Stoke post match

Delighted with the win.
When I watch a replay there are too many occasions when we look as if the players have never met each other before. Yet, the improvement on last season is immense.
I don't know how many games we will need until we 'click' as a team. Pep is still feeling his way with us and the Premiership. We have won two, but still play passes that go astray, balls at chest level when to feet was possible and appear disjointed. But when Nolito and Nacho got together with Sterling we upped the pace.
So, I do not know whether it's time, change of 1 or 2 players, or formation to get it right. But I have every confidence in Pep and know he will sort it. Please, before the Utd game.
 
the blue panther said:
And, that 4th goal was a work of art - the dummy by Iheanacho was sublime, yet - typically - not deemed worthy of comment in the media.

Ref blunders? Yes, your thug of a right full back should have been sent off for an over the ball tackle in the first half, and you maybe should have had a penalty if the ref hadn't been unsighted for the Kolarov 'foul.' Then again, if the ref had spotted that Shawcross pushed Sterling first on the penalty incident, maybe you shouldn't have had that penalty at all. So, all in all, if the ref had spotted everything, we would have had double figures instead of just the 4.
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Spot on. It made the goal possible, by letting Raheem have a clear run in on goal before squaring for Nol to tap in. The "victim" of the dummy (think it was Shawcross) nearly ended up out in the car park, so utterly was he done by it. It reminded me of Negredo's dummy for Kun at Upton Park in the 13/14 season.
 
jimharri said:
Spot on. It made the goal possible, by letting Raheem have a clear run in on goal before squaring for Nol to tap in. The "victim" of the dummy (think it was Shawcross) nearly ended up out in the car park, so utterly was he done by it. It reminded me of Negredo's dummy for Kun at Upton Park in the 13/14 season.
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He saw the spin on the ball and made the decision to dummy knowing that when it hit the ground it would veer to the left, having clocked Sterling he knew it would fall in to his path and give him a clear run on goal, that kind of split second decision making from such a young player is a thing of beauty.

Take a look at our third goal, as Kelechi starts his run, look what happens to Sterling with the linesman just a few feet away!
 
The perfect fumble said:
He saw the spin on the ball and made the decision to dummy knowing that when it hit the ground it would veer to the left, having clocked Sterling he knew it would fall in to his path and give him a clear run on goal, that kind of split second decision making from such a young player is a thing of beauty.

Take a look at our third goal, as Kelechi starts his run, look what happens to Sterling with the linesman just a few feet away!
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Can't remember which Stoke player it was who deliberately took Sterling out during the build up to the goal but when you consider the level of contact in the incident which lead to the penalty Stoke were awarded, and the booking Sterling got, it doesn't make much sense does it.
 
Bozzie said:
Can't remember which Stoke player it was who deliberately took Sterling out during the build up to the goal but when you consider the level of contact in the incident which lead to the penalty Stoke were awarded, and the booking Sterling got, it doesn't make much sense does it.
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I thought that the Sterling foul was more of a "make up" call than an actual penalty.

Nevertheless, BPL referees have been instructed to clamp down on holding in the box this season. If contact similar to Sterling's is consistently carded for a penalty, I've no problem with it. In fact, I think it would improve the game. But, I don't think that this will be whistled as a foul on a consistent basis.

And then there's the impact on international competitions - if BPL players "learn" to abide by the new rules, how will they fare in international competitions - whether playing for England - or in the Europa/UCL where contact similar to Sterling's is allowed?

If the BPL wants to clamp down on holding in the box, I think it's a good idea. But to go it alone, without the cooperation of other leagues world wide - seems likely to put our sides at a disadvantage in international competition. So for me, this is something that FIFA needs to enforce, world-wide.
 
As ungracious as I find Mark Hughes, both in victory or defeat, I think he was probably accurate with his post match comments. This, like the new dissent guidelines, is likely to be a flash in the pan. There will be some high profile inconsistencies, no doubt involving Rooney, a foul mouth tirade and Mark Clattenburg and, instead of dealing with it retrospectively it will be quietly shelved until we're back to the way we were.
 
The perfect fumble said:
He saw the spin on the ball and made the decision to dummy knowing that when it hit the ground it would veer to the left, having clocked Sterling he knew it would fall in to his path and give him a clear run on goal, that kind of split second decision making from such a young player is a thing of beauty.

Take a look at our third goal, as Kelechi starts his run, look what happens to Sterling with the linesman just a few feet away!
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Should've sent him to compete at wrestling in the Olympics.
 
Please remember the conditions in Stoke were far from ideal for our passing football. Gusty winds, horrible pitch made it so difficult for players to judge ball flight, pace on the ball, ball control, etc. Which means our players adjusted quite well, given the difficulties. Hence players were more reluctant to receive passes as more mistakes were likely to happen. And this was, without Stoke & their physical approach. Hence, the lack of fluidity in our movement and passing was understandable. Likely, Pep may encounter such conditions in more than one venue. So this was a valuable win for Pep with many take-aways. It was creditable, the players adjusted to the conditions & won inspite of playing a new and difficult system.
 
Josep said:
Please remember the conditions in Stoke were far from ideal for our passing football. Gusty winds, horrible pitch made it so difficult for players to judge ball flight, pace on the ball, ball control, etc. Which means our players adjusted quite well, given the difficulties. Hence players were more reluctant to receive passes as more mistakes were likely to happen. And this was, without Stoke & their physical approach. Hence, the lack of fluidity in our movement and passing was understandable. Likely, Pep may encounter such conditions in more than one venue. So this was a valuable win for Pep with many take-aways. It was creditable, the players adjusted to the conditions & won inspite of playing a new and difficult system.
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I agree regarding the wind but I thought the pitch was in excellent condition.
 
I watched a recording of this & City were much better than I originally thought. During the 'iffy' spell, Stoke got absolutely nothing whatsoever. It was just that we couldn't quite get our attacking game together.

Mike Dean was a fucking disgrace. The next 4 corners all contained worse offences than the one he shat on Sterling for. In one instance, the Stoke player drags Kolarov to the ground right in front of him in a much worse offence than Shawcross. Shithouse of a ref.
 
Neville Kneville said:
I watched a recording of this & City were much better than I originally thought. During the 'iffy' spell, Stoke got absolutely nothing whatsoever. It was just that we couldn't quite get our attacking game together.

Mike Dean was a fucking disgrace. The next 4 corners all contained worse offences than the one he shat on Sterling for. In one instance, the Stoke player drags Kolarov to the ground right in front of him in a much worse offence than Shawcross. Shithouse of a ref.
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Did the same last night and I agree with you. Stoke had nothing.
 
Neville Kneville said:
I watched a recording of this & City were much better than I originally thought. During the 'iffy' spell, Stoke got absolutely nothing whatsoever. It was just that we couldn't quite get our attacking game together.

Mike Dean was a fucking disgrace. The next 4 corners all contained worse offences than the one he shat on Sterling for. In one instance, the Stoke player drags Kolarov to the ground right in front of him in a much worse offence than Shawcross. Shithouse of a ref.
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Yup random ref with random decisions. I expect that is the last we have seen of penalties for these fouls.
 
bluebrickroad said:
I agree regarding the wind but I thought the pitch was in excellent condition.
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very dry. Coupled with the wind, it was so difficult to gauge how much u hv to push the ball when u kick it along the ground so that it reaches the target player, & the wind would alter its trajectory too.
 
tramazi said:
Yup random ref with random decisions. I expect that is the last we have seen of penalties for these fouls.
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I have no problem if they all give them for shirt pulling etc, as they would soon stop.

But just for getting your body in the way ? There has to be some allowance for physical contact defending corners other than like fucking netball.
 
Still a disgrace that Bardsley got away with that 'tackle'

Dean was looking right at it and didn't even call it a foul!
 
I can see why Mike Dean wanted to help them having thought about it, it's not easy coming from Stoke.
 
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