So close..... - My thoughts on the Stoke game

Well, It wasn't a good performance, but it was an improvement for the most part. But some ****ing awful passing at times, and it lead to both of their goals.

Santon is looking increasingly frustrated that his good performances have achieved no rewards, and tonight he looked increasingly pissed off. I really hope he doesn't leave in Jan, but It wouldn't surprise me.

I don't understand why we had to keep pushing high up the pitch like that when we were 1-0 up. It's not as if they had no pace at the time, Jerome is extremely quick and caught Coloccini out. We should have just controlled possession.

Ratings -

Krul - 6 - Can't really criticise him. Some good claims and work.

Simpson - 6.5 - Some may disagree, but he's my MOTM tonight. He put him some great headed clearances and didn't really put a foot wrong.

Colo - 5.5 - At times, his return looked like a great thing for us, but his passing was well off and he's getting caught out by this long balls too often.

Willo - 5.5 - Some good defending at times, but sloppy play too often and should have challenges Jones more for that header.

Santon - 5.5 - The lad wasn't very good tonight and his frustration is getting the better of the lad. Some bad play in there and we really need to get a win in the next two games to make everyone feel better.

Anita - 6 - Didn't really do too much on the ball, but worked hard and pressured the Stoke players.

Tiote - 5.5 - A great tackle that lad to the goal, and some good defending, but his passing gifted Stoke a lot of possession. Really poor distribution.

Jonas - 5 - Some good work, won us free kicks, but didn't do all that much.

Perch - 6 - A decent defensive shift.

Ba - 6 - Unlucky not to have a goal himself, caused Stoke problems but couldn't quite finish. Good assist for the goal.

Cisse - 6 - A shame that his goal wasn't a winning one.

MOTM - Simmo. Sorry, but I just thought he was one that couldn't really be blamed for anything, and made some good challenges and defended well.

Overall - Frustrating. I was just starting to believe again.

 

Anita was my MOTM. Workrate was first class and he passed it to black and white shirts. Followed by Cisse and Simpson.

 

Cisse MOTM for me, never stopped running, got a goal and fed off scraps.

Plenty of effort from us but Zero quality.

Annoyingly before their goal you could sense they'd upped the tempo 5 minutes before hand, Pardew should have gone 5 across the middle but didn't and we end up throwing on Sammy (who clearly isn't first team material) and Ranger with 4 minutes remaining.

It was an improved display, but still a fairly poor one.

 

Anita put in a hell of a shift chasing down right across the pitch. If only the rest put in as much effort. We really do need to start taking our chances because with our cumbersome defence we need at least a 2 goal start.

 

I'm just disappointed at the defending for their goals.

Gutierrez just let him walk through when to be honest I'd rather he just fouled him and got organised for the set piece.

Colo was poor for the second and could easily have got into a better position for the knockdown.

It's a shame because there looked to be some grit in the performance and the work rate from some was good

 

First time i thought our strikers were both going to score...

We looked good in patches, just made a few tactical errors.

I think 3 games in 10 days is really a big ask for some players.

Santon, another good performance.... good to see Williamson have an okay game.

I think this deserved a draw at least.

I'm unsure of Gutierrez, he seems to have a problem...

better performance tonight and it was tough to see us lose. (as always).

 

It was improved, because we actually managed to score. But still, a game we had and simply threw away. Terrible substitutions, and another game where we fail to withstand the pressure that is thrown onto us in the last ten minutes. Which may I add, is a problem we've been faced with since our promotion. We simply cannot hold on till the final minutes and always lose the tempo of the game. I'm sick to death of getting hammered in the last ten minutes and sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the whistle.

Of course it doesn't happen EVERY game, but it happens a hell of a lot more than it should and I'm sick to death of it, because we simply do not prepare! Pardew in my opinion has one last game. If we lose against Stoke I wipe my hands of him.

 

not when you lose all 3!

 

Ive actually had enough of Pardew glossing over defeats he needs to earn his ****ing crsut and try a different way of playing.

 

When I saw Tiote and Perch in Midfield I thought we were going to shut up shop and go for a 0-0. We have no creativity in the team whatsoever. None. What's the point in playing Ba and Cisse in a team with no creativity - you're already a man down. At 1-0 and with Stoke creating chance after chance with 15 minutes left we should have gone five in midfield. I know it's wise after the event but this is what Pardew gets paid for and he didn't change the game until we were behind.

I know we're missing players but he isn't adapting his tactics to suit who we have available.

 

There is a lot of wishful thinking in these comments have any of you looked at the position in the league there you will see the facts

 

It was a smash and grab win i never saw us winning this game after you scored but every team as a dip and i,m sure you guys will be ok great support from you guys by the way wonderful supporters.

 

So what do you suggest?

We sack Pardew? He has a 8 year contract and if we get rid. Then any of the compensation money he gets will get taken away from the much needed transfer we need in January.

We are missing real creativity at the moment, sure. No doubting that.
But we don't honestly have any options.

The team worked hard tonight, but a few lapses have cost us dearly.
Hopefully that goal by Cisse. Ba, Anita, Simpson and Santon's attitudes can put pressure on the rest of the team.

Big game next, in fact massive.

 

So we have now sunk to a new low when we credit a slightly better performance to a previous performance that could not physically get any worse.

Not that we are even bothered that it was another shocker, we all knew in the summer that we had concerns in defence and here we are again after watching mike "better off in a pub team" Williamson at the heart of the defence.

Shocking goals to give away again, so that's 0 out of 12 points and still waiting for a half decent performance All season .
But hey that happen last season right ??? My arse.

Www.headinthesand.com

 

You tease! That link didn't help at all

 

Exactly. We got it right tactically tonight but blew it with some awful defending by Santon, Jonas, Willo and worst and most surprising of all, fecking el capitano Colo!

 

Defending was the issue

 

Anita was a bit of a terrier at times, he got stuck in and wouldn't give up.

Don't think Santon was as bad as some are making him out to be, he'd be in my team.

 

Anita and Santon were my only bright points. Both were good. Anita MOTM for me.

Willo's attempts at defending <neg>

 

If Hatem's back for the next game do you drop Willo and install Perch alongside Colo, or do you do something else?

I'd drop Willo and play Perch at CB.