so fair play credit where it's due Tone http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11701/7430165/ Stoke boss Tony Pulis praised his players after holding Liverpool to a goalless draw at Anfield. The Potters produced a resolute defensive display to frustrate Liverpool and earn a well-deserved point. Chances were few and far between in a disappointing encounter but Pulis was delighted with the way his side frustrated Liverpool to ensure they took four points from Kenny Dalglish's men this season. "We're delighted. The effort and commitment of the players was terrific," beamed Pulis. "We changed the shape of the team and when we saw Kenny was playing with three centre-halves and played Walters with three narrow midfielders. We wanted to be strong in certain areas and they did smashing. "That is four points off Liverpool and two clean sheets in the Premier League and that is a great achievement for us." Pulis also praised referee Howard Webb for ignoring two Liverpool penalty appeals late on when Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt went down in the box. "I think apart from Kuyt's effort which he should have scored it is not as if they have missed open chances and Sorensen has made lots of saves," added Pulis. "They have a fantastic crowd here and they could see we were digging in. The cheering [for the penalty appeals] and some refs might have buckled but Howard [Webb] was experienced and strong enough not to."
Credit to TP for changing his tactics, and to the players for adapting to them, but no credit to the players for some of the worst passing I've seen in a long time. Even easy 5yd passes weren't completed. It was embarrassing to watch at times and it's just as well that Liverpool were so poor that they couldn't capitalise. Grump over and I'm glad of a hard fought point, but sometimes I get so frustrated as we let ourselves down and show ourselves to be worse players than we are.
0-0 at Anfield!! Should be ecstatic, nope but I will keep on repeating 0-0 at Anfield. BUT Liverpool were there for the taking - oh sod it - 0-0 at Anfield
Smit and Nicky I watched the game on-line and this is why Pulis pisses me off. We could not keep the bloody ball. Whelan had a right mare IMO. Wilson was almost as bad. Woodgate too slow but.. he is NOT a fullback TP. UNTIL HE effin wakes up and smells the coffee.. we're not going to change. MIDFIELD simpy is NOT good enough. That said. Our defence played well and we restricted them to very little. Which, is why I agree with Nick, Liverpool had we gone for it? Who knows still HAPPY with a pt I didn't expect yesterday. T.P. can tell me, I got the tactics right and he did.
