Stoke - team & match thread

[tHEgLASSdOORS]

Derby was a far better performance than today by the way.

Mepham is now set for a spell on the sidelines so unless Campbell is close we're getting Taylor in a 2 which is somehow worse than Taylor in a 3.

Price and Styles the pick of our players today. Jimoh-Aloba a constant threat once we got him involved first half.

No way. Derby were dreadful that night and the game was pedestrian. Today was attritional on a heavy pitch and we had loads of control in midfield. We were very hard to play against today. This was a way better performance.

Totally incorrect, but all about opinions...

Agree with cracktits on this one

[Dreamkiller]

I wouldn't read too much into the fact that you kept a clean sheet. We really are struggling to get anything to work up front. 

At the same time, the Radio Stoke commentators were very much of the opinion that the Albion players wanted it more and were fighting for it, which is pretty encouraging for your manager given the start he's had. 

Not sure if there's been a few 'clear the air' conversations going on, but if so, they seem to have worked. We're going to need similar at our place pretty soon, the way we're going.

Recently teams didn't need to try to score against us, we gave away goals so cheaply it's been ridiculous

This is kinda what I meant by my 'resistible force' comment earlier. You've been giving goals away cheaply, but we're not a team who'll ever take advantage of that scenario. 

I've been lurking enough to know that Ramsay's three at the back tactic has been derided by supporters, and I had this uneasy feeling that this would be the game where he saw sense and ditched it. As soon as I saw on here that he'd gone with four at the back, I knew we wouldn't be seeing the Albion I was hoping for.

[Stillclem4england]

Derby was a far better performance than today by the way.

Mepham is now set for a spell on the sidelines so unless Campbell is close we're getting Taylor in a 2 which is somehow worse than Taylor in a 3.

Price and Styles the pick of our players today. Jimoh-Aloba a constant threat once we got him involved first half.

Hopefully he sees sense and puts Gilchrist there. People were calling Heggebo a glorified centre half at the start of the season so maybe he could do a job. 

Diakite played in central defence at Burnley last season, we drew 1-1 courtesy of a Wildsmith mistake.
Back 4 that day Holgate, Diakite, Heggem and Styles

We played a five with Price at wing back.

[MancBaggie]

Before the game, i didn’t think we’d get anything so I would have snapped your hand off for a draw.

However, we should have won that really.

Correct