Folks, I too at the moment think we are well and truly in the clarts with with all the teams around us picking up points. Just a quick question tho,assumming hes fit,do you think PDC will play two up front Graham and Whickem or hoy an extra man in midfield and flood it (possibly the auld hunting in packs mentality). What do you think ?
Depends if Whickham is fit. If not I would play Mangane(perhaps as we should have against Benteke) - big physical presence and seems to know what he is doing.
I would expect our lot to be well fired up after the Villa debacle (and the subsequent PDC lashing). I suspect Stoke would settle for a point and Pulis could well set them to play accordingly. On that basis I say go for it.
You need to attack Stoke. They struggle to score goals, but they always have that aerial threat and can nick one every now and then. If you set up not to lose then you're not gonna come away with a good result. I smell a 0-0 or 1-1 unless you go for it properly.
This Stoke will come not to get beat and set up a 5 man midfield themselves. We need to get at them early and disrupt their game plan, like Villa did with us, an early goal from us will open up the game and i believe we have the players to hurt them. Larsson is due for one of his free kicks to go in and Stoke are easy meat for giving free kicks away.
As we have no attackers except DG who in fairness is due a goal (hopefully) it'll be 4 5 1, Whickham still crocked is a worry as he seems to have picked up the curse of SAFC or he has been super glued to the physios bench who knows?
Like talc says we haven't got any forwards so 4-5-1 on this occasion. Hopefully AJ & Jimmy running at them with pace might get us at least one penalty possibly two. DG to score and Gards. 2-1 with Walters scoring theirs.
But will we win it with negative thinking? We have 2 games to save our future (we will lose at Spurs for sure) and is it the time to go for it on Monday or graft a draw and **** our pants v Southampton? Personally, I'd play young Mandron from the start (alongside Graham and play Johnson on the left, Larsson on the right and Gardner and N'Diaye in the middle) and tell him to just make a total nuisance of himself until he runs out of steam. He could be an unknown factor that catches Stoke unawares. Its **** or bust time ladies and gents and not the time for faint hearts. We have to go for it tomorrow and throw everything at them because if we flood the midfield we could get bogged down in a drab goalless mess of a game where a narrow loss or useless draw are the more likely result. Throw the ****ing kitchen sink at them Paolo and secure the win that takes us out of the firing line. Don't get all nervous now.
Should be another fab atmosphere. Bank holiday, everybody on the drink all day inc Stokes fans so hopefully with passion and noise from the fans the players can bury another hoodoo of sh*t Monday night results.
Something like this: ...................Migg....................... Cuellar.....JOS.....Mangane.....Rose Johnson..Vaughan..Ndaiye..McClean ...................Gardner................... ..............Graham......................... Big players at the back, maybe even bring Elmo in at RB because he is decent in the air. Vaughan had a great game against Stoke 18 months ago so that's why I have included him. If we get the ball down and pass it they are no match for us.
The way the dirty bastards play we`re going to get free kicks. Larsson is due. Sunderland to win, Larsson to score any time 13/2 with W Hills. Got a couple of farthings on it.
Get yasell ower the ground 2moro fatha, get a ticket, or i'll go if you want, gannin to the clerb for 4
-------------Migg------------ Gardener-Mangane-O'Shea-Rose ----------Alfred-Colback--------- Larson-------------------McClean ------------Johnson------------- ------------Graham------------- Step one: Take out crouch. I'd like to see Mangane put on crouch to try and take him out of the game, if anybody can beat crouch in the air it's him. Step two: Eliminate the service to Crouch. Gone with Larsson and Mclean more for what they can do defensively than offensively. Definitely a game where we need to stop their direct approach so it would be defensive duty's for our wide men. Step 3: The Alfred Express. I'd like to see us knack them down the middle where they're at their weakest. Pure box to box for Alfred using his strength to break free and start counter attacks down the middle putting himself in the box once he's released it. imo
