The Stoke game is going to be a real test of Mark Hughes' ability as a manager. We've recently beaten quality footballing sides at home. Liverpool, Swansea, Arsenal and Spurs all like to play a passing game. We're obviously set up well to counter that. However Stoke pose a completely different kind of threat. How well will MH and team set them up? I think, as said in other threads, we have to go 4-4-2 with Cisse and Zamora upfront. A lot has happened since, but I thought we looked pretty good like this against Wolves at home (until Cisse lost it). I hope the defense have been practicing dealing with crosses!
Yes, 4-4-2 and play like we did in first 20 mins against Wolves. There will be a lot of nerves kicking around though so I cant see it being anything but a scrappy game. We need to score first and preferably score early.
Well ,not in the league. Liverpool has been more like very good cup-team this season with league-cup win and fa cup finalist and that's why i call them quality team. After all even if their season in the league have been between weak/medicore they are still 8. place in EPL
Certainly Igor so they're a decent team. But not a top team like City, United etc. But yes, they are a decent side no doubt.
this will be a muck n bullets game, not one for the purist, we have to match there aggresian to be allowed to play our football,in some ways it benefits us to play footballing sides,not the scrappers and cloggers that we will face on Sunday.
It has to be an attacking formation; Cisse Zamora Tarbs Diakite Barton Mackie Traore Hill Ferdinand Taiwo Kenny I'd try Traore for a bit of pace instead of Onuoha who is slooooow. Not sure if Taiwo can switch wings or if Traore would be effective on the right if he can't play on the left. Only included Barton based on very recent home form, he has been doing the business recently. Still need a bit of grit in the midfield hence Diakite, Adel and Mackie can always make runs from deep or cut in from the wings. Got to feed Zamora to hold up for Cisse who owes us big time and needs to re-pay the support he's received with a bundle of goals. Stoke are going to rely on knocking the high ball up to Crouch or set pieces (including thow-ins) where Huth will be hard to handle. It isn't pretty but how they play can be effective. We take them for granted at our own peril.
Onouha is undroppable for this game. As he is often a centre back he is much stronger in the air than any of our other full backs which will be very important on Sunday. In any case I think it would be a crazy positon to play Taraore out of position against Etherington. Agree with est of team though. Tight pitch means no big run up for Delap. If we are able to I'd stand a man on the line in front of him when taking the throw. Not sure if thats allowed though. Crowd will need to do all we can to put him off, comments in the ear etc
Can we all have hooks in the front row so that we can hook into Delap's shorts to shorten his run up.
the way to beat stoke is play football against them, ball on the floor, dont get involved in a battle, they seem to be on the beach already, but bad blood between pullis and hughes i predict 2-0 rangers and i will back it with my hard earned cash
No one, least of all MH and the team, are taking this lightly. First, keep 11 men on the pitch. Second, play football. Third, don't give away unnecessary free kicks / throw ins and, fourthly, put away a few goals early to ease the nerves!
Rangercol will be along in a bit to tell you how fast he is. Which I think is true when he's at full pace, but he's a little slow in turning and reacting.
Another Swansea style performance required, help the goal difference and pray West Brom stuff Bolton...
Why do we all get distracted by side issues? They may well have had a poor season but they have players we would kill for. They are a big club and a scalp that the players will always remember taking. Can we get back to the thread in hand? Whether its 4-4-2 or any other formation, pace, delivery to feet and stretching their defence by going down the wings will be critical. They all have the turning circle of an HGV. What we definitely do not need is knocking it around the back until Anton lumps it forward for Zamora to win in the air. He is shorter than almost all of their outfield players and I don't really fancy his chances of winning too many aerial battles. This is the game, like the one at the Brittania, where we will win by playing football and not by tyring to outjump and outmuscle them in a game of hoofball. Whether we can adapt our game sufficiently remains to be seen. It depends on our manager's tactical nous or "strategy" as per the losing candidate in last night's "Apprentice".
