According to The Oatcake: Begovic Wilson Huth Shawcross Cameron Shotton Whitehead N'Zonzi Etherington Jones Walters
I thought Ethrington was injured and TP was quoted as saying that Crouch would start - I suppose we will see soon enough. Stoke City Stoke have only earned five points in 2013, fewer than any other team in the Premier League. Their overall tally of 34 points is their lowest ever at this stage of a Premier League season. They have won just one of their last 12 league matches, and managed a solitary point and goal (a penalty) in their last five fixtures. The Potters have the worst goalscoring record in the top flight, with 27 goals from 31 games. They have failed to score in 14 of those matches - which is also the worst record in the Premier League.
Edit: Jones confirmed. Cant wait any longer I'm off lads, I will try and post by phone if I get chance if not lets hope when we catch up later its all good. Edit: Confirmed: Stoke: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson, Shotton, Nzonzi, Whitehead, Etherington, Walters, Jones Hope Ethrington is fit, and concerned that we havent gone with Adam. Would have liked to have seen Jerome in for Walters aswell.
Apt I think as for most of the game we looked as if we were on Come Dancing rather than a football pitch in the biggest game of our season. Until about 80 minutes that was truly horrific. Some of the lowest standard football you would see anywhere. Villa were the better side and deserved to win. We were utter utter garbage except for 5 minutes around when we scored. I have been fairly balanced up to now but they looked unmotivated for large parts and unless there is a drastic change we will get relegated. Our away form is so poor you can but see the odd point away, we have no chance against Manure and Spurs at home, which leaves us with Norwich and on this form likely to lose that. Maximum for me is 38 and more likely 35 or 36 and i really believe that will get us relegated. My one hope before today was that Pullis would be able to rouse them to greater heights. If he can't do that and it seems he can't, then his tactical acumen won't change it for us, and it is the trap door to the dross that is the Championship. And I lost on the Grand Nationalâ¦.
No me JM, that's for the excuse of a football team. What an absolute shambles, got what we deserved----NOTHING. Must admit it was a cracking goal from that young Villa lad - Lowton?? Huth getting nutmegged, must be getting soft, can't remember Denis Smith getting nutmegged!!
Agreed Northern, today was a game we ought to have been up for and was winable. Apparently the equaliser was our first shot on target and we were at home. Danny Mills on 5 live said we we woeful. Confidence must be rock bottom and with only Norwich, Utd and Spurs to play at home it does seem likely that we could go down. Who would have thought that after Boxing Day. Pulis picked the team most fans would have selected with Jones and Walters up front but we are not creating chances and this lack of goals scored will cost us dear.
Brilliant goal their second goal and it killed us off http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyskvz_sto-1-2-asv_sport
Northern and P P NO he didn't pick the team I wanted... where was Adam? and Northern correct it was total and utter **** less for 5/10 mins when Kightley scored.. cough cough, ADAM made that goal and had he started? who knows where it would have taken us.. that aside.. After that shambolic performance I see no light at the end of the tunnel whatsoever. IMO after listening to Clueliss we are well and truly fooked now. Some are saying don't get rid of him now, what's the point because (the player's know how to play under him) THAT in itself is the problem. Sorry to be so negative but IMHO it's now goodbye Premier League HELLO wake up, smell the coffee the Championship is looming after that. Villa totally OUTPLAYED US Clueliss, please leave and let the player's just pick a team because I'm sure as a squad they could no worse.
I will have to onto the Official Pulis Out thread now, I watched that on my laptop, what a waste of time. I absolutely do not feel happy about being proved right. Does ANYBODY apart from the fans give a damn. It certainly does not seem so to me.
I suppose the other issue for me now is does Pullis go now. A number of games ago I was firmly of the view, he should stay, as I thought he was the best man to get us safe. He knows the players and has had an ability to motivate. I hoped that would be enough. Now I don't think it matters if he goes. A new man would have no time admittedly but on the present form, and we are completely rock bottom in terms of the form league over a substantial number of games, we are in free fall and our best hope now is someone else. In effect they could not do worse. If we get relegated I can't see us coming back up as the whole squad would need an overhaul and the best players would go. It is vital we stay up this year due to the increase in TV monies. By the way his interview on bbc sport is like listening to a broken record http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21979453 Should have had two penalties and what can you do about the 30 yard goal. Some acknowledgement of poor play but not much.
Well it WAS worth seeing again. Reminiscent of Crouchies goal different angle etc, just as good. Could be the goal that keeps Villa up
A brilliant goal yes but... Where the hell we're are player's for the first SEVENTY five minutes? Absolute crap until Adam came on and made the goal. FACT is we should and would not be in this position IF one man did his job correctly. Championship for us now unless we beat UTD Yeah I had to laugh because we now need a MIRICLE result from somewhere.
I've heard in Northern.. AGAIN he's talking bull**** we didn't deserve anything from that game fact Clueliss.. and yes mate our SQUAD would pick a better team and show more effort without him. What's to lose? we looked down with him so let's day adios Clueliss and see where we end up. Thoughts anyone?
Well what can I say? I'm trying to be positve so lets think. I honestly thought that once we had made it to half time at on 0-1 we were still in with a shout and when Villa missed a few early chances in the second half I was still confident. I agree that their second goals knocked any belief we had left and at that stage we looked like be able to nick a win but I think that would have been an injustice to Villa and football. The scary thing is that we could have very easily have lost by 5 or 6 today and for me thats the concern. Its not the result that worries me as I still think that we will be able to scrape enough points to stay up, but the performance today showed how poor a team we are, how poor our player decissions and mangers tactics are too. We started with an unfit Ethrington an out of form Walters and a defender as a winger - and there in lies the fundemetal problem with the clubs direction. We created 2 shots on target all game and the blindless hoofing was akin to what you woudl expect in the lower leagues. The subs were driven by injury/lack of fitness and we had nothing to offer to really change the game, although we did look better when Jerome & Jones were together. He picked the wrong team and played with the old tactics and ironically when we had equalised I was sitting there thinking just hang on, but for the first game I can remember we seemed hell bent on throwing the point away - madness! Very disapointed to say the least.
More deluded after match comments from the capped clown. Incidentally where I was standing on row 1 blockk 11 a queue formed at the end to abuse Pulis as he trudged off with his hand up to his cap to cover his face and head down. The guy behind me held up a Tony out Arry in banner!!! - http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11701/8622080/
Best song of the day from the Villa fans - "sacked in the morning, you're getting sacked in the morning, sacked in the morning.........." I actually applauded that one
