Absolutely gutted for the lad and will be sorely missed whilst he is out. I know he was having a bit of a mare in the first half but I think some of that was down to the wind carrying the ball out. He is always composed on the ball and can pick out a pass. This is going to be a big blow for us. Wilko is a Stokie through and through and wears his heart on his sleeve but I always feel with Wilko that just like Whitehead he is always about to do something rash. We struggled to find the goal again yesterday with this new 4-5-1 line up but in saying that we look solid and playing some exciting stuff. Nzonzi is a giant in midfield and I think he has made all the difference to us this season. Ethers was brilliant when he came on and looked like a player playing for his place, despite Cattermole trying to take his legs at every given opportunity, he was on fire yesterday. I couldn't believe Walters was taken off I thought I was seeing things!! O'Neil came for the point and got the point so it was job done for him. Still only 2 games lost against two of the top 3 clubs so Happy Days so far. Just couldn't help wondering though if it had been one of the opposition that sustained a broken leg at the Brit yesterday our boards would have been swarmed now by all different fans. Yet us humble Stokies just accept it and move on. Speedy recovery Marc mate! http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11701/8202346/
Agreed awful injury and if it had been the other way round we would have been slated! Not sure I 100% agree that we are playing that well, after all Sunderland were poor and with the money spent and players available we should be more positive, create more opportunities and have more clinical finishing - IMO! You hit the nail on the head itch 4-5-1 formation which at home is very negative and we are not utilising our players! Kightly has made several comments about having to play deep and defensive away from home against better opposition, but we play the same at Home against weaker opposition! The point is we have not replaced the weak payers/positions and Wilson is a prime example! He has cost us 10 million (Lawarance, Kitson and 3.5 million + the other Faye) and he is not a left back or a strong left footed player, made worse by the fact that TP has had 6 transfer windows to address both the full back issues! Poor management all round! No Delliah and more rumblings say it all!
Done so well so far this season he will be a big miss !! lets see who TP fills the gap with ? We aint blessed with left backs are we ? mmmmmmm I hope me fantasy dont suffer because of it lol
PP, Hope your still talking about football, Whoever we play there will give us as many problems as solutions. I think we all said we needed cover in the window but hey what do we know!!
Very sad news get well soon Marc Wilson Waddo, I'm not Wilson's biggest fan but, he does a great job for us and we will miss him.. Just to pick up on the point of being humble and moving on... As said, HAD~ that been the opposition all the Sunderland fans would have been slating us no doubts as would example, the Gunners. It was a total accident and we will deal with it. The game itself? Sunderland came for a pt and got a pt.. we just did'nt score had Pulis played (the right tactics/team) I think we would have won it. And, I've not yet seen ONE comment from a Sunderland fan wishing Marc Wilson all the best, I KNOW we the Stoke fans would have done that had it been the other way round. I guess we move onward and I also agree about Adam Smither's, it's (the system that doesn't suit him) and that's TPs fault.
I just can't see how we are goings get the best out of him without pace upfront and natural width on the wings! I'd like to be proved wrong for the benefit of Stoke FC but I think we will duplicate our form from last season, good draws against top teams and a lack of creation and conviction against teams around us! 5 in 32 is embarrassing, Bruce got sacked on 4 of 21 if I remember rightly! For me the team should be Begovic, Shawx, Huth, Cameron, Ethrington, Kightly/Pennant, Nzonzi, Adam, Whelan, Crouch & Owen/Jerome! This based on losing Wilson and really having no true FBs. My formation would be a 3-5-2 with wing backs (it's what our wingers do anyway and our FBs rarely overlap), 2 holding players and Adam linking up with Crouch, Owen and the wing backs! You could drop Whelan and bring on an additional defender and convert it to a proper 4-4-2 with balanced width.
