Stoke City v. Swansea City - match thread

As disappointed as I am with the Swans the loss was as much down to the ref anything.

 

But we haven't had better second halves with him. Have we.

 

Played well first half KI was superb but same changes very predictable and sometimes there is no need for change

 

No worse than usual and for much of the first half we looked like Swansea City.

 

This is not our worst second half performance to date. But it wasn't our best

 

I would love to know exactly what is said at half time that always seems to make our players dejected, lethargic and lazy.
We play so well in the first half then stroll about the second as if they cant be arsed. Maybe its a matter of fitness. But this needs to change asap

 

Every time we score we fall back and let the opposition come at us - every game.

 

I was thinking that watching motd last night.

We are great until 55 minutes and then the team fades very quickly and Monk doesn't know how to change it. Yet again he waits until we are loosing before making subs. He needs to anticipate the danger and make the tactical changes/subs before we conceed as he is really struggling in this department atm.

 

Because our Captain was crap today.

 

Looking at the goal again - I agree, Rangel miles out of position allowing the cross to come in, and Taylor losing his man - 50-50 to blame imo.

I hate playing Stoke. They play more on the deck now under Hughes but off the ball fouls nullify our pass and move game, and always has. Any time a player without the ball makes a run he's elbowed, tripped or nudged. What a bunch of thuggish cloggers.

Apart from Sunderland and QPR I dislike them the most in this League.

What's more worrying for me is:

1: Yet again we looked like a different team second half.

2: Stoke are poor - and we lost, even though one goal was down to a cheat.

 

another game of 2 halves - so bright in the 1st and so very poor in the 2nd - really really peed off by that!

 

TBH I think the Soton v Sunderland game was a freak result but Koeman has delivered excellent football from a team expected to really struggle.

On the other hand we have yet to have a good whole game in the league.

 

The worrying thing is that from games against Southampton, Newcastle, Sunderland and Stoke we've only taken 2 points. That is very worrying.

 

Don't worry be happy as Leon is back with his wife, and all is well emoticon-0152-heart), he'll be back soon enough protecting our inept back four, that's the good news for today!.................

 

We must put our chances away early doors. Lack of clinical finishing let Stoke stay in the game.

 

Monk is becoming very predictable with his subs sometimes you dont have to make any changes.We performed very well first half so why change?

 

At the start of the season I thought we'd know where we are by the end of October. I think we do, and it isn't looking good.
Allowing Chico to leave and spending huge on Fernandez hasn't been the smartest move.
Not replacing Ben and not bringing in a central defensive midfield player has been a disaster.
Persisting with Taylor - another bad move.
But maybe persisting with Monk will prove to be the biggest mistake.

 

Moyes as number 1 with Monk has his assistant to learn how to adapt to situations etc? I'd take that. We certainly wouldn't fade under Moyes second half.

 

Your like a woman worrying the way you go on!.........................

 

It's ironic that Monk was such a prick about training and fitness under Sousa and Laudrup, but his team is nowhere near capable of playing 90 minutes. We just don't have the stamina to play 90, or anywhere close to 90. Today we started being outworked around the 30th minute. I'm not going to say we lack desire because that would be a terrible indictment on everybody - players and manager. I hope we're not in that state.

Other teams are consistently out working us in the second half. They're not any better than us at playing the game, just in much better condition to play it. We're being out worked not out played.