[Archived] Stoke City Preview 18th April

[martmitch]

shocker, never looked like trying to get anything

[RibbleValleyRover]

We have no chance against Wigan and its a must win game.

[Pinch]

Its not a bollocking...its Sam putting out a correct team for once.

How does he think we are going to score?

Exactly. We are not flush with options...but Andrews and Moko...says it all.

[rovers si]

The players have not taken this run-in seriously. No second chances now. We MUST shape the hell up and get 3 points next week. Or else we're doomed!!

[Eddie]

No, last week and Arsenal were worse and Spurs wasn't much better. The formation doesn't work. Let's try one more for the thick (looking at you Allardyce): THE FORMATION DOESN'T WORK. We pose no attacking threat. Not because Benni and MGP and Diouf had terrible games, but because there's no way that set-up can produce chances. We're going out hoping to keep a clean sheet and that the ball might drop our way on a long ball into the box. It's clueless stuff. Allardyce has no idea what he's doing. He messed up the formation and then the subs.

THE FORMATION DOESN'T WORK. I'd have Ince back.

[MarkBRFC71]

Our worst performance since Sam joined the club. Absolutely awful, words can't even begin to describe.

It's Sam's fault. Moko and Andrews in midfield? For feck's sake - my cat could tell you that they are both miles away from Prem standard. How the f**k he picked them ahead of Dunn and Grella is plainly a mystery.

If we go down, it will be down to p1ss-poor management decisions both tactically and team selection wise.

[vyeo]

In one season, we've managed to regress four years. I'm just so so angry now. What is wrong with Sam? Why are we so negative? Before the stoke goal, it looked like we were here simply to play for a draw. NO acting nous, NO forward running, the midfield was kept behind the centreline and only allowed to move forward after stoke scored. Why? I have nothing against bombarding the opposition's goal from deadballs, but surely we must have some passing on the ground in open play. Surely football cannot be reduced to lumping the ball up all the time? So why can't we pass it? Oh, i forgot. We haven't got a single ball playing centre midfielder, that's why. Which leads to the next point. Why are Mokoena and Andrews playing week after week? Andrews is ok at right back, but he's clearly the weakest link in midfield. Anyone with eyes can see that. I am just so so disappointed and angry right now.

[sam_rovers]

How @#/? must grella be that mokoena is allowed to loiter on the field for most of the game?

I cant understand how can benni get so unfit... I think you have to try to get so unfit so fast...

I feel bad for the 3000 ppl that wasted their time to go and watch that crap...

[Majiball]

I'm begining to wonder if perhaps being relegated would not be a bad thing!!!

We can strip out all of the crap and start again.

Lads after all the effort I've made to be able to watch the poxy last 10 mins of this game each and everyone of you (the players) owe all of us the fans a explaination, your a disgrace to the shirt. I'd rather 11 of us went out against wigan at least we'd play with passion and pride.

One seriously ###### of Rover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

We played terribly today, no excuses.

However, you have to give Stoke credit, they were resolute and it's no surprise they have such a good home record.

Squeaky bum time.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Typical Rovers, relegation was in our own hands and we have screwed it up. Looking increasingly likely that we are going to have to rely on the results of other teams to have a chance of staying up.

[Tom]

Uh oh, scared now. If Newcastle win tomorrow then we are in deep deep trouble.

Results havnt been kind to us elsewhere either

[Dan]

I eagerly await the views of the poor fans who witnessed this mess.

Worried now.

You don't want to know, it was ###### poor. We couldn't do any of the basics. Moko and Andrews would struggle to get in a unibond team. Pedersen and Dioff can't take corners, pedersens throws are as @#/? as his corners. We have no width or creativity. We are definitely in the worst 3 teams in the prem. If we stay up, it'll be either a miracle or lucky.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I'd have Ince back.

[Guest Kamy100]

Second half was very very poor from us. Stoke piled on the pressure and we offered very very little going forward. We gave a bad goal away but on the second half performance we can't argue against the result.

Now relying on other teams to do us favours.

[Presty On Tour]

One clear cut chance in the game and they took it.

Gutted!

[OJRovers]

The midfield and attack might as well have stayed at home.

Defensively we were ok - we had to be - Nelsen and Samba dealt well with their long balls/throw ins, there was zero protection from the midfield.

Every time we won possession we lost it within about 5 seconds.

Andrews/The Axe CAN'T PASS.

Grella played 90 mins for the reserves the other day, surely he could have played.

Looks like we're going to have to rely on Boro and Newcastle being worse than us in the run in.

Bad times.

[Mr. E]

We are not premiership, or even championship quality. Literally everything about our team is indefensible s***.

We have something worse than having no midfield, we have Pedersen, Andrews and Mokoena. These 3 players would be enough to send Man. Un down. I'd rather we played with 3 bums than these wastes of air.

Sorensen confidently caught every ball in his area. Robinson flapped at a number of ones.

With out only clear striker on the pitch, our manager decided to take him off for a stick-figure.

No one bar Diouf showed any desire whatsoever to change things. No one except El Hadji Diouf. Yep.

[Exiled in Toronto]

4 problems today:

1) Allardyce's selection and tactics - we were never going to score and its tough to keep Stoke to zero at home

2) Andrews distribution

3) Key players like MGP and Warnock didn't even get of the team coach in our most important game for years - disgraceful

4) Playing Benni in midweek then he could last the full 90 today

Not enough players are showing enough Moxy - some of them clearly don't believe in Allardyce and can't be bothered. The last 3 games have been just as bad as the 6 game losing streak.

[philipl]

All we had to do was get a draw beng realistic.

All we had to do was avoid giving away the sort of pass Andrews gave away. Even then, Robinson failed horribly when called upon.

3 points ahead of relegation. Thankfully Hull are in freefall and Boro couldn't win at home to Fulham.

Grim battle for survival now- never exected us to lose this one.

[RibbleValleyRover]

I'm begining to wonder if perhaps being relegated would not be a bad thing!!!

We can strip out all of the crap and start again.

Lads after all the effort I've made to be able to watch the poxy last 10 mins of this game each and everyone of you (the players) owe all of us the fans a explaination, your a disgrace to the shirt. I'd rather 11 of us went out against wigan at least we'd play with passion and pride.

Or worst case scenario we go down and never come back up. There has been bigger and more financially better clubs than us that have gown down and never recovered.

With the owners looking to sell and not investing money in the club i think relegation would be the first death nail that sees our club eventually being wiped out.

[Stuart]

Someone needs to tell these players the story of Charlton Athletic Football Club. That will be us unless they get their act together. Mind you, half of them will get new clubs in the Premier League anyway so why should they give a toss. Gutted.

I was writing up the Wigan preview earlier today, in confident mood. I daren't post it up now until Monday at the earliest. There'll be some who need to get this game out of their system first - me included.

[rover6]

3) Key players like MGP and Warnock didn't even get of the team coach in our most important game for years - disgraceful

Gamst is a passenger in just about every game. Waste of space, sometimes.

I'm surprised Allardyce didn't throw on Doran to see if he could change things.

[The1mattjansen]

All eyes on Spurs now, they could do us a MASSIVE favour tommorow.

If we can go into Wigan at home 3 points clear of the drop zone then we still have it all in our own hands. Boro have fluffed one of they few remaining easier games.

If we don´t beat Wigan then things are going to start to look bleak.

[MarkBRFC71]

Let's see if Sam learns from it. If we start 4-5-1 with Moko and Andrews on Sunday then he's proved he's fecking clueless and will likely take us down.