Campbell

Why don't we try and beat Stoke AT OUR GAME instead! with a bit technique, ability on the deck(if Barton/Ireland plays), a high-work rate and a determined attitude to get something out of this! Not just hoofing the damn ball to Kuqi/Ameobi/Ranger, being one dimensional, trying to be ''bigger'' than Stoke and muscle out players.. that just shows how horribly overrated the PL is with poor technical teams like Stoke!

 

It's not a bad idea, it'll just be tough and risky. If you could beat them every time with technical ability they wouldn't have lasted 1 season in the league.
Saying that it's as good as all the other ideas

 

Totally agree, I can't understand why anyone would advocate playing 5 in defense, this will surrender the midfield and make any chance of getting out of defense even harder, as for Delap simples, instead of piling every player back into the penalty area and making it too crowded put only 6 players in the box and leave the others as pressing players outside the box. Stoke don't usually throw a lot of players forwards on a throw in, usually 4 I think and this gives the goalkeeper much more space to go for the ball as well, we should play our game and make Stoke worry about competing with us.

 

You would play 5 in defence in this case as there may well only be 3 fit midfielders. Can you suggest a formation with 4 in midfield given our injury situation?

And I agree, try to beat Stoke at our game, not theirs. They play their own style every week and you arent going to beat them at it by just putting some big slow bugger like Campbell in.

 

I honestly would rather keep him as a super-sub. Colo and Willo should be our first choice pairing in my opinion - as others have mentioned, playing 5 at the back simply wont make any difference against the long throws. I can't see Pardew changing things too much.