My memories of games against Stoke are of dull and boring 0.0 draws, but I'm probably going back to when Dennis Smith was their centre half and it's left an indelible scar on my memory. As to the game, I genuinely have no idea what team we will put out, or even what formation we will play. Beale has had another week to evaluate the players in training, my head says that there will be few changes as MB trys to evolve a winning team. My heart says that MB will be radical and try to win the game in the first half. On balance I do not expect an exciting game but I hope for a professional performance and a 2.0 win. I do not expect that to satisfy the Beale out brigade and for the negative rumblings to continue, but I don't really care, just get 3 points.
I think 3 points no matter how we play may ease the pressure slightly. Mind you people will still moan if we play **** and win 1-0!
....and rightly so. Best case sceanrio is a dull, scrappy 1-0 with a Clarke goal. People will think back to beating Southampton 5-0 and wonder what happened to the slick, free-flowing attacking football we used to play....
“It Could Be A Rather Hostile Atmosphere” – The Real EFL Pundits Preview Sunderland v Stoke City https://therealefl.co.uk/2024/01/26...9UEHmli243_EYslE2nb5zeVUelEKaHdxiva6QL1iEjSh4
Stoke have always been a pain from way back before TM,s or your time even , the current Arial Bombardment sounds all too familiar too, and its for this reason I would like to see Seelt and Pembele in that starting eleven. If Beale can set us up to achieve this he will be half way there to silencing his critics. We all want to see us winning games, but its easier said than done no doubt about that . But we can win this game of course we can, and in 3 games time we can be back in that top six , its not that far away. OaU.
The Real EFL Pundits Preview , sounds like it should come with a health warning, think I will give it a miss.
Football is primarily an entertainment, not politics and subterfuge ... ... the best case scenario, for everyone there, would be a cracking win and the start of things to come.
Dunno mate, the squad is still the same one that recently beat some good team ... ... a good start, crowd gets noisy and anything can happen. Hope so.
The head coach has complete control over how the crowd behaves. Get out on the front foot and look like you're interested in winning the game and you'll not hear a murmur of discontent Or just do what we generally do and get that hostile crowd. Entirely up to him.
I'd be over the moon with the three points and might give the players a boost in confidence, but it would probably be just papering over the cracks again.
The tactics have changed. We are far slower in possession and are far less attractive to watch. I can stand that to a point IF we win games, but we have some genuinely good footballers who are being stifled by this Head Coach and his arrogance
