Yeah fair play, we didn't deserve a win but I'll take it. Good luck for the rest of the season, hope you & Assaidi can take some points of our rivals. Agreed by the way, never a pen.
I really don't know where to start! We score 3 excellent goals against a very good Liverpool. Yet we gift them 2 and the ref yet again gets it wrong! Not Liverpool's fault just that it gave them the impetus, they must have wondered what hit them at half time. End of the day take Suarez and Sturridge out of that team who knows? He's a magical player give him half a second and he never misses. We need Huth back ASAP and Assaidi too! NOT disappointed just gutted that we came back in style then the ref fooked up. That said, Liverpool are a class above us, no shame in going down the way we did. I would rather we go for it than do what we used to under you know who. It didn't look like a pen but I've not seen it since the game so I'll reserve opinion until then. Everyone I spoke to say's it wasn't but it is if the ref points to the spot. Well done the Stoke lads for at least "Having the balls to have a GO" Onto the Palace game now. KTF one and all.
Unlucky result guys, but as one of your posters says, Liverpool are a clas above you (and us). Take heart in the fact you had a go and scored (3) against a decent team Keep the faith but im still no Hughes fan. You wil be ok as there are 5 or 6 teams worse than you guys good luck
Both teams forgot how to defend! Typical that Charlie bloody Adam remembered how to play football for a few seconds against us! Thought you were a fair bit more ambitious than you would've been under Pulis, but there were still a few instances of his 'style' - Suarez got targeted a few times, Adam bodychecked Sterling, Coutinho too.
Think our defence gifted the game really, Wilson and Shawcross both had a bad game, good to see us scoring goals and if not for that pen we could have gotten something out of it.
We were very poor defensively and caught trying to outplay a Liverpool team at their own game. It highlighted the difficulty when caught between how we used to play and how we are trying to play, especially when you consider the gulf in skill between the two sets of players. Shawx has really lost his way lately and whilst I understand that we will be more exposed as we become more expansive in our style, I am unsure whether it Shawx himself (I dont think he at his best), missing Huth or the fact that the holding players are not doing their jobs. Having said all that, we have to take pride in how as a team we fought and the fact that we scored 3 goals, and could have had a couple more. Take into account that a freak own goal and a dubious penalty was all that seperated us in the final result - I think as supporters we should be happy in that - and it showed by the crowd response at the final whistle. As Potts said, in yesteryear when that own goal went in we would have been 10 behind the ball and probably lost 2 or 3 nil anyway.
Smithers I will take the comment on 'Shawx loosing his way lately.' I did not see the Leicester game but against Everton I thought he was immense. With regard to yesterday I am drafting a report for our monthly newsletter so will post when completed. In short I thought Stoke overall played well, particularly in the last 10 minutes of the first half and the second half. The first 30 or so minutes we showed too much respect, contributed massively to our own downfall and ran down blind alleys rather than using the ball in the final third. I was disgusted by their penalty and the fact we did not get one when Suarez had both hands protecting his chest. Why that was not given I do not know. I hope there referee and linesman are brought to book. Also I am of the opinion that Wilson has generally done well in the absence of Huth. I will draft some thoughts and get back
I just dont think Shawx is having the same impact as he did for us a couple of seasons ago and when Huth isnt playing he seems to struggle. I wasnt having a dig at Wilson, I dont view him as a defender and he is filling in as cover. Same as when TP used to play him at LB, you have to make allowances for him not playing in his natural position. However, that doesnt mean he is good enough to do it this level week in week out.
I'm not sure what it is, but for Shawcross to play consistently well, he seems to need the right partner beside him, first Abdoulaye Faye, now Huth. He was incredible against Everton, one of the best defensive displays I've ever seen (and I don't think he was that bad overall against Liverpool or Newcastle), but he hasn't been up to that standard all the time.
I think we have to be honest in our assesment of our players and if we think back a couple of season when we were screaming about how he should be playing for England - I dont think we would be so confident now.
Totally agree about Ryan he's not the same player. He seem's to not want to give the ball away or just lump it upfield that's commendable but without Huth the lad looks lost imo. As for Wilson he should have done what Huthy would have, put that ball into row Z. I must say though, if every game is half as exciting as the Liverpool game I will be well happy.
