The post match thread.

[Duffers]

Can’t say I’m too down about it all. Performances like that happen every now and then, did anyone genuinely think we were going to go 15, 20, 25+ games unbeaten? We weren’t at it last night and were rightly punished.

A quarter of the season gone and we are averaging 2 points per game and are on course for 92 at our current rate. I suspect most would have taken that.

[TETLEY74]

Let's be positive.
Most said they would be happy with 5 points from our last 3 games. Nobody expected us to win them all. A few said they preferred 2 wins rather then 1 win and 2 draws.
Looking back 6 points is right on the money.
It's over to Val now to bounce us back to winning ways and performances to be proud of.

Spot on we were never going to go the season unbeaten, the mark of a good manager and team is how they respond to defeat. Another 22pt haul from an unbeaten 10 games would do nicely and we will be on track, however we stutter now and loose a couple more quickly then its time to worry, until then we are not in a bad position really are we.

[JOK]

Let's be positive.
Most said they would be happy with 5 points from our last 3 games. Nobody expected us to win them all. A few said they preferred 2 wins rather then 1 win and 2 draws.
Looking back 6 points is right on the money.
It's over to Val now to bounce us back to winning ways and performances to be proud of.

Yes, but it's ruined the GD by a gapping 1! 

[Hopalong]

Just for the record, that was easily our best performance of the season. One of those nights for you obviously, and it was going to take that kind of a combination for us to claim all the points. 

I've said previously that I'm happy with our direction of travel, but I still think we're a season away from being serious contenders as I expect us to fade a bit as the season progresses. 

Still, we've beaten the top dogs. Feels good. Hope everyone gets home safe.

Fully deserved tonight DK and O'neill did a job on us.  

In fairness, we couldn't have had too many compaints at 3-0. 

I thought you would be in the mix this season and you certainly will.

[Peachy]

Just watched the goal back again. Clearly a mix up with Townsend and Reach going for the same ball and it looks like Townsend wasn't expecting it to be him that was going to clear it so he only half hit it. From there they were then both out of position.

I still cant help thinking though that if SJ stays on his line Powell doesn't finish that chance. Bartley would have been alongside him and there would have been a tough angle for a shot in which Sam would have been central.

Not Sams fault as he's asked to play sweeper keeper but in that instance he didn't need to rush out. Invited the lob.

[DemonicBaggie]

Last night was a collective failure. The entire team was off it. Misplaced passes throughout the game in all areas of the pitch. Hence no cohesion, no control of the midfield, virtually no goal threat, and a decent Stoke side able to find the fluency we lacked. Their finishing was dire, but we obliged to help them. Probably a bit of fatigue, when we really needed a Saturday fixture after the Cardiff exertions. But there will be as many 4-0 results as there will be below-par performances this season, it is, as ever, a question of maintaining consistency.

[74bus]

Just watched the goal back again. Clearly a mix up with Townsend and Reach going for the same ball and it looks like Townsend wasn't expecting it to be him that was going to clear it so he only half hit it. From there they were then both out of position.

I still cant help thinking though that if SJ stays on his line Powell doesn't finish that chance. Bartley would have been alongside him and there would have been a tough angle for a shot in which Sam would have been central.

Not Sams fault as he's asked to play sweeper keeper but in that instance he didn't need to rush out. Invited the lob.

Agree. I'm a great fan of SJ and think we're lucky to have him, but that's far from the first goal we've let in with him stranded in no man's land. I understand the sweeper keeper bit, but it can be overdone.

[chasetownbaggie]

Poor all round, maybe the 3 games in a week at the tempo we try to play at had a bearing on it.

Said exactly the same to my brother after the game.

On a side note, I can't see Stoke fans putting up with playing out from the back for too long. 

[Korenavirus]

I wanted Powell (Nick not Enoch) on free when bd left Wigan and when we didn't go for thought maybe we dodged a bullet given his horrendous injury record, but he seems to have put that behind him now and is showing his undoubted quality.

I hate to say it but they deserved the win yesterday. We looked tired and devoid of ideas.

[Dreamkiller]

I wanted Powell (Nick not Enoch) on free when bd left Wigan and when we didn't go for thought maybe we dodged a bullet given his horrendous injury record, but he seems to have put that behind him now and is showing his undoubted quality.

I hate to say it but they deserved the win yesterday. We looked tired and devoid of ideas.

He's still injury prone and has missed 4 of our 11 league games already. But he's scored 5 goals in the 7 he's played and I think I heard them say on the radio last night that he also has 4 assists. 

We create more chances than most Stoke teams I've watched over the years. Our problem is converting the chances into goals. If every chance fell to Powell, we wouldn't have that problem.