[Archived] Rovers V Stoke

[RibbleValleyRover]

Any news on Emerton? Is Givet back?

I would probably pick:

Robinson

Jacobsen Samba Nelsen Chimbonda

Emerton Dunny N'Zonzi Diouf

Di Santo Kalinic

If Givet is fit he could come back into the side, which will likely mean that Jacobsen is dropped and Chimbonda plays right back.

Emerton and N'Zonzi have to play if fit imo, both high energy players who will get around the pitch, I'd like to see Diouf get dropped but i can't see who is pushing him for a place at the moment. Pedersen is garbage, EVH can't get a game, Hoilett will be freezed out, Olsson could maybe do a job as a winger, certainly looks better going forward than defending...

Di Santo will be needed for his work-rate, i'd like to see Kalinic get the start, a game against a physical Stoke side could be a good learning experience for him. I also think a Di Santo/Kalinic partnership could flourish if given time to develop. Roberts will probably start though, for me he is a bench/impact player and not a good enough starter. Benni will probably come on at some point, can't see him starting though.

Onto the game, it all depends on one player for me and thats Dunny. Stoke will have done their homework and viewed footage on Dunny, with him being the sole creative outlet in the team if you stop him you stop Rovers. If Dunny can get some freedom to attack and make something happen then i can see us win, if they stop him i can't see where the goals are going to come from.

Going for a 1-0 win.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I'm my usual pessimistic self. That's what following Rovers does to you. Two good results followed by an awful one.We beat Stoke easily last season in Sam's first game, since then they've improved player wise while we've stood still at best. Interesting to see their away form is still so poor. I think we should win this by rights but I thought we were going to get a result at Fulham and we ended up getting battered. As always the first goal will be all important. I'd like a win but I think this could be a score draw.

[Amo]

I must say I'm fairly confident about this one and have no nerves at all. We're pretty solid at home, and hopefully Stoke will play into our hands if they go long. Keep the faith!

[RIML]

Sky Sports reporting that Big Sam has picked the team, Givet and Emerton back too.

[Bing]

N'Zonzi coming back in would be a good move not only because he's a better footballer than Grella but we'll need as much height defensively as well to deal with Stoke's set pieces.

[Lurid Coat]

Sky Sports reporting that Big Sam has picked the team, Givet and Emerton back too.

If true, then my preferred starting XI would be:

Robinson

Chimbonda - Nelsen - Samba - Givet

Emerton - N'Zonzi - Dunn - Diouf/Gamst

McCarthy - Roberts

There's no way Sam will pick Benni Mac and Jase up front, but they always seem to link up well (as showed against Portsmouth, for instance). Stoke are strong in the air, so I think it'd be a tad pointless to use Di Santo - he'll be crushed by the Stoke defenders. I'd rather we keep the ball on the floor and try to play some football.

[1864roverite]

Pint and a pie calling.

weather seems to be holding off the rain for the moment in a balmy Leyland, lets hope it extends over the hill to Bolton Road.

Still confident of a Rovers win, just debating which pie to eat first !!!!

[RIML]

I think Grella has to start, we need a player like him in midfield to break up play, but then again if he mistimes his tackles, Stoke are dangerous from set pieces

My guess at the team would be

Robinson

Chimbonda Samba Nelsen Givet

Emerton NZonzi Grella

-----------Dunn------------

Di Santo Roberts

Diouf will probably start though.

[Tom]

Roberts couldn't batter a fish!

Really?

He may not be a good finisher but he drags defenders all over the show and doesn't give them any peace.

I bet a tired defender would hate having to play against him at full pelt.

Would never start with him though.

Diouf has to be dropped

[mellison24]

Ollson is nowhere near as bad as people make out in my opnion.

He got mullered by Lennon that time but many a fullback will.

Adding to this, the original point was to play Olsson at LM, not LB. He has all the attributes to be a LM from what I've seen. And the one time he played there was against Everton in the Carling Cup last year and he scored didn't he?

[Plastic Head]

ollson is very,very poor...him or chimbonda, its chimbonda every time

surely salgado has to be tried in midfield at some point, he gets murdered at full back but he can't possibly have less qualities than grella or andrews have in the middle.

JACOB-SAMBA-ADMIRAL-CHIMBONDA

SALGADO-DUNN-EMERTON

ROBERTS-DI SANTO-McCARTHY

Brave selection '95.

[S15]

I think Grella has to start, we need a player like him in midfield to break up play, but then again if he mistimes his tackles, Stoke are dangerous from set pieces

My guess at the team would be

Robinson

Chimbonda Samba Nelsen Givet

Emerton NZonzi Grella

-----------Dunn------------

Di Santo Roberts

Diouf will probably start though.

I think this will be the team, only possible difference being Diouf in for N'Zonzi.

That 11 should have enough to win this one, but for some reason I have a nagging feeling we're going to lose 2-1.

[Tom]

It would be nice if just for once we could not let in the first goal at home

[Miker]

Emerton and Givet will be back and Grella will keep his place. Not sure about Andrews, unless he's going to be a left winger then I don't think so.

[bazza]

Who's going to turn up today; Jekyll or Hide.

We've seen both in the past two games and, frankly, Hide makes me feel sick.

I'd like to see Hoillet and Kalinic start.

[Tom]

Can't see Hoilett even making the bench Bazza, think Sam will want very little to do with him now he wants out.

Would be nice to see Kalinic start though

[RibbleValleyRover]

Emerton and Givet will be back and Grella will keep his place. Not sure about Andrews, unless he's going to be a left winger then I don't think so.

I'd be surprised if N'Zonzi is dropped for Grella, unless he is completely knackered his form should mean that he keeps his place.

Can't see Kalinic starting, though i personally think its time we unleashed him and gave him some serious pitch time to help his development.

Some users who posted a few pages back in the thread (Waggy?) saying they reckon we might go back to a 4-4-1-1, that wouldn't surprise me actually, there may be the urge to put Dunny behind a lone striker because he was so deep against Fulham and he is the form player in this side. I think it would be playing into Stoke's hands if we do that though...

[Billy Castell]

I'm a bit aprehensive about this game. I think we'll do badly. Don't know why, I've just got this feeling.

[Darwen Rover]

Hope Nzonzi plays over Grella, think we look much more solid in the middle of the park with Nzonzi.

Grella is too hit and miss, he has one good game in 3 whereas Nzonzi is also more consistent!!

Just setting off now, COME ON YOU BLUES!!!

[Tom]

I think N'Zonzi has been really good so far but I also think he is better than he has shown, he shows glimpses of some nice attacking balls but doesn't try them often enough.

[Martin]

451 Rovers

442 Stoke

Hmmmmm.....

[Tom]

Confirmed Martin?

[budha]

ROVERS: Robinson, Chimbonda, Samba, Nelsen ©, Givet, Emerton, Nzonzi, Andrews, Diouf, Dunn, Di Santo.

Subs: Brown (GK), Roberts, McCarthy, Grella, Pedersen, Kalinic, Salgado.

STOKE CITY: Sorensen, Huth, Lawrence, Fuller, Sidibe, Diao, Shawcross ©, Whitehead, Collins, Etherington, Wilkinson.

Subs: Simonsen (GK), Higginbotham, Whelan, Beattie, Tuncay, Delap, Faye.

From Official site. Looks like 4-5-1.

[RibbleValleyRover]

4-5-1/4-4-1-1 against Stoke at Home, with their away record...

[Tom]

Not happy at all with that, why the hell is Diouf still in there?

hope I'm proved wrong here but surely you line up with 2 up top against teams like these?

Poor

Edit Also no Jacobsen on the bench but 3 strikers? really?