So, how did we beat Stoke??

[Corky]

They missed their chances.

Same way we beat Chelsea.

 

[Challenger1978]

i can't believe people want to watch that dross every week, i was falling asleep.

de niro you're very close to doing a rascal fella, you need to chill out.

 

[Freestyler]

We played patient on the floor posession and took the chance when they come along, the defence was improved aswell, no smashing it up field shit we've seen recently.

Stoke weren't the best to be honest and Given didn't have an awful lot to do but you can only beat whats put infront of you.

 

[Jonny Boy]

The return of Gareth Barry's form, knits everything together for us. Retain possession, takes the pressure off, gives us control of the match. When he was on form early in the season putting in performances like yesterday we were winning regularly, his form drops off we stop winning, now he starts playing again and we win comfortably.

Agree, Barry was immense if not a bit bumbling at times but thats his style.

However, I feel what got us the win more than anything else was the teamwork and that came down to Mancini putting players in certain positions and them mixing it up when it didn't quite work....plus my original other points on this thread!!

 

[blucat599]

quite comfortably in the end :)
They would have caused endless problems under Hughes as they did on a couple of occasions yesterday and they would not have given up, as they did yesterday knowing that under Hughes we were always vulnerable to swift counter attacking play right until the final whistle, they would have got something out of that game I'm sure!

 

[Corky]

quite comfortably in the end :)
They would have caused endless problems under Hughes as they did on a couple of occasions yesterday and they would not have given up, as they did yesterday knowing that under Hughes we were always vulnerable to swift counter attacking play right until the final whistle, they would have got something out of that game I'm sure!

3-0 at home last season, it was a much easier win too.

Only Given stopped us going behind yesterday.

 

[blucat599]

quite comfortably in the end :)
They would have caused endless problems under Hughes as they did on a couple of occasions yesterday and they would not have given up, as they did yesterday knowing that under Hughes we were always vulnerable to swift counter attacking play right until the final whistle, they would have got something out of that game I'm sure!

3-0 at home last season, it was a much easier win too.

Only Given stopped us going behind yesterday.

Good point mate but they are prob better this season than last!
Gave Villa a right game the other week at Villa

 

[glyncity]

Good point mate but they are prob better this season than last!
er they have only scored 4 away goals all season

 

[blucat599]

Good point mate but they are prob better this season than last!
er they have only scored 4 away goals all season

.. and didn't score yesterday thanks to the Mancini input, oh and Given made a couple of great saves, what he's good at, that's why he's there :)

 

[paulgmurphyhumphries]

ah the concencus is switching. Mark bought good players, but he was tactically naive and reached his limit, you are funny,
Until we scored we didnt create and in the 2nd half they had lots of half chances. Before we scored they did miss a sitter. Hey, we did ok with the players available, Why do people have to polarise everything. We did ok thats all.