Stoke City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Somniloquism]

When you havent won and are looking for a result to kick start your season theres no better team to play than us, i remember the exact same thing happening last season against Westham were they scored the winner two weeks into injury team to get their first win of the season, also when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head

<bing bong> Legion to the Post match thread, Legion to the Post match thread </bing bong>

[villajk]

when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head

<bing bong> Legion to the Post match thread, Legion to the Post match thread </bing bong>

Yeah, come on Legion, we need a bit of cheering up.  I don't think I'll ever tire of you posting that clip.

[H00513R]

Just when I thought we were at least going to be a point...

[BannedUserIAT]

Just watched the game so I've read nothing of this thread (yet) but it's amazing how a game like this - even so early in the campaign - can completely change the outlook for the season ahead.

Had we won, we'd be up to 3rd, a potentially fantastic new manager coming in, a player like Stephen Ireland to make an impact off the bench, Albrighton lighting things up for us on the pitch, Gabby whipping in some excellent crosses and Petrov leading the line by example.

A last-kick-of-the-game winner against us and it changes everything:
That's now TWO potential relegation teams that have put us to the sword, we've no manager, no place for Ireland in the team, we have to rely upon a noob to give us some sort of movement and creativity, Gabby has to cross the ball cuz Downing can't do it and Ashley over-hit's everything and Petrov's our only central midfield player as NRC looks lost/unfit and we're below the noses in the table.

We had to deal with some big bruisers today. We are diametrically opposed sides and we played it the right way for most of the game. It's just so frustrating that some of our rotation play and excellent movement off the ball in the middle of the pitch isn't duplicated in the last third. It just seems to be the rule that, once we've got the ball on the wing, everyone piles in for the cross. Which is a shame because when we DO attack the goal from the flanks, rather than just swing it in, we look so so dangerous.

There might be a language that can portray my frustration, but English isn't it.

[JJ-AV]

Stoke are like a bad shit that won't flush. Shit kit, shit ground, shit players. How can you have Tuncay, Gudjohnson and Fuller on the bench and shite like that starting?

Fair enough they got the job done against us (again) and they'll probably push for top half, but I wouldn't want us 'playing' like that.

[eamonn]

same shit different season why when were on sky do we concede so many late goals fucking sick of it now as is someone else I imagine ....

Apparently that was the first away Monday night game we've lost since Enkelman's moment of madness (8 years on Friday if you want to mark the anniversary).

Not true - we lost to Newcastle on a Mon night two seasons ago (Nov '08) 2-0 when the octogenarian Oba-Oba Martins took us apart.

[Monty]

I can't have been the only one appalled by some of the challenges Stoke got away with. The long balls and throws, fine, I can deal with - horrible anti-football but it's legal - but some of the 'tackles' were terrible. Who was the berk who got booked for the one on Albrighton towards the end of the first half? Three inches to his left and that guy's broken Marc's leg and he's out for a year. The result? Yellow card and no mention in any match report. There were many more as well. Disgraceful.

[BannedUserIAT]

Everyone knows how Stoke play.
Everyone knows that Stoke have a lot of big fellas.
Everyone knows that balls are going to be hoofed into the box from either long-balls or one-trick-Delap throws.
Everyone would have known that the kitchen sink was going to be thrown in our direction in the last 20 mins or so.

So, why not play a game of keep-the-ball - especially after going 1 up and especially when Pulis showed up? It was pretty obvious that the crowd get amped up an extra notch as did the players so something needed to be done.
Why not try to frustrate them and perhaps get one of their lot sent off?
Why have Downing and Albrighton swap wings? I get that Warnock was having issues and that Pussy-Downing offers next to no protection - congratulations though lad, on your first ever Villa tackle - but this actually caused more problems than it solved.
Why not make some changes to the central midfield when it was obvious they were out on their feet?
Why put Heskey on when you need a goal.

Each and every one of these questions has their answer in our dug-out.
Each and every one of these questions failed to bring an answer.

We were capable of winning. We were capable of doing a lot better than we did. That we failed lies at the feet of K-Mac. Very very poor today. Regardless of what goes on during mid-week training, regardless of what gets said before a match and at half time and regardless of kicking every ball and heading every header, it comes down to that 90 minutes and if your one and only idea is to being on Heskey, then you've no place in management at any level of the game.

Oh, one last thing, I think Petrov is coming on for some unwarranted criticism on here tonight. He was all over the middle part of the pitch and having to cover Albrighton who can tend to get himself out of position, cover Downing who can't defend, and be the outlet between the defence and the front 4. He had a lot to do and did it very well. Yes, he tired at 70 mins but we do have alternatives on the bench. If Ireland's only half fit, then he can still play half a game, no?

[eamonn]

After proving his growing number of detractors wrong with a fine performance against Everton, there were a couple of things in Friedel's game that made me start to doubt him again.

For the first goal just as the cross came in he was pointing at someone to pick-up a Stoke player but was clearly flat-footed at the wrong side of the goal and thus had no chance of keeping the ball out.

His fucking high punts up the field from every kick-out...who did he think on our team was going to win them? Maybe someone forgot to tell him Carew wasn't playing.

Lastly, but something that is starting to piss me off. Any time a shot comes in at face-height, he palms it straight back to the player. For fuck sake, get some purchase on the ball, if you can't catch it, punch/scoop it out of harms way. Do not flap at it and put it back where it came from. He did it for Noocassil's second goal and got away with it tonight.

[eamonn]

Oh and it's largely been ignored given the result but fuck me what a diving header from Downing that was. Not sure if I've ever seen a better one.

[Jackthevillain1]

Just got to look forward to the Bolton match if we get a win in that itll be 9 from 15.

[Reality]

Nice to see the Stoke fans condoning diving.

[*shellac*]

Why do we bother about football?

I will walk my dog instead when we will face godknowswho next.  He (the dog, not god) barks at me alot recently.  I must be a stranger to him.  I need to build back that relationship.

Footballers?  Fuck off.

[Legion]

When you havent won and are looking for a result to kick start your season theres no better team to play than us, i remember the exact same thing happening last season against Westham were they scored the winner two weeks into injury team to get their first win of the season, also when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head

Try this:

[ozzjim]

I think we deserved a point at least. Should have scored a couple more and were then kicked and cheated out of it. Pulis turned up and the ref gave them everything for the sympathy vote. Was a complete disgrace. And Jermaine Pennant comes back to England to show what we have been missing. A cheating ******.


Sorry but Villa did well most of the night. Collins struggled a bit, and Dunney still looks a bit short of fitness.

Reo Coker worked like a dog and did well, Petrov ok, but at 60 miins I would have had Ireland on for Albrighton to makea  genuine 5 man midfield. Tactical deficiency cost us as much as anything. Hopefully Houllier can help with that.