it was a very bad day at the office today but I didnt think Stoke were that dirty like everyone says - physical yes but we expected that and they looked more up for it than us which is very worrying at this stage. no i wouldnt like to support a team like Stoke but then you support the team where youre from(or should do!) and Stoke havent always and wont always play like that. on the other hand im proud of the style weve developed over the years but too many times like today we look toothless(especially away from home) and that needs to be sorted by Brendan (why substitute our most creative players?) ps tbh massive relief that cardiff lost but respect to them - that was a huge effort and they were so close - wont be surprised if we are playing them next season, just hope its in the Premier!
The biggest problem is referees assuming there will be a level of physicality when Stoke play, and I don't think that is acceptable. It's true that your disciplinary record isn't as bad as Arsenals, but you get away with so much that isn't represented in statistics. If referees dealt with Stoke the same way that they deal with other teams, I honestly think you would have been relegated long before you got the money to buy your international players.
Yes we were kicked out of this game but it's about time some of our players did some kicking of their own. Last time out it was Norwich (not as bad as this bunch of dirty clowns) and I can see that we will get a lot more of it before the end of the season. It's time Buck bucked up his philosophy about pretty football all the time. Are we so precious that we can't put the boot in to at least protect ourselves? I'm sick of it to be honest - all this wepping and whining from us because our team is too weak to man up and sort out the physical stuff. Teams have worked us out so we are going to get a lot more of this. I don't agree with it and I don't like it but it's a fact of football life and we need to deal with it sooner rather than later. Most of our opposition now know they can't "out-football" us so they will resort to the rough stuff. Hardly surprising is it, given the huge money at stake? You don't have to big to be nasty. Some of the biggest thugs in the game have been little guys; Bremner, Giles, Nobby Stiles and many more. Now, I'm not advocating that we resort to abandoning our football ethic but, come on, let the other lot know that if they are going to kick you then they are going to get it back. Your own self esteem and self respect demands that, surely? Or do our players have any? Are they the pussies that opposing fans are accusing them of being? I know one thing, Bodde wouldn't have put up with it and I'd like to see some of our players with his backbone if not his talent. Final point. If our 6ft 3" keeper can't deal with high balls then get shot of him now. He's no use to us.
I really had a bad feeling when I heard Agustien injured himself in training . We need him & another like him this summer , if we stay up , to be able to keep teams like Stoke honest .
When we played Valencia, (both games) their keeper won everything in the box that we threw in at them. He totally commanded his area, and that was the difference today. Pulis plays for set pieces and throw in's so most managers know what to expect of us. I originally thought that was why he put a bigger keeper in goal today instead of Vorm until I read he was out with illness. Swansea will survive no doubt about that and your manger will take something out of every game and get wiser for next season. The only problem you will have is hanging on to your better players from the big 6 clubs when they come sniffing!
Jack - you are Welsh I presume? Yesterday you saw RUGBY tackles - more like car crashes really. Now then, what you saw today was not like that was it? So don't be so ****ing stupid. We lost yesterday, fair play to Wales. You lost today - take it like a man you ****ing girlie bastard All the best NB xx
If there's a team we're not likely to get much from it's Stoke. We knew what was coming. We didn't deal with it. They won. We move on to Wigan, where the prospect of 1 or 3 points is more likely.
Was furious when watching the game at the amount of protection we were lacking from the referee... But having calmed down a tad its time to focus on Wigan now where i do believe we will get a result!
Jack Ash that's because you are a proper fan and your team runs in your blood just like all of us. No of us like defeat however it comes. We work hard and pay good money to watch these players so we always expect a top preformance in return. Somedays we just don't get it. Yes also sometimes ****e refs rob sides of a potential win but I thought Howard Webb had a good game for both sides today and Swansea lost because they were too lightweight to be honest. It was like a game of men against boys out there today.
please log in to view this image Can't disagree with any of that Waddos, and I'm in full agreement with what Ivor has said too, I'm sick and tired of our players not manning up to the tougher, and more physical sides, and it's time it was sorted, if their going to kick and take your legs, then it's easy, you just wait your moment, and give them some of their own medicine, but we just don't do it, well it's about time we bloody did, stuff that 'fair play league' into the Europa, time to man up, and dish some out, the bigger they are the harder they fall, and by the way, who the hell was responsible for signing that excuse of a keeper Tremmel? Bloody useless, hope he never gets another game in a Swansea shirt, he lost the game for us single handedly, when I saw that Vorm was not on the field, I knew we'd not win today.............. Sinclair needs time on the bench, and I'm sick of seeing Rodgers conversing with Pascoe on the touchline, Pascoe doesn't have a bloody clue!.........
All the best for the rest of the season Dragonphil as I'm sure Swansea will be ok come the end of it. Like I said earlier your manager will learn from this first season and build on it next. For all those that made it to Stoke today here's one for your scrap book............
think its a bit harsh blaming it all on Tremell, Phill - i also dont think hes up to it but the defence was at fault for the first and we have to remember that Vorm isnt that great on crosses either so im sure we would have lost with him in anyway! - no, practically the whole team has to take the can for that performance - shocking! and i think i missed the bits that Brendan described as superb!
exile I'm off to watch MOTD, and if you watch it, you'll see how bad Tremmels positional awareness is, 33? think it's more like 63! Yes the rest of the team were poor too, but I'm sure Dai Cornell could have done better than Tremmel..................
Dragon Phil For me? Your'e last post but one is "Top drawer" a proper fan talking with some sense! Good luck for the rest of the season.. for the record. Had we lost today I would be right P***** off now. I too thought Howard Webb was fair to both teams. We've had much worse the last few seasons. I think Waddo is quite right. Your'e team at the minute is great to watch but far too lightweight, especially at the back. Sort that and you will be fine. Re the two set plays we scored from.
Spot on regarding our **** tactical awareness when it comes to set pieces. We suck. But Tremmel didn't help. He needs to go.
Knee-jerk reaction to one bad game from our number two. Thank god you lot aren't the manager. Yes he had a really poor game and teams suffer when that happens to your keeper. You have to persevere with players - at least up to a point. I remember quite a few keepers having howlers that went on to do really well for their club, given time. Bogdan springs to mind in recent times. Shay Given made quite a few ricks early on (remember the Dion Dublin incident?). Yes, Tremmel deserves criticism, but 'get rid?' Come on.
Agree with a lot of comments on here. We knew how Stoke was going to play, rough & tumble, play it long & high. What did we do? Try & play our normal game, which was never going to work. The game was won & lost in the first half, obviously. We had most of the possession & had no attempts on target. Stoke had a lot less possession, two attempts on target & .................two goals. Well played Stoke, you got stuck in, we seemed to be afraid to, well some of them did. Toughen the team up a bit Brendan. Buck needs to buck his ideas up a bit `cause now the hard work begins. He might be a bright manager, but a tactician he`s not, how about a plan B? If we don`t get anything from the Wigan game then we might get drawn into a battle near the bottom, `cause we ain`t going to get anything from Man City & Fulham.
Don't see what the problem is. I went and have no complaint. We didn't defend properly, a free header from a corner and a fumble from the keeper. Stoke were tough but I wouldn't say anymore than that. We had 74% possesion and didn't win. Thats down to our failings and bugger all to do with Stoke.
" CROUCHing tiger , hidden dragon " 70 % possession for us , total control of us by Peter Crouch . Crouch is one of the most underestimated players in the game & Stoke are lucky to have him IMO
