Stoke (a) 20/08/2016 - pre-match thread

[wythenshaweblue£££]

Bogey team for us and as always Hughes will be up for this. We owe them one hopefully 3 points.

 

[mancityandme]

Anybody any idea if Sane or Kompany available for the stoke game?

 

[blueyorkie]

This is the type of game which should tell us whether we have progressed although it's come a bit early but it's games like this that we've slipped up in the past. One of the things I expect from Pep is to banish our weak performances against the likes of Stoke

 

[Monkfish]

1-1 would be a fine result. Doesn't matter who manages us or who is playing, we don't play well at Stoke. Ever

 

[St.Pauli support]

Stoke away on an August Saturday lunch!
We should take it as a present and return give them a free lesson. 4-0 City.
You know it's a new era. Us fans have to adapt a bit, too. :)

 

[IanBishopsHaircut]

Make no mistake...this is the litmus test for Pep's City...win here with style and we can pretty much take it that his style of football really can be adapted to the PL..I really hope we smash them and make a statement...CITY ARE BACK

 

[kaz7]

I thought we got off to a sloppy start the last 2 games,i hope pep knocks that out of them
Stoke like to play proper football these days so plenty of space and chances for both sides,no idea of the team but hopeful for a good result

 

[aguero93:20]

Anybody any idea if Sane or Kompany available for the stoke game?

Kompany isn't due back until the 10th September.

 

[domalino]

Make no mistake...this is the litmus test for Pep's City...win here with style and we can pretty much take it that his style of football really can be adapted to the PL..I really hope we smash them and make a statement...CITY ARE BACK

I think Stoke are a long way from the "typical English team" that people used to talk about Messi struggling against on a cold wet tuesday night in November. Hughes has modernised them and in doing so made them much like a lot of the upper mid-table teams.

However - They still have that reputation amongst fans and pundits, so I do agree that a good win here would be a major statement, and conversely, a loss would be really fucking annoying because it would lead to so much "tiki-taka dont fit no english football, Peps not in 2 team league like Spain any more lads!"

So it's a big game.

 

[St.Pauli support]

Well, what could be best for Stoke?
Pressing high? Must be very good otherwise City have lots of space which KBD and Sterling will take with a kiss on the hand.
Setup pieces will be a target. Have to avoid that by lots of possession and concentrated defending.
Otherwise they could try to get a 0-0. Which wouldn't be a disaster for us. Not sure about Pep though...

Pep will further improve the system and Stoke will have some work to find an answer.
Maybe Stoke also had some hope we have a CL match ahead. But now it appears to be just a post match jogging pre CL group draw.

So no need to rush in Sane, Gundogan or Kompany. We have the time to wait until they are ready and fit.

Personally I would like to see KDB and Raheem score.
Can only see 3 pts for City.