Match Day Thread Stoke City v Sunderland AFC – Saturday 21st October 2023 - KO 15:00

Personally I think we have to remember how young these lads are and that they are learning on the job.

Harsh reality is we can't and don't have a reserve 11 that more than match the starting 11 in skill level.

I'm expecting a bounce back mid week, none of them will be happy tonight

 

Fair points. Stoke are utter trash and for long periods they were all over us today like. We were flat as a fart and the manager needs to earn his crust. He didn't today and I wanted him to say something like that in the post press conference. Not blame the storm and wanting to give a few players a (slap)

 

Not a chance of winning the league with such poor home form fact! I was moaning about the team before the match kicked off is that allowed?
If stokes such a hard place to go why have they lost so many games?

 

Not defending the performance but Ba puts away his relatively straight forward chance and the mood on here might have been so different. (Still might have questioned the performance mind)

What a way to spend your birthday

 

That is honestly the wildest take I have ever seen on this board.

Also. Many raised concerns about the line up before a ball was kicked.

 

But is that because we’ve not seen enough of them? I think it is.
Adil has to start for me looked class every time he’s came on and rusyn looks good, strong good on the ball and good movement we’ve loads of options just not using them frustrating.

 

You think we will win the league? I apologise but thats mental. And you say other peoples opinions are beyond comprehension?

Also, it is not as simple as saying we ripped the league up without a striker last season so why can't we do it this season. We had a front 4 of Clarke, Amad, Roberts and Gelhardt. Gelhardt is better than the forwards we brought in this summer and Amad was the best player in the division.

 

Not sure me. They look a bit off the pace and not getting starts regardless.

 

Hard to judge them just yet, Amad looked shocking to begin with then was unreal for us - Ekwah the same.

Id like us to give rusyn a run of games, hes the one im most excited about

Roberts needs to step up imo, not been good enough. Can beat opponents at will when on it but had zero end product this season, pritchard isnt a goal threat at all so reckon dack will come back into starting line up soon

 

Yeah I hope rusyn does well. Looked a fish out of water today though. Will need some time and clear instruction of what's expected of him. Wide right or inward forward etc.

 

Some of our fans just can’t accept when we are ****e. It’s always either A) the referee or B) we didn’t deserve to lose because we had more possession/shots. If I was Alex Neil and I seen our line up today I’d be telling my players to let us keep the ball.

TM has done a decent job but he’s far too stubborn at times. I don’t think he should go but if we don’t achieve play offs this season then we need a change. Kieran McKenna has ipswich as promotion favourites with a worse squad than ours.

 

Tbf to roberts he’s not had Hume backing him up this season as Tony has decided to tell hume to drop into the middle all the time and he obvs doesn’t have Ahmed anymore! Also he’s been played inside last few games and been nothing like his usual self.
Can’t blame roberts for that tbf

 

Sadly too many of our forwards could do with a goal to kick start some form - just got to hope it happens very soon

 

100%, the language barrier wont be helping that

Almost easier just throwing him upfront in terms of instructions.

Hoping that as the season goes on we will see the talent of all these lads that weve brought in. Pembele will be another one that gives us a totally different dimension

 

Where do you see Rusyn starting? For me it's as part of a 3 up top, but more left side focused. He won't be as effective on the right imo.

Racking my brains how you fit them all in and can't get a straightforward formation

 

I can blame roberts for his poor decision making, holding onto the ball for too long and not getting into goal scoring positions.

A player like roberts doesnt want hume backing him up, he wants to get isolated 1vs1 against his opponent but he often takes too long on the ball. Yes he has missed amad at times but that also gives him more space, he has the ability to be a match winner for us but he very rarely is

Btw i really like roberts but i think hes been poor this season

 

I would be throwing him up top, easier to give instructions when someone plays through the middle

We wont see the best of him until the new yr

 

Not see him till Xmas

 

Hes got serious pace, would give us that long ball option. Clearly needs time.to adapt though

 

Aye gutting as he could be quality n one that quite a few of us are very excited about