Stoke post match thread

Akiva said:
I'd argue you lose Monaco and Boro you win nothing this season, so no, last night's game wasn't more important.

Further, people need to shut up about Navas. He played quite well last night and wasn't the reason we couldn't take our chances.

As for Nolito, he's done little the few times he's played. Huddersfield for example. Don't know why you think he deserves a game based off poor performances in training and in games.



Pure hyperbole.

Unsurprising from a poster who has waited quite some time to bring back the "no better than Pellegrini" bullshit.

Saying that KDB, Yaya, Sane, Aguero, Dinho et al was evidence we handed the title to Chelsea is an insult to the quality of those players. You think that squad wasn't good enough to beat Stoke? We had our chances but just didn't take them.
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You would have to admit though that for 70 mins it was a woeful performance. Silva should have won the game for us. Bad miss that one.

Our home form has not been good enough this season.
 
uteblue said:
My opinion but that's two sloppy performances in a row (sane and Aguero aside at Sunderland), we could've easily drawn at Sunderland if they could finish, hopefully this drop in form doesn't continue, dinho has not been the same player since the suspensions and debruyne looks out of sorts, really disappointed today, hopefully those 2 points don't bite us in the ass
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Fernandinho hasn't played well since November consistently. Very poor last night. Our worst player for me along with Clichy.
 
Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
You would have to admit though that for 70 mins it was a woeful performance. Silva should have won the game for us. Bad miss that one.
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You can't say that at all. Further, when he came on, he missed an open goal.

People keep putting themselves in the place of the manager as if they know better or as if he intentionally sabotaged his own team. It's nonsense.

Our home form has not been good enough this season.
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That we can agree on. A single 0-0 draw against a parked bus of Stoke didn't break our season. Games like the Chelsea debacle and Spurs, both courtesy of bent refereeing, helped, but arguably our inability to put away teams earlier in the season was the catalyst.

We are in the middle of a good run right now, last night doesn't change that, but it stings all the more because we left ourselves with zero wiggle room for off days.
 
7 wins at home in 13 games, seriously poor stat for one of the games best tacticians. He doesn't seem to know how to beat a side that are well organised and setup well.
 
cookster said:
He doesn't seem to know how to beat a side that are well organised and setup well.
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What does this even mean? We've won plenty of games this season against such teams, including Stoke.

Players missing sitters isn't the manager's fault. Silva, KDB, Sane, Aguero and Kelechi all missed tap ins.
 
Akiva said:
What does this even mean? We've won plenty of games this season against such teams, including Stoke.
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Stoke game struggles were nothing to do with tactics. Was down to lack of focus/commitment in 1st half. We just weren't up for it. There was no pace in our game until Silva came on, and then we began to control and dictate the game and make Stoke work. Without Silva, our midfield was way off the pace. Plenty of safe sideways passing but no penetration. Sane was on time and again but it was very rare we gave him the ball in the 1st half.

In hindsight would have played Nolito instead of Navas.
 
Akiva said:
You can't say that at all. Further, when he came on, he missed an open goal.

People keep putting themselves in the place of the manager as if they know better or as if he intentionally sabotaged his own team. It's nonsense.



That we can agree on. A single 0-0 draw against a parked bus of Stoke didn't break our season. Games like the Chelsea debacle and Spurs, both courtesy of bent refereeing, helped, but arguably our inability to put away teams earlier in the season was the catalyst.

We are in the middle of a good run right now, last night doesn't change that, but it stings all the more because we left ourselves with zero wiggle room for off days.
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That's what I meant. He should have scored with the chance he had. Bad miss that.
 
Marvin said:
Stoke game struggles were nothing to do with tactics. Was down to lack of focus/commitment in 1st half. We just weren't up for it. There was no pace in our game until Silva came on, and then we began to control and dictate the game and make Stoke work. Without Silva, our midfield was way off the pace. Plenty of safe sideways passing but no penetration. Sane was on time and again but it was very rare we gave him the ball in the 1st half.

In hindsight would have played Nolito instead of Navas.
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Yes, but Nolito can''t give you what Navas offers: he can't collect the ball and, when faced with one man, turn back five yards, dribble across the pitch, beat two men, and pass it back to the centre half. ;-)
 
Not read full thread but I always say play your best team from start. When you have the goals or comfortabley going to win then take your players off. Why start putting players on 50/65 mins panic sets in & frustration from fans.

The game changed when silva came on he should of played from start & sterling too.

A fustrating night and I think we can see league is now finished. 2nd place at best.

Roll on next game.
 
BlueAnorak said:
Seriously garbage passing by the whole team last night.
Still we didn't concede, so that's a bonus.
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I am confused that our manager who has put such faith in his rule that from goalkeeper to striker we should pass the ball has not managed to get that message to those who decide that the final pass should be into the opponent goal.

However, congratulations to the one player who actually managed to hit the target on a single occasion from the 12 shots on goal that our collective team shot and simply failed to even get the shot between the posts.
Our players decide to shoot then miss the goal more often than not so why shoot if you cannot hit the target with a chance of accuracy should be Pep´s instruction because we have no chance to score if the target is missed.

This part of passing seems to be neglected whereas JH was sacrificed to get a for a less capable shot stopper who passes out of defence.

Stats
City
Shots on goal 12
On target 1

Stoke
Shots on goal 5
On target 2
 
Second half performance was OK, we just couldn't take our chances when they came.

This game emphasised how heavily reliant we are on Silva. We only started playing when he came on. God knows what we will do when he goes. He's the one player we have who cannot be replaced.

I feel very sorry for Nolito. He had a good start to the season and has done very little wrong. I think he's been poorly treated. He must be wondering why the hell he joined us.

Patience is a virtue. We're 4-5 good signings (one good transfer window) from having a potentially all-conquering side.
 
Gunnerblue9320 said:
Not read full thread but I always say play your best team from start. When you have the goals or comfortabley going to win then take your players off. Why start putting players on 50/65 mins panic sets in & frustration from fans.

The game changed when silva came on he should of played from start & sterling too.

A fustrating night and I think we can see league is now finished. 2nd place at best.

Roll on next game.
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He created more in the time he was on than the other creative players had between them. I cannot understand why you would 'sacrifice' 45 mins of a game hoping to get to HT with the game won and not risking yer top man. Silva's absence was there for all to see - heads, brick wall.

Do Stoke play any other way? The whole plan was feed on any defensive mistake, take any refereeing gifts that come yer way, or hoof the ball up and, like Mr. Micawber, see what turns up!
 
I ask this. would pep have rotated had we been playing a top 6 side even with Monaco 7 days away.

my guess is no.

sooner or later the penny has to drop for Pep that this is NOT a two team league.
 
Gunnerblue9320 said:
Not read full thread but I always say play your best team from start. When you have the goals or comfortabley going to win then take your players off. Why start putting players on 50/65 mins panic sets in & frustration from fans.

The game changed when silva came on he should of played from start & sterling too.

A fustrating night and I think we can see league is now finished. 2nd place at best.

Roll on next game.
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on the money.
 
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