Rory Delap

As the learned fellow buzzer1 has stated, that's all he needs to do. There are far worse players who have played in this league (Kilbane, Palmer) who offer not even a long throw. There are even sublime players who only turn up in about 1 in 5 games (Robinho). Delap gives a lot of effort every game and also give a great option to a team which is built around set pieces. His assists must be up there.
 
Stoke fan here

I have to disagree with your comments regarding Delap offering nothing other than a long throw. Whilst you may have noticed that he offers little in an attacking sense (something I can't argue with) he, along with Dean Whitehead as a central midfield pairing, are vital to the way we play. Neither are particularly effective in an attacking capacity, but are two of the fittest players in the league. This showed in the first half yesterday. Your players didn't have any time on the ball. Delap and Whitehead harass the opposition with constant running and tackling. This results in us winning the ball higher up the pitch, leaving our two wingers Etherington and Pennant, and our forwards Jones and Fuller to attack. This was proving very effective in the first half yesterday, as it has done most of the season. Granted, Delap and Whitehead aren't the best players with the ball at their feet, but there aren't many in the league that are better without the ball, chasing and harrying the opposition. This enables out players who are good with the ball (Pennant, Etherington, Fuller, and Jones) to to what they do best.

They are two players that are vital to our system.
 
fredzeppelin said:
Stoke fan here

I have to disagree with your comments regarding Delap offering nothing other than a long throw. Whilst you may have noticed that he offers little in an attacking sense (something I can't argue with) he, along with Dean Whitehead as a central midfield pairing, are vital to the way we play. Neither are particularly effective in an attacking capacity, but are two of the fittest players in the league. This showed in the first half yesterday. Your players didn't have any time on the ball. Delap and Whitehead harass the opposition with constant running and tackling. This results in us winning the ball higher up the pitch, leaving our two wingers Etherington and Pennant, and our forwards Jones and Fuller to attack. This was proving very effective in the first half yesterday, as it has done most of the season. Granted, Delap and Whitehead aren't the best players with the ball at their feet, but there aren't many in the league that are better without the ball, chasing and harrying the opposition. This enables out players who are good with the ball (Pennant, Etherington, Fuller, and Jones) to to what they do best.

They are two players that are vital to our system.
Click to expand...

Don't agree at all, we kept the ball for large chunks of time in the second half, when your playing City and losing you have to get the ball because we'll just keep it. I think after the first goal we had possession at one point for nearly 10 minutes just passing it around your front 4. The way we played after the goal forced Stoke to just hoof it up the field at random allowing us to apply more pressure. I think we fully deserved to win that game based on the second half performance as a team but a defensive lapse let us down.

Doesn't exactly point to excellent fitness for a team that needed to score that the opposition is dominating possession, the whole point of pressing is to restrict space so they can't. The only thing Delap offered was those throw-ins and the chalkboards from matches before show 50% of his passes don't arrive at a Stoke player, not brilliant really. He's just a glorified Rugby player. Still think as well Hugh shouldn't of been on the pitch, terrible challenge on Balotelli that wasn't even shown on MOTD or anywhere else.
 
inbetween said:
fredzeppelin said:
Stoke fan here

I have to disagree with your comments regarding Delap offering nothing other than a long throw. Whilst you may have noticed that he offers little in an attacking sense (something I can't argue with) he, along with Dean Whitehead as a central midfield pairing, are vital to the way we play. Neither are particularly effective in an attacking capacity, but are two of the fittest players in the league. This showed in the first half yesterday. Your players didn't have any time on the ball. Delap and Whitehead harass the opposition with constant running and tackling. This results in us winning the ball higher up the pitch, leaving our two wingers Etherington and Pennant, and our forwards Jones and Fuller to attack. This was proving very effective in the first half yesterday, as it has done most of the season. Granted, Delap and Whitehead aren't the best players with the ball at their feet, but there aren't many in the league that are better without the ball, chasing and harrying the opposition. This enables out players who are good with the ball (Pennant, Etherington, Fuller, and Jones) to to what they do best.

They are two players that are vital to our system.
Click to expand...

Don't agree at all, we kept the ball for large chunks of time in the second half, when your playing City and losing you have to get the ball because we'll just keep it. I think after the first goal we had possession at one point for nearly 10 minutes just passing it around your front 4. The way we played after the goal forced Stoke to just hoof it up the field at random allowing us to apply more pressure. I think we fully deserved to win that game based on the second half performance as a team but a defensive lapse let us down.

Doesn't exactly point to excellent fitness for a team that needed to score that the opposition is dominating possession, the whole point of pressing is to restrict space so they can't. The only thing Delap offered was those throw-ins and the chalkboards from matches before show 50% of his passes don't arrive at a Stoke player, not brilliant really. He's just a glorified Rugby player. Still think as well Hugh shouldn't of been on the pitch, terrible challenge on Balotelli that wasn't even shown on MOTD or anywhere else.
Click to expand...


To be fair, I did say in the first half. We weren't the same in the second half. It's hard to keep up that sort of intensity against a team who can keep the ball as well as an expensively assembled team like yours can do. Most teams in the league cannot.
 
Would love to sign Delap then stick him in the reserves so that Stoke can go back the Championship.
 
Think it was a couple of season ago, but Stoke were play West Brom and insted of giving a throw-in away (the most obvious thing to do) the keeper gave a corner insted. Just goes to show effective he is.

Beckham perfercted his passiing, crossing etc. and look where that got him!
 
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