We can't go to Stoke and try and beat them at their own game, not to mention Adkins probably wouldn't even try. We simply don't have the players to do what they do, better than they do. We stick with passing and the good players that got us where we are. ---Davis --Clyne Fonte Yoshida Shaw Schneiderlin Cork ------Ramirez ------Mayuka Lambert Rodriguez
Stoke fan here in peace.. Well I have just spent a few miniutes reading through these comments and shuddered when I saw that Clatterbug was the ref this weekend. Honestly, I can not remember the last time he gave us anything. That said, we will miss Shawcross but, Upson is the perfect re-placement anyway, he was on the bench last night. We also played Wilkinson at Left back and not his usual Right back as Wilson is out with a broken leg. I think? apart from those two Shawx and wilson we have a full squad available, if Adam is OK that is.. another who did'nt take part last night so.. I think Pulis is right, he knew Liverpool would "come at us and they did just that" all of course we ran out easy winners in the end. The Saints? IMHO you are far more organised than Liverpool so I'm hoping for a win but it will depend on Pulis. IF he plays two wingers it should make for a good game. IF you do as Sunderland did and just come for the pt, we may find it hard to break you down. After this weekend, I hope you do well this season. From what I have seen, you look far better than those teams around you. As much as you seem to think Jones may score again for us, Lambert?? IMO you would be silly to leave him out of any game if he's fit.
how about something a bit different, hammer stoke with crosses as they'll never expect it! Davis Fonte Jos Maya Richardson Fox Cork Morgan Ramirez Lambert Rodriguez
Using this idea and running with it, how about using a line-up I've used on Fifa against my mates: -----------------------Davis --------------Fonte-Yoshida-Stephens Richardson-------------------------------Fox --------------------Morgan-Cork ----------------------Lambert --------------Gazza-Hooiveld-Boruc We can out-Stoke Stoke, throw as many balls into the box as possible to the tallest PL strikeforce in history, and pile the box for set-pieces. We'd make them look like sissies.
I wouldn't mind trying something like this. Replace Shaw with Fox and Lambert with Hoskins/Lee for fitness reasons and I think we'll be in pretty good shape. These 4312s and 352s look nice on paper, but the players don't know them and in practice we'd be all over the place. We can't afford to be too clever here.
I've just seen that Cameron is also banned for this weekend, not just Shawcross. Not sure I've seen this picked up on before? I'm suddenly tempted to change my view on our team selection. I'll have to think it over.
So I think we need to at least consider boruc purely for his height and size dealing with crosses and set pieces etc. Aside from that perhaps lambert could be dropped but I think his defensive work aerially aa well as his link up play are worth having. With ramirez central and pace on both flanks, keep the ball on the fround with full backs tearing forward and we may get something. Avoid silly fouls which lwt thwm lump it into the box, hit them with fast slick incisive football
The last thing we should be doing is trying to play Stoke at ttheir own game. We should just pick our normal 11 (preferably with Boruc in goal) and try and pass them to death.
You don't have to be when you're that big! Plus they're just there to take attention off of Hooiveld who will bag a brace, matched by Rickie who will grab two arriving late into the box from his midfield role. Easy 4-1 win, it's a plan that simply can't fail! How did that work out for Liverpool? And Arsenal? And Swansea? And City? Of course we can't try and play Stoke at their own game, but we can't just set out to play our normal game and hope to come away with anything, we have to adjust our gameplan suitably and find the middle ground.
Tend to agree ChilcoSaint - thats why i said ' a bit of a mistake ' above. The ball was just too far away for Kelvin to gather it and so he could only parry it and was unlucky that Berbatov was on hand to score. I didnt think it was mistake worthy of dropping Kelvin. I feel better with him in goal at present, and i am hoping to see him there at Stoke on Saturday.
I don't like the fact that there is a massive opportunity for the "ex-Saints who score against us list" to grow in this game.
I think the problem is that he reacted to it late, meaning that when he did finally dive it was just out of his reach, and either way he should have got a bit of a firmer touch to it. Nigel was very unsympathetic and he knows a bit about goalkeeping and is usually fairly unwilling to blame players so that says a lot for me. That being said, I wouldn't drop him because of it. Would consider Boruc for the Stoke game in the same way I'd consider Hooiveld over Yoshida, but I think that would unsettle us more than Jos' inclusion would so would probably stick with Kelvin.
Nigel said in pre-Stoke conference that he has high hopes for Gazza but Kelvin has the shirt...so looks like he will play in the Stoke game.
SKD made an absolute howler on Saturday for the goal. I know we all love him and everything but he made a huge cock up.
Did he though? It was a mistake, but I'd put Utds keepers parry further up the list. Then theres Rob Greens, now thats a mistake! I think 'howler' is going too far.
