[Archived] Stoke Vs Rovers

[broadsword]

Expected a tough game but we are playing absolute rubbish.

comparative to the standard we've established for the majority of this season?

[dazmaz]

pathetic first half, we need 2 strikers playing upfront, not one in midfield. its pathetic!!

14 fouls commited by us in the first half, 7 by stoke

[beerwins]

Pulis giving Sam a lesson on how to play crap football properly

[John]

Poor performance, not doing the basics right.

[Steve Moss]

2-0.

Expected a tough game but we are playing absolute rubbish.

Looking for the silver lining, a poor first half usually means a solid second half from us. Though our pattern of only playing half a game is incredibly frustrating.

[Mr. E]

we entirely deserve that. If the entire stadium emptied and we had the ball placed on the goaline we still wouldn't score.

The players have had a huge problem scoring all season and there is nothing to suggest this problem is being worked on in training.

[booth]

2 strikers, and we still playing kick the ball up in the air ######.

There are two strikers on the pitch but we aren't playing two up front. What's the f*****g point in one up front if we're going to get beat anyway. Fed up with this dross now, I really am.

Is it a knee-jerk reaction if I have this reaction every other week?

[Iceman]

A half fit Basturk and Dunn, would be better than the rubbish out there right now.

[yellowsubmarine]

totally crap football from rovers. cant score as usual. we need inspiration from somewhere.

get emerton off. non-existing performance.

[Amo]

Sorry guv. Of course, it needn't mean that he's playing as a striker, but I was curious as to what position he's taking on the field. Playing off the back of Kalinic I presume?

seems weird to me because I was under the impression that the strength of his game was playing off of the centre half. He doesn't seem the natural choice for teh role of link-up man. You need Keith Andrews for that!

That wasn't levied at you in particular, but when McCarthy was playing behind Kalinic people trumpeted that it was 4-4-2 when it wasn't. I don't know Sam's thinking is playing Di Santo so deep. He's just proving the doubters right who believe he shoehorns players into his tactics instead of playing to THEIR strengths.

[Hasta]

Complete tosh. However get a couple of subs on. Get two up front and try to play football and this isn't over yet. Stop flaming lumping it up to Kalinic's head.

[philipl]

Pulis giving Sam a lesson on how to play crap football properly

Sadly, that is a perfect assessment.

72% of all Rovers attacking has been stright up the middlre according to the stats. And who do Stoke have in the middle? Food and drink to Huth and co.

[Look4Me]

2-0.

Expected a tough game but we are playing absolute rubbish.

How are you ever gonna get any playing done when the ref blows his whistle if you look at someone the wrong way?

14 fouls by us and 7 by Stoke? Mixed in with 20 seconds per throw-in and a bunch of corners.

How many minutes of actual play would that add up to? 4?

That being said, we haven't played well at all, but Stoke are actually worse.

Problem is our defence is awful. Every time the ball is anywhere near our box it looks dangerous.

That's not the case with most other defences.

[Bobby G]

This is the kind of game we cant afford to lose with Hull, Burnley and Wigan all winning right now.

We have to push forward with the right men in the middle. Move Di Santo inwards, switch to 4-4-2.

[G Somerset Rover]

Wtf..am I reading this right that Di Santo is playing the Dunn/Mccarthy role? What the hell is the thinking behind that?

Another great away day.

[BPF]

I'm driving Di Santo back to Chelsea tonight. If anyone fancies pulling on a Rovers shirt in his place then you must possess:

1. The ability to have no influence on the game whatsoever

That is all.

[sweet]

As per usual we will go two up top and start to play a little more positive at some point in the second half, when it is too damn late.

Same old, same old.

[RibbleValleyRover]

comparative to the standard we've established for the majority of this season?

Looks like we have gone back to the usual, same old story (lacking attacking threat and stupid defensive mistakes). When you look at it closely we haven't really been playing that well since the Villa game, we might have picked up points but they have papered over the poor performances.

Its amazing that we are trying to beat the masters at their own game, long balls, long thrown ins etc. Stoke are masters of that style of football and know how to deal with it. Long throw ins? I'm sure part of their training will comprise of having to deal with Delap's long throws.

Is there any point in playing Niko if you aren't going to support him? He has shown with the ball to feet and support he can link up play, plus if you create chances he will get in the right positions to try and put them away. Instead we just aimlessly hoof it to him and he has nowhere to go.

[dazmaz]

I'm driving Di Santo back to Chelsea tonight. If anyone fancies pulling on a Rovers shirt in his place then you must possess:

1. The ability to have no influence on the game whatsoever

That is all.

surely it would be posess the ability to head the ball on target.

that way it would be a improvement on di santo

[otto man]

totally crap football from rovers. cant score as usual. we need inspiration from somewhere.

get emerton off. non-existing performance.

I can't believe I'm paying £350 a year to watch sh1te like this week in week out! The fat one has lost it. Time to retire Sam.

[MarkBRFC71]

Pulis giving Sam a lesson on how to play crap football properly

Stoke's players are largely inferior man-on-man to ours. The only variable is the manager - Pulis gets more from his worser players than BFS does from his better ones. Says everything about the incompetence of our manager really.

Poor performance, not doing the basics right.

That's been the story of most of this season?

As usual I'll get slagged for saying it, but Allardyce is NOT the man to take us anywhere. He's a clueless, arrogant tit. Rather than change his awful tactics/formation to match the personnel available, he tries to shoehorn in players who aren't used to playing that way/those positions.

Got a text from my mate who's there at half-time:

"F**king s**t this, 2 attempts they score easily, and we've missed two good chances! Hoof football with 2 up front."

[broadsword]

That wasn't levied at you in particular, but when McCarthy was playing behind Kalinic people trumpeted that it was 4-4-2 when it wasn't. I don't know Sam's thinking is playing Di Santo so deep. He's just proving the doubters right who believe he shoehorns players into his tactics instead of playing to THEIR strengths.

Perhaps it's the only way he knows to set a team up?

I don't know how many games we've played with 4-4-1-1 (or whatever you want to call it), but it must surely be the overwhelming majority?

It obviously works to an extent as we have a comfortable cushion over the bottom 3 right now. However, I'm sure our better players are getting sick of it, and it's not exactly doing much for the fans.

[sweet]

Wigan & Hull both wining, if results stay the same and Bolton manage to nick a win against fulham - then we are right back in the relagation mix.

[Miker]

Stoke's players are largely inferior man-on-man to ours. The only variable is the manager - Pulis gets more from his worser players than BFS does from his better ones. Says everything about the incompetence of our manager really.

That's been the story of most of this season?

As usual I'll get slagged for saying it, but Allardyce is NOT the man to take us anywhere. He's a clueless, arrogant tit. Rather than change his awful tactics/formation to match the personnel available, he tries to shoehorn in players who aren't used to playing that way/those positions.

Got a text from my mate who's there at half-time:

"F**king s**t this, 2 attempts they score easily, and we've missed two good chances! Hoof football with 2 up front."

Please keep going, I have food poisoning and need to throw up. Reading more trash like this should do the trick.

[AggyBlue]

As usual I'll get slagged for saying it, but Allardyce is NOT the man to take us anywhere. 

Where do you want us to go?

I want us to stay where we are, in the Premier League.