[Archived] Stoke Vs Rovers

[Kelbo]

Watched Stoke the other night at Sunderland, they looked decent, watched Hull tonight v Chelsea, looked more than decent and Hunt doesnt half put in a shift!!

We will have to move up a gear to beat both Stoke and Hull on those showings!!

[LeftWinger]

Watched Stoke the other night at Sunderland, they looked decent

I only saw little bits of the game, but I believe Stokes pass completion was something like 52%, which is shocking for a Premier League team. I did however think they looked good when they played at Ewood and were possibly unlucky not to win the game. They don't score many and have only got 2 points this season when they've gone behind in a match. Surely we should go for the early goal. Anyone know where is good to park near the ground? Safe to wear Rovers colours? Should I bring the Owen Coyle is a God flag?

[benmaiden]

I only saw little bits of the game, but I believe Stokes pass completion was something like 52%, which is shocking for a Premier League team. I did however think they looked good when they played at Ewood and were possibly unlucky not to win the game. They don't score many and have only got 2 points this season when they've gone behind in a match. Surely we should go for the early goal. Anyone know where is good to park near the ground? Safe to wear Rovers colours? Should I bring the Owen Coyle is a God flag?

Would advise you to keep colours covered outside the ground, especially after the match. Flag sounds good to me

[Stuart Ripley]

i'm super gutted i missed out on the coyle flag! anymore floating about or similar??

[ada2020]

A point would be decent but a win a real boost. Is Dunn available? He and MGP in the midfield should be able to provide Kalinic with some decent service.

Rovers 2-0 Stoke. Kalinic with both goals.

Robbo

Chimbonda-Samba-Nelsen-Givet

Emerton-N'Zonzi-MGP-Olsen

Dunn

Kalinic

From what I have read elsewhere Dunn and Grella could be available for the Stoke game.

I believe Grella should be safely back on his regular treatment table by 6pm on Saturday if he does play.

[joey_big_nose]

A point would be decent but a win a real boost. Is Dunn available? He and MGP in the midfield should be able to provide Kalinic with some decent service.

Rovers 2-0 Stoke. Kalinic with both goals.

Robbo

Chimbonda-Samba-Nelsen-Givet

Emerton-N'Zonzi-MGP-Olsen

Dunn

Kalinic

I concur with the team but will be suprised if Dunn is fit. If not Kalinic and Di Santo up front I think.

From what I have read elsewhere Dunn and Grella could be available for the Stoke game.

I believe Grella should be safely back on his regular treatment table by 6pm on Saturday if he does play.

A month ago I would have said Grella would be a shoo-in back into the side. But with MGP and Reid back it is hard to see how he will get back in. Bench at best for him.

[Roost]

Ok much better:)

Thomas,

I have been down to the ground to buy tickets and they are sold out but expecting more to be sent for tomorrow. When I asked how many, they said 100

I will do what I can to get there for opening time tomorrow and let you know.

[TimmyJimmy]

Living in the past I know but everytime I see this fixture I say "Who the hell are Stoke?" - how can we lose, they're a Championship side.

They've hung around for a while so I guess they must be EPL standard after all - but I'm still not convinced.

Big bruisers with piles of aggression which is probably why we'll struggle, we hate being pressurised on the ball. Agree with other comments on here that this is a big big match for us - it's very winnable - I think we are much the better team but we need all the points from this match and that could put more pressure on the players and individual performances could suffer. Hope not.

Taking my courage in both hands I'll go for a 1-2 for us but we could be in for a physical battering. Adding speed via Olsson and Hoilett would peg them back deeper so they are less capable of looking for set pieces near our box. A point would be disappointing, we must have this one down as a win surely. It's only Stoke

[begresko]

Big bruisers with piles of aggression which is probably why we'll struggle, we hate being pressurised on the ball. Agree with other comments on here that this is a big big match for us - it's very winnable - I think we are much the better team but we need all the points from this match and that could put more pressure on the players and individual performances could suffer. Hope not.

Taking my courage in both hands I'll go for a 1-2 for us but we could be in for a physical battering. Adding speed via Olsson and Hoilett would peg them back deeper so they are less capable of looking for set pieces near our box. A point would be disappointing, we must have this one down as a win surely. It's only Stoke

If only this was true. From what I have seen, Stoke aren't any more aggresive than many other teams, certainly aren't dirty by any stretch of the imagination.

They seem to be organised but if we sit off them, we have presence at the back, and enough pace to deal with them all day long. Creativly Tuncay is class, but is easy to cut out of a game, and Fuller, well hit him hard and fast and it stops him. Etherington is exceptionally one footed but has pace. Chimbonda will have to step up. Whatever we do, we cannot switch off at set pieces like we against Wigan. Good game from the back five and this could be a very, very good day for us. Come on the rovers...

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Stoke are a reasonable team. With the likes of Sorensen, Shawcross, Etherington, Fuller and Tuncay they do possess the ability to blunt our attack and give our defence a hard time. Individually Id fancy our chances but they play well as a unit and are very hard to beat at the Britannia. Id take a point right now but these sorts of games can bring surprises. Defeat wouldnt be disastrous but a win isnt by any means off the cards.

The magicalmortensleftpeg 'TurboStokeKilling XI':

-----------Robbo

Emerton Samba Nelsen Chimbonda

--------Grella

--Reid--------Pedersen Olsson

--------Dunn

-----------Kalinic

[LeChuck]

Swap Givet for Reid, push Emerton forward and swap the full backs and I'd be happy with that team, possibly exchange Grella for N'Zonzi or Reid.

[Rovermatt]

Stoke are not a bad side by any stretch of the imagination. They beat Arsenal with ease a couple of weeks ago. We'll be doing well to get anything from this game.

[FourLaneBlue]

Tough place to go. Therefore a draw would be a good result. Better teams than us will leave there with nothing in these coming months I am sure.

[LeftWinger]

They beat Arsenal with ease a couple of weeks ago.

An Arsenal team consisting of Fabianski, Campbell, Eastmond, Coquelin, Emmanuel-Thomas and Vela. We should be looking to get something out of this game.

[Sparky Marky]

I have a feeling we'll win this one...Kalinic with a Brace....

[mellison24]

I wouldn't want to start either Dunn or Grella if they've only just come back, but I'd bench them both. My team would be:

-------------Robbo

Chimbonda-Samba-Nelsen-Givet

-----Emerton-Reidy-Olsson

------------Pedersen

------------Franco--Niko

Brown, Jacobsen, Grella, Dunn, Roberts, Jones (I think he's good enough), Hoilett.

NZonzi would be useful in this game with his height, but the lad needs a rest. It's a tricky away game, but I'd be looking to have a go at Stoke. I'd believe that the defensive options are solid enough and there is a good amount of creatibity and graft in the attacking options.

Something that has just occured to me. Although we normally play only 1 up front, any striker combination would now work (without the added complication of Benni).

Franco and Roberts: Loads of graft and effort required by defenses to keep them at bay.

Franco and Niko: Franco provides the foil for Niko to show us what he can REALLY do.

Roberts and Niko: Ditto the above.

OH, I nearly forgot: 2-1 to the rovers and a couple of hundred drunken rovers fans out of 1400 or so.

[Mr. E]

Please God no more Diouf.

[John]

Need to pick a team that can compete phyiscally and get stuck in - need to be solid otherwise no chance of any points.

[JAL]

Please God no more Diouf.

Seconded

[mellison24]

Seconded

Thirded

[Presty On Tour]

Rovers 1-0, Kalinic to score.

[colin]

Brilliant preview that. Good to hear from Henning

[rog of the rovers]

Good preview!

My friend and I went to the game last season and we both agreed that the flag being waved around/over the fans was the highlight of the day!

Hope for a better game this time around, and a bit of luck.

[SambaFan1711]

Hi All,

I still haven't had chance to get my tickets for this game yet - Is it officially a sell out? Are we ordering more tickets? If so how much and when should I get some?

All answers be appreciated.

Thanks.

[philipl]

I'm mentally scared from the game at there place last season, which has to rank as one of the worst away performances I’ve witnessed. Not just because we got beaten, but the manner I which it happened, as soon as we went 1-0 down we had no plan B, the manager was only interested in results at home, anything away was a bonus, this despite 3000 fans making the trip……

Anyway to the game this weekend, can’t see us getting anything, Stoke are very good side at home. Allardyce will try to contain them and hit them on the break, but can’t see that happening.

Stoke 1 Blackburn 0

I didn't go but this was the match which put the skids under a lot of things for this season (losing Tugay and Warnock) with the senior players turning on Sam in the dressing room afterwards over his tactics. Andrews' waywards pass setting up the Stoke winner had far more consequences than any of his other 100+ bad passes he has made against us whilst wearing the shirt.

Let's hope Sam has learnt his lesson as this is in the tough but winnable category IF we don't let Etherington and Fuller run at us. That means getting into Stoke faces and not conceding territory in my book.

I think a rumbustious draw is a reasonable expectation: 2-2

Great preview and well done for contacting Henning.