes!

Does Taylor play LB for you guys, because we desperatly need that position filling! I rate your defence in general and would class it as pretty equal to ours, the difference being that you seem to have more consistencey and balance in your selection than we do!

 

Ryan Taylor is a RB playing LB. We have Santon but he is not starting at the moment.

 

Raylor is doing pretty well at LB, we have Santon to settle and Ferguson who also play that position.

 

This

 

Shawcross, Palacios as Tiote cover and Woodgate for cover/competition when fit.

 

Aye it must nark the stoke lads that Ba could've been banging them in for their lot instead. but you have to sort of give pulis credit for holding his nerve and walking away when it didn't look like the right deal. someone like redknapp would've just signed him as hes not arsed about spending the clubs money. at least pulis has the club totally to heart.

 

Cabaye, Tiote, Santon.

 

Pennant? Fast? Ha ha. Not seen him play lately then? Matty is quicker than Jermaine I can assure you of that. Jermaine is the better crosser and better at set pieces but Matty is definitely quicker.

 

Nice to see one for Shotton. Really rate the lad I do

Without Delap we wouldn't be any less toothless. It isn't a threat anymore, every side has sussed it, even Arsenal. Jermaine and Matty are our creative threats.

 

????????

Not sure about that one - TP claims that the medical team refused to pass Demb Ba (who was on a free at that point), yet we managed to sign Woody who had played 3 prem games in 3 years and Palcious for 8 Million staright after a knee op and having not played a game in over 6 months, who by the way is still not fit!

 

Change Delap for Etherington then

 

The exact 3 i would have picked

 

I was going to mention Shotton. Mate of mine at work is a Stoke fan and speaks highly of him.

 

Not to mention Demba Ba (Ramadan aside) has been fit all season.

 

I'd take Walters, Etherington and probably Shawcross.

As for tonight, I hope we can keep up the good work this season. There was only one positive to take away from this fixture last year and it was this gem.

[video=youtube;23SxcIuNZC0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23SxcIuNZC0[/video]

And Rory Delap has nowt on this guy, the late Ian Hutchinson:

[video=youtube;KyySyL75isc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyySyL75isc[/video]

 

Delaps are better, its so flat like cross rather than a big floaty thing like that.

Also, Dave Challinor:[video=youtube;SUYwAS9X0zk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUYwAS9X0zk[/video]

 

I've always said that our strongest positions are our Goalie, our CB pairing and our CM pairing, so I'd probably take some of Stoke's players to fill our fullback positions and at least one of our winger positions.

Not sure who mind, to tell you the truth. I haven't paid enough attention to them. If Pennant plays on the same wing as Obertan then definitely him. Etherington would also be good competition for Jonas. Is Shotton any good?

 

No he wasn't, Hoffenheim wanted 6 million for him at the time. Not worth the risk (back then) IMO.

As for who I'd like from Newcastle, I'd go for:

Cabaye
Tiote
Gutierrez

 

They're not like.

Stoke have put together a decent squad over the last few years and have loads of players that can cause bother: Pennant, Crouch, Palacios, Etherington, Shawcross, Huth, Walters, Jones, Woodgate... all of those have quality.

They play hard and direct, but do also play some fast attacking football down the wings, which people don't give them credit for.


Woodgate was one of the best CB's I've seen at the toon... shame he couldn't stay fit. Is he fit for tonight?

 

If Woodgate plays tonight, you've got more of a chance of getting result. Most Stoke fans prefer either Huth or Upson partnering Shawcross, but my guess is that Woodgate wil start.